KasimirHellstromPortfolio

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My previous working experience together with my education has made me acquainted with a great variety of tasks, which has contributed to me being highly adaptable to new situations and scenarios. It has also made me perceptive to the needs of those using the products I design. Working with projects has taught me to perform creatively under pressure, and to let my accuracy permeate the entire design process.

The passion to create functional, sustainable, appealing and user friendly design will always be a driving force in my work; regardless of the task I am given.

I am looking forward to telling you more about myself and my work.

Kind regards

Kasimir Hellström

01

I have studied product design my whole life, in the sense that I have always been observant to the form, function and essence of products. The harmony between an object’s exterior, its materials and its function has always fascinated me. The choice to make product design into my profession ultimately came from a desire to be involved in the whole process, from idea to finished product. What also appealed to me was the possibility to work in a challenging and creative environment, where I would continuously learn new things from combining theory, practical work and creativity.

Prior to my studies, I worked on a seasonally basis; as a greenkeeper in the summers and with tourism in the winters. In addition to providing valuable working experience, these years gave me plenty of time to consider different alternatives for a future education and career.

For my bachelor thesis I chose to work with a concept for a new wrist protection designed especially for snowboarders. Apart from the focus on form and ergonomics, this project placed high demands on preparative research, choice of materials and user targeting; all of these being factors that I am really passionate about in my designs.

Concurrently with working on my bachelor project, I was involved in the development of a board game and a computer game prior to “Lundakarnevalen”, a student carnival with long traditions that takes place in Lund every fourth year. This gave me the opportunity to gain experience in working with a commercial product, while further developing my skills designing with a given graphic profile.

c/o MellgrenLandsdomarevägen 1

SE-22240 LundSweden

[email protected]:+46(0)703211404

02

Education/Examina2010 BSc Material Science and Product Development Degree Thesis: Modern wrist guards for snowboarders http://dspace.mah.se:8080/handle/2043/11408 2007-2010 Product design at Malmö University, School of Technology

2003 Frensh language studies at Université de Grenoble located in Chamonix

1998-2001 Social Science programme, Local Branch: Sports, Sydskånska Gymnasiet in Ystad

Employments2011- Warehouse worker, WBP Trading AB, Malmö Handling wood based products, customer service

2010 Greenkeeper, Abbekås Golf Club, Abbekås, seasonally employed Maintenance of the golf course

2008-2009 Greenkeeper, Abbekås Golf Club, Abbekås, employed during summer break

2006-2007 Greenkeeper, Abbekås Golf Club, Abbekås, seasonally employed


2005-2006 Restaurant assistant, Café Arom, Skellefteå Preparation of food and beverages, barista 2005 Greenkeeper, Abbekås Golf Club, Abbekås, seasonally employed 2004-2005 Janitor, cleaner, dishwasher, Köja Högfjällshotell, Edsåsdalen, seasonally employed Maintenance of hotel and spa. Planning and purchase of consumables

2005 Snowboard instructor, Köja Högfjällshotell, Edsåsdalen Private and group lessons for beginners to advance riders

2004 Carpenter training, Henrik Isgrens Bygg, Ystad Renovation of residental buildings

2003 Greenkeeper at Flommens Golf Club, Falsterbo, project employment during 2 months

2002 Cleaner, Storliens Högfjällshotell, Storlien Responsible for cleaning of a cottages and an apartment hotel

2001-2003 Greenkeeper at Abbekås Golf Club, seasonally employed

[email protected]

mobile:+46(0)703211404

Commission of trust2007-2010 Student representative for the Product Design program at Malmö University

2010 Second Section Manager for the game section in Lund’s students carnival Development of a board game and a computer gameLanguages Swedish - native English – fluent in spoken and written Frensh – basic in spoken and written Danish – conversation level Norwegian– conversation level

Computer programs Adobe CS (Illustrator, Indesign, Photoshop) SolidWorks, Rhinoceros Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point) Mac OS

Other qualifications Junior elite golfer until 2001 Photographer for Malmö University School paper Kitesurfing and surf instructor for www.southcoastsweden.se

Hobbies Snowboard, skiing, kite surfing, surfing, climbing and bouldering, golf, fishing, muay thai, photography and architecture. Good references available upon request

01

In this project my aim was to increase my skill in working with product identity and, in this case, shoe design. Crossover is a shoe concept for SAAB’s product range Expression that includes accessories such as watches, pens and clothes. The purpose was to expand the product range of SAAB’s profile products and at the same time highlight the release of the new car model. Crossover offers the user a modern technical shoe that fits equally well in the office as outdoors.


