202 N. Eau Claire Ave, Apt. 102 Madison, WI 53705 | benrodgers171@gmail.com | 317.448.8946

Objective

Education

Experience

SponsoredProjects

To be an essential member of a dynamic and creative company with a responsible and forward vision.

Purdue University B.A. Industrial Design

Industrial Designer at Electronic Theatre Controls: May, 8th 2012 - Present

2007 - 2011

Guldagergård Ceramic Center: Skælskør, Denmark - Studied slip casting and mold making

May 2011

-Assisted in conception and development of the Cobalt console series

-Worked to build a culture of design in a global company with multiple brand lines -Coordinated between departments to build a better bridge between marketing and engineering -Led a hands-on workshop to help managers better understand the role of design and it’s benefit to user research

-Primary designer in the development of the Inspire brand line -Primary designer in the development of the ColorSource LED control console

-Assisted with the implementation of graphic user interfaces -Developed product logos

Sales Associate with Moorehead Communications: November 2011 - April 2012

-Maintained a high level of proficiency with both Android and iOS -Provided thorough and courteous customer service

Intern with Indiana Mills and Manufacturing Inc. (IMMI): June - August 2010

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-Developed finished concepts for the Safegaurd and Lifeguard product lines -Created a working model of a seating concept for construction vehicles

GE Healthcare: -A semester long project investigating and designing assistive walking solutions for Parkinson’s patients. -Interviewed patients and researchers with a focus on balance.Hon Furniture: -Led a team of design students in a weekend competition during which we developed 24 designs in 48 hours. -Facilitated and guided group brainstorming.Hasbro Toys: -Spent 8 weeks designing a toy for a super hero film. -Worked through several mechanical possibilities in order to make the toy jump.Depuy Orthopedics: -Designed an assistive device for bilateral amputees over 8 weeks under the supervision of DePuy designers. -Conducted empathic research into the difficulties of manipulating objects without hands. -Awarded Best Concepts

Ben Rodgers 317.448.8946benrodgers171@gmail.com202 N. Eau Claire Ave. Apt. 102 Madison, WI 53705

Software Knowledge

Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Sketchbook Pro, Rhinoceros 5.0, SolidWorks, Photoview 360,some After Effects

Clubs & Orgs.

References

Portfolio

Purdue IDSA Chapter Treasurer 2010 - 2011 -Managed funds and collected dues

-Involved in planning and organizing chapter events

IDSA Wisconsin Vice Chair Sept. 2014 - Present

-Plan and organize events -Assist Chapter Chair -Network with National Chapter

Phi Sigma Kappa Treasurer 2008 - 2009 -Collected and handled a $60,000 yearly budget.

Laura Drake Purdue Industrial Design Professor ldrake@purdue.edu

John Hanesworth Industrial Designer, Electronic Theatre Controls john.hanesworth@etcconnect.com

Sam Petre Industrial Designer, Brooks Stevens Inc. samuel.petre.design@gmail.com

Zhen Yu (Cheryl) Qian Purdue Interaction Design Professor qianz@purdue.edu

-Participated in and helped sponsor the 2008 and 2009 Polar Plunge benefiting the Special Olympics. -Provided a Christmas for local children through the Head Start program.

http://issuu.com/ben_rodgers/docs/ben_rodgers_portfolio

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(ASSIST)An intuitive solution for bilateral amputees.

“Design a device that will allow paralympic athletes to compete in a sport that is not currently offered.”

Kayaking

What if you lost BOTH hands?

I’ve enjoyed kayaking since I was young and I was surprised to learn it was not yet offered as a paralympic event.

Right away I wanted to look beyond the obvious route of a specialized prosthetic. But then something else occured to me.....

How can we protect the expensive prothetics they already own?

Could the equipment acommodate instead of a prosthetic?

• Current methods involve the use of teeth and awkward positions

•••

standing.

• Above the elbow amputees have greater

• Assistive devices are makeshift.• Routines require much practice.• Becomes much easier once one hand is

operational.• Assistive apparatus is typically not portable.

How are people already solving this problem?How can we improve their experience?

(ASSIST)Assist aids in securing prosthetics and retaining them together until the user dons them again. It is worn by a strap around the neck or shoulders.

Operation

After releasing socket suction, place strap around neck and insert prosthetics through rings.

Twist until prosthetics are secure then remove residual limbs.

1 2

Multipurpose Space Efficient Furniture

Problem and Target Attributes:

Thesis Statement:

“To create a piece of furniture that stylishly addresses the comfortable, portable, and

affordable wants and needs of young adults.”

