Taylor Welden / Industrial Designer

Industrial Designer / Product Developer / Factory Liaison

Austin, TX

taylorwelden.com

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About

Experienced Industrial Designer / Product Developer in Austin, TX.
Education
- BFA of Industrial Design Industrial Design
  
  Savannah College of Art and Design
  
  2002 - 2006
  
  - Dean's List Awards. - SCAD-LACOSTE Study Abroad Program: 2004. Studied/lived in a medieval village in Provence, France for 3 months. - SCAD-LONDON Study Abroad Program: 2005. Studied/lived in downtown London for 2+ weeks.
Experience
- Senior Editor
  
  CARRYOLOGY
  
  Austin, TX
  
  Jan 2010 - Present (11 years 5 months)
  
  Senior Editor at Carryology.
- Gear Design Director
  
  ERA3
  
  Grants Pass, OR
  
  Jul 2018 - Mar 2019 (8 months)
  
  Softgoods, Hardgoods, and Apparel.
- Industrial Designer
  
  LAST BAG
  
  Austin, TX
  
  Sep 2017 - Dec 2017 (3 months)
  
  Classified project.
  Details will be released when available.
- Senior Editor / Industrial Designer / Assistant Project Manager
  
  TOPO DESIGNS x CARRYOLOGY (collab)
  
  Fort Collins, CO
  
  Sep 2017 - Nov 2017 (2 months)
  
  As the Senior Editor of Carryology it was my responsibility to spearhead the unique collaboration project, Carryology's very first. I traveled to the Topo Designs headquarters in Colorado to meet with the TD owners, Design team, and Marketing teams to create this exciting Klettersack backpack design, inspired by the Carryology contributors and the Carryology community. Every unit of the production run sold out within 72 hours of the release. I also wrote about the experience and process on Carryology and helped coordinate the product release with the Topo Designs Marketing team.
  FEATURES: Dimension Polyant X-Pac fabric, AustriAlpin Cobra buckles, YKK Zippers, Hi-vis "Carryology orange" nylon interior, Hypalon lash tabs, Internal sleeve fits most 15” laptops, Seatbelt webbing reinforced padded shoulder straps, Ballistic Black Cordura® back panel, Side water bottle/gear pockets.
  ARTICLE 1: goo.gl/3SZupT
  ARTICLE 2: goo.gl/CZWqx7
  All photos copyright Topo Designs (topodesigns.com).
- Industrial Designer
  
  Tiko Travel
  
  Austin, TX
  
  Jun 2017 - Jul 2017 (1 month)
  
  Redesign of Tiko's rolling luggage.
- Industrial Designer
  
  HARLEY-DAVIDSON
  
  Milwaukee, WI
  
  Feb 2017 - May 2017 (3 months)
  
  Classified project.
  Details will be released when available.
- Industrial Designer / Product Developer
  
  MAGPUL
  
  Austin, TX
  
  Dec 2014 - Sep 2016 (1 year 9 months)
  
  Full-time in-house lead Industrial Designer / Product Developer for the new GEAR products division at Magpul. Sole designer of approximately 30 unique products (many yet to be released) in less than 21 months. Product conceptualization through to manufacturing and successful product release. Several products sold out due to demand within 1-2 weeks of launch. Heavily focused on welding polymer coated textiles (RF / Ultrasonic / Impulse). Created patentable technology (patent pending). Traveled to factories and material suppliers around the USA and in Asia to oversee prototyping and production. Daily communication with 5-10 factories at once, each specialized in their own manufacturing process/product category. Collaborated on trade show booth design (SHOT Show, NRA, etc). Social Media Manager of the Magpul Instagram account; responsible for creating photo concepts and some photography, product releases, and more. Systematically brought the Magpul Instagram account from a slowly shrinking 100,000 followers up to 350,000+ followers in less than 11 months, without the use of any paid account promotion or boosting.
- Creative Director / Industrial Designer
  
  AERO TACTICAL
  
  Tampa, FL
  
  Jun 2011 - Nov 2014 (3 years 5 months)
  
  Research, 2D concept ideation, refinement, prototyping/manufacturing, branding, graphic design, and design direction for a company centered around tactical packs and gear for military personnel, outdoor enthusiasts, and active civilian use. Travel to USA-based factory to work onsite, overseeing prototyping and production.
- Industrial Designer
  
  DEAN FREDRICK JEWELRY
  
  Austin, TX
  
  Apr 2014 - Nov 2014 (7 months)
  
  Design of custom luxury wood jewelry box and softgoods packaging. Ideation and refinement. Factory sourcing. Prototyping. Production.
- Creative Director / Industrial Designer
  
  ALBRITTON SKIS
  
  Tampa, FL
  
  Jun 2011 - Nov 2014 (3 years 5 months)
  
