i4PD are excited to welcome Greg to our team as a Product Designer. Greg brings a wealth of design experience from his consultancy background, where he worked on a plethora of exciting and varied projects. Having recently relocated to Edinburgh, we sat down for a chat about his design journey so far and what he'll be working on at i4PD.  

Summary of your background

I've come from Salsus Design, a product design consultancy based near Derby. I spent my time there working on a range of projects, including injection molded enclosures for electronics, EV chargers, and assembly jigs for factories. It was a really nice range of products I worked on. 

One of the most interesting projects I was involved with was the Digit Music CMPSR digital composer. It's a handheld device (MIDI controller) designed with accessibility in mind. It's got a whole number of different options on how you can use it, and ways you can hold it. It’s been winning awards left, right and center and the clients behind it are phenomenal. They came from a music background and were really passionate about the project. It was rewarding to turn their idea into a live product.  

What is your role at i4 Product Design?

I'm a Product Designer at i4PD. I'll be bringing my skillset from a consultancy background where I'm used to working on a variety of different projects. I'll be getting involved in all stages of the product development cycle - from the user centered front end, to the technical DFM details before production. I'm looking forward to supporting the team in multiple phases.  

I'm excited to have all of the different design teams under one roof. Having a mechanical, electronics and software team in the same studio is fantastic and I'm really looking forward to collaborating with them. I'm excited to work on medical designs too. These projects can bring significant impact potential -  a great motivator when you're working on a project. 

What interests you?

I really like speaking and learning different languages. I speak French, along with a little Italian and Spanish. I try to practice often but most recently I'm trying to learn Japanese, which takes a lot of time! It's a very difficult language to learn, however the potential food results at the end (if visiting Japan again) are entirely worth it. I'm mostly interested in the food... the languages are just a means to get there! 

I also enjoy road cycling. I'd to get out and explore the riding Edinburgh has to offer. I've enjoyed participating in charity rides and spotives in the past.  

What are your 3 favourite product designs?

Ikea Eneby Speaker -This is a great speaker with a super simple design. I bought one quite a few years ago and it's been a staple in my space since. When I moved up to Edinburgh it was one of the first things I set up in my flat. For such a simple product it works really well, the sound quality is great and I love the effectiveness of the single control point.  

POTR Plant Pots  - POTR is a kickstarted business idea by a Scottish product designer. They use recycled plastic to create origami plant pots. The designs are amazingly considered and since the pots are origami, they fold up into an envelope for postage. The pots have a self-watering wick which is great if you’re like me and regularly forget to water the plants! 

Denny Commuter Bike  - Denny's commuter bike is designed from the ground up for pure commuting practicality. The handlebars come apart to form a D-lock and there are integrated pannier racks, lights and mudguards. Having handlebars double as a D-lock is a great idea. If someone cuts your bars in an attempt to steal the bike, they can't exactly cycle away!