Pros:

-Lessens much of the difficulty that comes with moving couches

-Fits better inside a vehicle

Cons:

-VERY unoriginal

-Structural stability wouldbe difficult to achieve

-Minimal styling opportunities

Pros:

-Very space efficient

-Multiple functions

-Could be low(er)-cost

-Minimal packaging and shipping

Cons:

-Support arm would need to be very strong

-Safety issues

Pros:

-Hammock feature is very fun

-Multiple functions

-Packs flat

Cons:

-VERY UNSTABLE

-Too much effort to change functions

Final Concepts:

Sponsored Project: Assistive Walker for GE Heathcare

Parkinson’s In-Home Care:

70 percent of people with Parkinson’s Disease have

suffered a fall. 25 percent of individuals who fall

and break a hip will die within a year.

After much research my partner and I decided to focus on the issue of balance.

We designed our walker to provide support to the user from the lumbar all the way to the foot.

On board electronics would sense when the user was off balance and take corrective measures to protect against a fall.

Sponsored Project: Assistive Walker for GE Heathcare

A Clothing Clutter solution:

-Tech of 2030!

-Printed Clothing, new each morning.

-Recycled and cleaned each night.

-No more laundry!

-Wardrobe becomes a digitalbelonging.

- Personal Customization

-Space Efficiency

MorningEvening

Lumoire's materials port is pulled out by the central handle to access coloring dyes and recycled polymer cartridges.

The cartridges eject outward in a radial fashion from the center when selected. They can be removed, refilled, and replaced for customization with different materials and colors.

ETC: Cobalt Lighting Console

ETC: Cobalt Lighting Console

The intention behind the faceted design and ‘royal blue’ accents of the Cobalt console was to make it fitting as the ‘crown jewel’ of the many prestigous European theatres it controls.

ETC: Cobalt Console

Touch and FeelThe goal of Cobalt’s edge styling was to create a design that would compliment the faceted parts while remaining organic enough that the user could ‘discover’ these features with their fingertips as well.

River SlateI seached for examples

faceted features in nature that invite touch.

I decided upon the look and feel of slate stone

found in river beds. The anodized aluminum

used on the console has a similar texture to stone and river slate creates a

very natural edge.

ETC: Inspire Wall Stations

Top

Side

ETC: Inspire Wall Stations

*Patent Pending

The metal bracket aligns multiple stations of universal Decora form factor. This means competitor products can be paired with Inspire stations if desired.

But the bracket also fits beneath a single gang face plate and serves as a target for the magnets and hooks on the back of the plate.

These features achieve a ‘screw-less’ appear-ance for all arrangements of Decora form factor stations with a single low-cost part.

ETC: Inspire Wall Stations

ETC Design Discussion-In Summary

“Design is more than the aesthetics and artifacts associated with products; it’s a strategic function that focuses on what people want and

need and dream of, then crafts experiences across the full brand ecosystem that are meaningful and relevant for customers.”

-Mauro Porcini,

Chief Design Officer of PepsiCo

The above quote from Mr. Porcini set the tone for our discussion and activity over the course of several hours and one catered meal of tacos. It was a timely and relevant statement for both ETC and global industry in general, and it helped us frame our need to better integrate the principles of industrial design into our products.

During that time we discussed the role and benefits of design in the product development process. We also explored what we liked and didn’t like about a variety of manufactured items. It was a collaborative and hands-on experience that allowed us to consider the many qualities that play a part in a product’s development and success.

Brainstorm, shotgun concepts, and start WAY out there.

Concept Development

In our discussion of design in product development several considerations stood out as key to a successful process:

-What is the core issue of the problem?

-Have we identified ALL of our users and advocates?

-Begin development of concepts early.

-Include design requirements (aesthetics, user experience) in the MRD.

-Create rough prototypes earlier and more frequently to determine ergonomics, scale, and appearance.

-Involve other ETC creatives at the appropriate times to help ‘tell the story’ of the product.

It was insightful to explore areas of opportunity for ETC that had previously not been recognized. Following through with these considerations will help us achieve some incremental improvement and score the ‘quick wins’ that will help us demonstrate the benefits of involving design at the right time.

“Failing to involve designers

in user research would be a

waste of talent we already

have.”

“How are people already

solving this problem, and

how can we improve their

experience?”

Color, shape, material, texture, context...

Exploration Activity

After discussing the role of design we all took on the role of design critic.

Laid out across the table was a collection of manufactured items ranging in shape, size, color, material, and finish. We spent some time browsing through the items and casually discussing them before picking our favorites.

Then each of us took a turn discussing our findings based on the following criteria:

-Inspiration

-Appearance / Affordances

-Function / Environment of Use

-Material

-Manufacturing Method

-Product Lifecycle

-What’s missing?

“What do you like, and why

do you like it?”

Conclusion

Design holds great potential for ETC products and brand image. If the talented people involved in that process coordinate their efforts we will start to see the benefits that companies like PepsiCo have come to enjoy. All it takes is one leap of faith after another.

Some crowd favorites:The Houdini wine stopper

(top) proves simple products

don’t have to keep a simple

appearance. And the

example kit from Protomold

(below) shows how technical

information can be

demonstrated in an

engaging fashion.