  Confidential project.
- Production Manager / Industrial Designer
  
  DAS KEYBOARD
  
  Austin, TX
  
  Dec 2013 - Aug 2014 (8 months)
  
  Collaborated with D:E / Design Edge (designedge.com) on the design and refinement of the HackShield Messenger, HackShield Backpack, and HackShield Wallet, with RFID-shielding technology and utilizing Fidlock hardware. Factory sourcing, communications, travel to Asia to oversee prototyping and production on-site at the factory, and more.
- Industrial Designer
  
  HELM BOOTS
  
  Austin, TX
  
  May 2013 - May 2014 (1 year)
  
  Material consultant for HELM's 100% USA-made boot collection. Suggestion of different US-made materials that are durable for footwear, affordable for production, and aesthetically fitting to the HELM brand. Sourcing of materials and suppliers.
  Additional design of a classified product. Details to come soon.
- Industrial Designer
  
  SMART DESIGN
  
  New York, NY
  
  Dec 2013 - Jan 2014 (1 month)
  
  Confidential project.
- Industrial Designer
  
  DSPTCH
  
  San Francisco, CA
  
  Jul 2012 - Aug 2013 (1 year 1 month)
  
  Working with the owner/founder of DSPTCH, I designed two military-inspired packs for the brand; the Ruckpack and the Slingpack. Initial concept ideation through to prototyping.
- Industrial Designer
  
  JUST PORTER
  
  Chicago, IL
  
  Feb 2012 - Apr 2013 (1 year 2 months)
  
  Design of a classified product collection. Traveled to The Philippines to work onsite at the factory with the company founder, overseeing prototyping and production.
- Industrial Designer
  
  KRU
  
  Minneapolis, MN
  
  Mar 2012 - Mar 2013 (1 year)
  
  Confidential project.
- Industrial Designer
  
  BEDOUIN FOUNDRY
  
  London, United Kingdom
  
  Oct 2012 - Jan 2013 (3 months)
  
  Working with the brand's founder and factory, I aided in refinement and prototyping for production of the Delireis backpack.
- Industrial Designer
  
  OSION INTERNATIONAL GROUP
  
  Lanzhou, China
  
  Sep 2012 - Dec 2012 (3 months)
  
  Design of a kitchen appliance.
- Industrial Designer
  
  EAGLE CREEK (VF Corp)
  
  San Diego, CA
  
  Jun 2010 - Oct 2012 (2 years 4 months)
  
  2D concept ideation, product refinement to add value and increase positive user experience. Creation of factory tech packages for prototyping/production of several Eagle Creek products and collections.
- Industrial Designer
  
  CARRY GEAR SOLUTIONS
  
  Seattle, WA
  
  Aug 2011 - Jul 2012 (11 months)
  
  Confidential project.
- Industrial Designer
  
  ICON 4x4
  
  San Francisco, CA
  
  Feb 2012 - Jun 2012 (4 months)
  
  Confidential project.
- Industrial Designer
  
  BRENTHAVEN
  
  Seattle, WA
  
  May 2011 - Aug 2011 (3 months)
  
  Confidential project.
- Industrial Designer
  
  TENBA
  
  Rochester, NY
  
  Jun 2008 - May 2011 (2 years 11 months)
  
  Collaborated with major camera bag manufacturer on design and specifications of an upscale camera bag collection as well as a prosumer camera bag collection. Concept through production.
- Industrial Designer
  
  PELICAN PRODUCTS
  
  Torrance, CA
  
  Feb 2011 - Apr 2011 (2 months)
  
  Design of a hybrid backpack collection which combines the watertight and crushproof benefits of a Pelican hard shell case with the increased ergonomic comfort and ease of access of softgoods carry.
- Industrial Designer
  
  MAKERS UNION
  
  Columbus, OH
  
  Jan 2009 - Jan 2011 (2 years)
  
  Design of an innovative hybrid backpack for urban bicyclists. 2D concept ideation, refinement, sampling, user testing, and prototyping for production.
- Industrial Designer
  
  HAULGOOD GEAR
  
  Washington, DC
  
  Jan 2010 - Jan 2011 (1 year)
  
  Confidential project.
- Industrial Designer
  
  TORTUGA BACKPACKS
  
  San Francisco, CA
  
  Jan 2010 - Dec 2010 (11 months)
  
  Design of a full-featured adventure backpack for international travelers.
- Industrial Designer
  
  RINGERS GLOVES
  
  Moorpark, CA
  
  Aug 2010 - Sep 2010 (1 month)
  
  Design of NFPA-approved Structural Firefighting Gloves.
- Industrial Designer
  
  GENTERRA CASEWORKS
  
  Houston, DE
  
  Jan 2010 - Mar 2010 (2 months)
  
  Confidential project.
- Industrial Designer
  
  KIBOSH
  
  Mumbai, India
  
  Jan 2010 - Jan 2010
  
  Confidential project.
- Industrial Designer
  
  NIMBLE : GOODS, GEAR, BAGS
  
  Austin, TX
  
  Jan 2009 - Jan 2010 (1 year)
  