02

I wanted the product to attract all SAAB-lovers, irrespectively of their favorite car model. By offering a sporty, streamlined, functional shoe that carried discrete SAAB logotypes to represent both the classic and the modern, the very essence of the brand would shine through. I experimented with several concepts, as I wanted to assemble key features from both urban and outdoor shoes to combine the best of both worlds into one final design; hence the name Crossover.


03

“Anything but ordinary” is SAAB’s motto and it was also the motto for this concept. The idea with Crossover was to seize the SAAB heritage, and the design was inspired by form elements from the new 9-4X and classic pilot shoes to connect Crossover to SAAB’s aerospace heritage. By combining leather with modern functional materials the result is a sporty, versatile shoe with an artless design and technical features. Crossover comes in four different colors, the same as 9-4X and with men’s and women’s shoe last.


01

As my thesis project, I chose to develop a concept for a new modern wrist guard; especially for snowboarders. Wrist injuries are one of the most recurrent injuries associated with snowboarding, and can sometimes be so severe that they demand surgery. Despite this, wrist guards are rarely used for various reasons.In order to better understand the attitude towards wrist guards and to identify user demands, snowboarders were asked to fill in an internet-based survey. Research of fall mechanisms, possible trends in injuries related to e.g. age and/or experience, and the functionality of existing wrist guards was also performed within the scope of the project.


02

The result of the research showed that wrist guards do prevent injury and that a majority of snowboarders were willing to use a new improved wrist guard. A combination of a dorsal splint, preventing over extension of the wrist, and a shock absorbing padding in the palm proved to be the most effective solution. In order to attract the target user the product had to stand out from other wrist guards and better fit in with other protective alpine gear. I made an analysis to find mutual design elements in the product segment. I later used the result to combine both function and visual appearance in one strong design I used few colors; one base color and two accent colors to bring forward the materials and technical features.


03

Reologic is a modern and user-friendly wrist guard that the user wears under the gloves. The core idea is to combine smart materials with ergonomics and comfort. As opposed to Neoprene, the most commonly used material in wrist guards. Reologic is constructed from mesh textile for increased ventilation and comfort. Deflexion™, the shock absorbing material in the palm and along the back of the hand is also a mesh textile and therefore allow the skin to breathe, hence providing both comfort, and protection against scaphoideum fractures. The splint on the dorsal side of the guard is made from carbon-fiber-polypropene-composite allowing it to be as thin as possible. The BOA Closure System was chosen to replace conventional Velcro straps and make adjustments easy even on-the-fly.


01

Swiss Razor is the result of a school project where the task was to design a “hair remover” for women for a company of your own choice. The focus in this course was semiotics, product identity and ergonomics. Swiss razor is a foldable razor designed particularly for women frequently travelling; on business as well as leisure.


02

A great part of the difficulty was to adapt the shape and feel of the razor so that it would be attractive to women without losing the Victorinox identity. To accomplish this, the razor had to be technical and multifunctional but with a delicate design and feel. The shape of the handle had to be wide enough to contain the razor-head but still give a feel of precision. The grip also had to fit all hand sizes and grip types. In the sketch process I evaluated a variety of folding motions for the razor. The final solution is the same as in the Victorinox pocket knives because of the strong brand identity associated with it.


The choice of material was important both for the product identity, semiotics and the function. For the handle, re-cycled anodized aluminum was chosen due to its light weight and matallic feel. The sides and top of the handle are covered with an impact-resistant Cellidor shell, the same polymer found on the Swiss Army Knife. The tweezers, the retractable shaft and the two buttons are made from chrome molybdenum steel. The exchangeable razor heads are made of injection-molded polypropene and the razor blades of martensitic stainless chromium steel. The grooves on the two buttons increase the grip and display the direction in which the button moves. The Victorinox logos, which are slightly extruded, create a grip surface and therefore adding a second funcion to them.

[email protected]

mobil:+46(0)703211404

01

This project focused on packaging design, graphic design and brand identity. I chose to work with the brand Kenzo. The assignment was to design a perfume bottle and its packaging. The target group are young men with an interest in fashion. My aim was to capture the design from Kenzo’s clothing collection and translate it to a perfume packaging.


