Leah K.S. Amick
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About
Leah K.S. Amick is a furniture and product designer based in Portland, Oregon where she focuses on fabricating and marketing her designs. She grew up in rural Indiana and spent her childhood summers in Finland. Leah’s multicultural upbringing has inspired practical objects with a pure and understated aesthetic, where form and function elegantly coincide. Utilizing visual and tactile elements, her most recent pieces provoke curiosity and stimulate a sense of awareness in an object while retaining its functionality.
Leah holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in industrial design and a master’s degree in furniture design from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She has been involved in a variety of projects ranging from jewelry to medical equipment to modular furniture and her work has been featured in numerous design exhibitions and competitions. -
Education
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MFA Furniture DesignRhode Island School of Design2013 - 2015
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BA Industrial DesignPurdue University, West Lafayette IN2006 - 2010GPA 3.71
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Experience
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Multidisciplinary DesignerPortland, ORMay 2015 - Present (10 years 2 months)• Concept design and development for a variety of projects ranging from
jewelry to furniture and lighting
• Create sketches, 3D models, renderings, and technical drawings for new
and existing products and components
• Assist local artisans, designers, and small businesses in product and
prototype fabrication
• Clients include Caravan Pacific, Kinekt, and Studio Endo -
Lead Product DesignerApr 2016 - May 2017 (1 year 1 month)• Worked directly with the company’s co-founders, as their first employee, to develop a product from basic conceptualization to first run production and product launch
• Collaborated with engineers, vendors, and manufacturers to release a finished product to market
• Spent time in Mexico City with manufacturers managing prototype development and production
• Developed technical specifications for various parts and processes
• Successfully worked on short, urgent deadlines integral to the advancement of the company -
Graduate Teaching AssistantRhode Island School of DesignProvidence, RISep 2013 - May 2015 (1 year 8 months)• Aided the course instructor in educating undergraduate students on design processes and production, focusing on a different fabrication technique each semester ranging from bent lamination and vacuum forming to metalworking
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Studio AssistantPawtucket, RIJun 2014 - Aug 2014 (2 months)
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Product Development DesignerChromcraft-RevingtonWest Lafayette, INSep 2010 - Nov 2012 (2 years 2 months)• Developed new designs for various product lines through sketches, 3D models and renderings
• Added products to current collections to meet consumer demands
• Developed marketing strategies and print deliverables, including catalog pages, handouts, and display items
• Aided in overseeing the product development process from CAD drawings and models to finished goods
• Conducted market research on current style and function trends -
Associate Designer - InternIndianapolis, INJan 2009 - Aug 2009 (7 months)• Developed conceptual work as well as finished products brought to market through sketches, 3D models, renderings, and prototypes
• Refined existing product to meet consumer demands and specific client needs
• Balanced multiple projects simultaneously while functioning as a full member of the design team, including engineers and machinists, to create production ready products for specific manufacturing processes
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Awards
• Emerging Artist Award - ShowPDX - Portland, OR - Oct. 2018
• Prototype Winner - IDS Vancouver - Vancouver, BC - Sept. 2018
• Golden A' Design Award - A' Design Award & Competition - April 2016
• Honorable Mention - WantedDesign NYC: Launch Pad - New York, NY - May 2016
• Second Place - Design Within Reach - Champagne Chair Contest - 2016
• RISD Museum - Permanent Collection - Providence, RI - Sept. 2015
• Juried Entry - New Contemporaries: Gellman Gallery - Providence, RI - 2015
• Best in Show:Student Award - Fine Furnishings Show - Pawtucket, RI - 2014
• US Patent: - Mantis: Convertible Chair - 2013
• Juried Entry - RISD Furniture Department Triennial - Providence, RI - 2014
• Mentor - James Dyson Foundation - Chicago, IL - 2011
• International Semi-Finalist - James Dyson Awards - 2010
• Finalist - IWF Design Emphasis Competition - Atlanta, GA - 2010
• Dean’s List - Purdue University - 2006 - 2010
• Juried Entry - Undergraduate Exhibition - Purdue University - 2010
• First Place - AWFS Fresh Wood Competition - Las Vegas, NV - 2009
• Juried Entry - Westwood Exhibition - Purdue University - 2009
• Third Place - Regional Judging - James Dyson Awards - 2009
• First Place - Delta Faucet Sponsored Design Project - 2008
• Winning Entry - Designer’s Choice Exhibit - Purdue University - 2008
• First Place - Loft Sponsored 48 Hour Group Design Competition - 2008 -
Affiliations
Member of League of Women Designers
Former IDSA Member -
Industries
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Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@LeahKSA, member since 2008
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Following 11
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Followers 32
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