  Design of a classified ergonomically-focused business travel product collection.
- Industrial Designer
  
  BRUSHMASTER
  
  Austin, TX
  
  Jan 2008 - Jan 2010 (2 years)
  
  Confidential project.
- Industrial Designer
  
  NISSAN
  
  Hong Kong
  
  May 2009 - Sep 2009 (4 months)
  
  Design of two complete softgoods collections to accompany the launch of two new NISSAN vehicles specific to the Hong Kong market.
- Industrial Designer
  
  PACIFIC DESIGN
  
  Austin, TX
  
  Dec 2008 - May 2009 (5 months)
  
  Full-time, in-house, Product Designer. Technology-based backpacks, packs, bags, cases, and more. Project Lead on a variety of product collections. Creation of Sustainable Materials Library for the company. OEM projects for DELL Computers. Established connections with multiple innovative material inventors. Daily communication with several international factories. Concept through production.
- Design Manager / Industrial Designer
  
  VELDINI
  
  BC
  
  Dec 2007 - Dec 2008 (1 year)
  
  Design of an innovative premium wrist watch inspired by James Bond. Responsible for creation and organization of 4-person Industrial Design team. Design preparation for manufacturing. Concept through production.
- Industrial Designer
  
  GORUCK
  
  Bozeman, MT
  
  Jun 2008 - Nov 2008 (5 months)
  
  2D concept ideation, refinement, and creation of initial product direction for a company centered around tactical backpacks and gear for active military and civilian use.
- Industrial Designer
  
  SHUGON
  
  Tel Aviv, Israel
  
  Sep 2008 - Nov 2008 (2 months)
  
  Traveled to and lived in Tel Aviv for design of a classified product, working directly with the CEO of Shugon.
- Industrial Designer
  
  NANEU PRO
  
  Orlando, FL
  
  Feb 2008 - Sep 2008 (7 months)
  
  Full-time, in-house, sole Product Designer. Development of camera bags and packs for consumer, amateur, and professional photographers. Designed, Refined, and/or Developed an estimated 30 individual products within 7 product families, in less than one year. International travel to multiple factories in China. Daily communication with multiple international factories. 3D CAD modeling. Human factors evaluation. Graphic Design and print media assistance. Design of international trade show booth layout, POP displays, Promotional products. Blog author. Concept through production.
Industries
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Elsewhere on the Web
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@TaylorWelden, member since 2006
- Following 10
- Followers 165

Das Keyboard - HackShield Carry Collection

Das Keyboard - HackShield Carry Collection from Taylor Welden ...

Das Keyboard - HackShield Carry Collection

Collaborating with the team at d:e (designedge.com) and Das Keyboard, I helped design the three piece HackShield collection for tech enthusiasts; Backpack, Messenger, and Sling. I oversaw all factory prototyping (on-site at the factory in The Philippines), communicated revisions through the refinement phases, and prepared the collection for production,
These products feature RFID shielding to prevent wireless hacking (an industry first), have 360 degree padding, are made from waterproof materials, and utilize Fidlock magnetic hardware for additional security against theft.

View Website

Das Keyboard - HackShield Backpack.
Featuring a built-in RFID shielding technology (an industry first) with Fidlock hardware.
http://www.DasKeyboard.com

Das Keyboard - HackShield Backpack.
Featuring a built-in RFID shielding technology (an industry first) with Fidlock hardware.
http://www.DasKeyboard.com

Das Keyboard - HackShield Messenger.
Featuring a built-in RFID shielding technology (an industry first) with Fidlock hardware.
http://www.DasKeyboard.com

Das Keyboard - HackShield Messenger.
Featuring a built-in RFID shielding technology (an industry first) with Fidlock hardware.
http://www.DasKeyboard.com

Das Keyboard - HackShield Sling.
Featuring a built-in RFID shielding technology (an industry first) with Fidlock hardware.
http://www.DasKeyboard.com

Das Keyboard - HackShield Sling.
Featuring a built-in RFID shielding technology (an industry first) with Fidlock hardware.
http://www.DasKeyboard.com

o

Das Keyboard - HackShield Carry Collection

Collaborating with the team at d:e (designedge.com) and Das Keyboard, I helped design the three piece HackShield collection for tech enthusiasts; Backpack, Messenger, and Sling. I oversaw all factory prototyping (on-site at the factory in The Philippines), communicated revisions through the refinement phases, and prepared the collection for production,
These products feature RFID shielding to prevent wireless hacking (an industry first), have 360 degree padding, are made from waterproof materials, and utilize Fidlock magnetic hardware for additional security against theft.

View Website

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Taylor Welden ...

Industrial Designer / Product Developer / Factory Liaison Austin, TX