02

To find a concept that expressed the essence of Kenzo’s clothes I analyzed existing Kenzo products to find what had influenced the design. I found three strong influences; ethnical, layer on layer and flowers. I proceeded with the layer on layer style that recurred in both the clothes and in the advertising images. Besides the visual aspects the tactile properties were important, I wanted the product to have a directional form for ease of use. The user should also be able to feel the layer effect. By combining colors and materials within a simple shape I could capture the layer effect without making the bottle to complex.


Logotype placement on the outer casing

03

The Layer spray bottle consists of two white ceramic sides on a transparant glass body encasing an opaqe blue inner container. The ceramic sides are painted orange brown on the side facing the glass body. The Kenzo logo is imprinted on one side of the bottle, in order to connect the visual properties of the logo with a tactile sensation. The contrasting chrome steele button allows the user to recognize it from mere touch.

An outer transparent polycarbonate casing and a white polypropene lid creates a second layer. The name of the perfume is printed on the outer casing and creates a shadow play on the ceramic side next to the Kenzo logo.


01

These are my two contributions toa design challenge issued byTablas, kiteboard manufacturers,and Xtravel, organizer of adventure travel. The task was to design your own board with Tablas and Xtravel logos visible from both above and the underside.


02

I made an analysis of products from other manufacturers to see how to create a design that stood out visually among others kite boards. Today, most kiteboards are very colorful with graphics built from layers. By contrast Tablas’ boards are characterized by a structured and consistent graphics, with only a few well-chosen colors. Similar graphics can also be recognized in the logo and website of Xtravel. Since my ambition was to communicate the collaboration between the two companies through the graphics, I chose to emphasise such conform features in my designs.


03

In my first contribution I let a world map form a pattern by making a large contrast between land and ocean. The map is sized and positioned to give a balanced mix of the two colors. The colors were chosen based on Tablas’ existing boards in the CMYK series. In my second contribution, focus was instead placed on the feeling of anticipation before an upcoming trip. Placing the logotypes on the board’s nose and tail makes them visible also after attaching bindings. The crow gazing towards the horizon symbolizes the longing for an adventure. Apart from being an eye catching feature, the headphones add a human element to the design. On the bottom-side the crow takes flight towards new destinations.


01

This is a winning contribution in a design competition issued by Pivotion Railgrip System-a company providing rail-based attachments for leisure boats. The challenge was to present a new accessory to the Railgrip System. The Hook Knife is a security knife that is always close at hand and offers the user security and functionality.


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02

The Hook Knife was inspired by the high demands that boatmen place on their equipment. Trusting the equipment onboard in any given situation is key at sea. The ambition was to create a tool that crewmember immediately would consider a given part of their equipment. I also wanted the product to fit into the Pivotion range. The concept of a simple yet functional tool was inspired from the Pivotion Mug.

Hook Knife is made of polypropene with a TPE inlay on the handle, and cutting edges of stainless steel. The shape of the handle combined with a TPE provides excellent grip even with wet and cold hands. The slit in the sheath enables cutting of, for example, fishing lines when the knife hangs from the railing wihtout unsheathing the knife.


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01

The focus of this project was social anthropology and ethnology for product design. I chose to study how people gather when the open fire no longer is the focus for social gathering. What I discovered was that the living room and sofa together with the TV has replaced the open fire as a daily place for social gathering.


02

The result of my research showed that it wasn’t necessary to create a fictive fire. Most important was that the product invited to social interaction and felt natural in its intended environment. In a survey people were asked which would be the most important features in a product replacing a camp fire. The most recurrent responses were; light, peace and harmony. Since light was one of the key features I wanted to implement that into the design. It was important not to be mimicking a campfire but catch the core of it; light, shadow play, community, warmth, inviting, motion, wind and safety. In my sketch process I focused on the symbolism and found inspiration in the different ways you can build a campfire.


03

The result is Spring, inspired by a camp fire emitting light. The table consists of twelve rings of oak plywood, six dark stained and six white lacquered, each separated by four glass rods. The rings create a harmonic shadow play and also functions as a lamp shade for the LED light source at the base of the table. The light source is diffused by a warm-tinted and frosted glass. The glass rods separating the oak rings create an illusion of the rings floating while at the same time catching light, giving the appearance of sparkles. The circular glass table top offers a surface without competing with the overall shape.


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KasimirHellstromPortfolio