Kyle Ellison
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About
I am, unapologetically, a Designer, a Maker, a Builder, and an Artist.
I am driven by an intense desire to make and surround myself with beautiful things. Interesting three-dimensional objects continuously fascinate me, and in my work I obsess over fit, finish, and form, as I strive to enhance a user’s experience in everything that I create.
I believe that through collaboration, participation, and engrossing myself in the world for which I am making product, that I can turn insights and experience into products that enhance and enrich people’s lives.
I spent the last 13 years making products for the outdoor sports and recreation arena. Nearly every project I worked on has made it into production. Which means that I have been an integral part of meeting cost targets, maintaining schedules and making sure the product is ready for the manufacturing process.
As a sportsman, an athlete and designer, I’ve found this to be a fun, exciting, and constantly changing field to design products for. I am constantly amazed at how far a professional athlete will push the boundaries of a sport in their strive for excellence, and their drive to achieve the seemingly unachievable. And I am amazed at the lengths a sportsman will go in pursuit of their goals.
My charismatic, playful character can easily manage cross-functional teams, awkward meetings and late night conference calls with Far East partners. I thrive in a collaborative environment, and I am dedicated to enhancing people’s lives by bringing world-class products to market through thoughtful, and inspired design.
My goal as a professional is to continue to challenge myself, by designing products that allow any user to preform to their peak potential through the use of innovative and thought product.
Specialties:
User Experience design, Ergonomics, Design Language development and evolution, exceptional 3d hand skills and form development, large and small scale plastic part design, metal forming and assy, roto-molding, Design for Lean Manufacturing and sensitive cost targets, turning user feedback into inspired designs. -
Education
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BS Industrial DesignSan Jose State University2000 - 2005
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Undergraduate Studies Painting, Sculpture and Art HistoryCabrillo College1995 - 2000
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Experience
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Design PrincipalAustin, TXMar 2018 - Present (5 years 9 months)After leaving YETI Coolers, I realized that I'd been at this long enough that I should make a go of it on my own, and so I started Trailside Creative.
To date we've helped an elite handful of brands expand their product offering, and take charge of their product categories.
As the Design Principal at Trailside Creative, I manage a small team of Industrial Designers, Graphic Designers and Engineers to decipher our clients needs, and design exceptional user experiences. My role includes everything from Design Strategy and Direction, Project Management and running client Workshops, to Clay Modeling, Sketching and CAD modeling, -
Sr. Industrial DesignerAustin, TXNov 2015 - Jan 2018 (2 years 2 months)As a part of the cross functional New Product Development team, I worked on the highly talented Industrial Design group. It was our responsibility to imagine the future that YETI can create, in both Hard and Soft goods, and for then executing excellence in all of the products that bare the YETI name.
- Lead all design efforts for minor projects and major product initiatives, from concept to production
- Responsible for all aspects of Form Development and Design (Visual Appeal, Proportion/Scale, Study models, Craftsmanship and Color/Finish/Material)
- Helped develop an Insights Gathering team to help convert consumer insights into innovative design solutions
- Routinely exercise conceptual, creative and analytical skills to Innovate and push forward new ideas, end user solutions and product platforms.
- Drive and maintain YETI’s leadership position thru patent-able features and product concepts.
- Create high quality presentation materials across a multitude of media
- Work closely with Engineering to develop product solutions, validate prototypes and define criteria/specifications
- Work independently toward project goals and timelines with little outside direction
- Forge strong relationships with Marketing develop criteria for new programs, align on brand positioning and ensure brand guidelines are being met
- Contribute to planning and scoping of major programs
- Direct internal resources and external vendors in the creation of aesthetic and functional prototypes.
- Present design solutions to cross-functional team members with a clear and articulate design perspective.
- Skillfully manage relationships with brand ambassadors and marketing to identify key new product opportunities
- Work with the Legal team to protect novel ideas and build YETI’s Intellectual Property portfolio -
Industrial DesignerScotts Valley, CAAug 2012 - Nov 2015 (3 years 3 months)In 2012, I moved to a brand specific team, focused on making Bell Bike product.
In this roll I was able to focus my efforts on building world class bike helmets for the Bell brand. Whether "suffering" through an early ride into work to test out a new prototype, or a late night conference call with my far east coworkers, I was focused and dedicated to bringing the highest quality safety product to market.
Some of the roles and responsibilities of my role:
- Work with key stake holders to design products for specific target customers.
- Generate concepts for blue-sky exploration studies, and early concept development.
- Lead the design, starting from the original napkin sketch, through to approval of production parts.
- Work with the team to build the design language for the Bell Helmets line of cycling products.
- Present designs for review to team of peers, to elite athletes, and upper management.
- Present designs using CAD, Rapid Prototypes, sketches and renderings, and hand sculpted models.
- Apply for patents where applicable to protect the company's IP.
- Work with the drafter to generate all the technical drawings for CAD parts
- Responsible for all interior softgoods, comfort liners, assy drawings and details relating to fit of the product
- Work directly with the Far East team and vendors to problem solve and sort out design related manufacturing details.
- Engineer from start to finish small plastic parts (usually with consulting help from my engineering buddies!)
- Assemble & present high level presentations for upper management, and the international sales team, to introduce new and innovative product. -
Industrial DesignerEaston - Bell Sports Inc.May 2005 - Aug 2012 (7 years 3 months)I started working for Bell Sports, and soon became Easton-Bell Sports.
I moved from Jr Design position to a staff Industrial Designer role. As a staff Industrial Designer, I was the project lead on over 30 products for snow, powersports, and bike product, including 6 fit-systems.
• I was responsible for all aspects of product design, from consumer research and conceptualization to tooling evaluation and production part release.
• Helped define form languages for new category launches including Giro sunglasses, and snow goggles.
• Design lead on Giro’s first goggle friendly mountain bike helmet, the Feature, and lightest snow helmet with active vent closures, the Montane.
• Design products within strict testing guidelines to pass multiple federal and international standards, such as SNELL, DOT, CPSC, CE, AS, and ASTM certifications.
• Held multiple rolls, including Junior Designer, and Staff Designer. -
Industrial Design InternEaston-Bell Sports Inc.Jan 2005 - May 2005 (4 months)As an intern at Easton-Bell Sports, I took on the task of designing a child's helmet as one of my senior student projects.
The brief was to replace an existing/aging helmet in the Bell Mass product line with a new/current design. I did this, and I was rewarded with not only a job, but also my first product in the marketplace. The helmet is still in the product line today. (April 2012) -
Industrial Design Intern2004 - 2005 (1 year)My time as an intern at IDE, a Santa Cruz based consumer electronics consulting agency, taught me about the challenges of fitting advanced tech into tiny packages, without compromising the user experience.
I worked in the Pattern Shop detailing and painting models.
This was a great first experience working with both the designers and the pattern shop to bring prototypes to life. -
Production PotterDeborah Lynn DesignsMay 1999 - Sep 2002 (3 years 4 months)As one of 3 employees, my jobs included, but were not limited to:
Throwing pots on both kick and electric wheels.
Product photography.
Mentoring and training new employees.
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Awards
iCast Best Fishing Accessory - for YETI Tundra Haul (2018)
IDEA Silver Award: Super 2R (2015)
Editors Choice Award for Bell Sequence helmet (2010)
Editors Choice Award for Giro Feature helmet (2011)
2003 IHA Student Design Competition, 2nd place -
Affiliations
Austin Design Week
OpenIDEO
IDSA
IDSA ATX
MBOSC
SJSU Alum -
Industries
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Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@KyleEllison, member since 2003
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Following 18
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Followers 60
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