Dale Wilkins

I currently work as a 3D Designer for the bespoke staircase division of Neville Johnson, providing advanced 3D modelling, manufacture drawings, bill of materials for purchasing and to carry out research & development for new products.

Every job I design is a live project where a customer has provided a specification of how they wish their new staircase would look. I work closely with surveyors and the sales team to gather the customer requirements and apply the surveyed dimensions given into a 3D model to ensure the desired design will be fully functioning and able to be installed.

As I’d gained experience working within the Drawing Office, I undertaken new roles within the company where I have trained new employees and have also been involved in the research & development of new products that have been manufactured and are now part of the Neville Johnson range.

I have worked at Clas Ohlson part-time whilst studying Product Design. It has been an ideal job for me as it has given me the opportunity to gather information regarding the types of products consumers like and dislike, as well as market trends throughout different periods within the year. Working closely with customers, explaining how products work, what they are for and advising them on what best suits their needs has significantly increased my product knowledge, leaving me in a great position when it comes to completing projects.

Project brief: “Redesign a caravan that will enhance the outdoor living experience of a new/younger market sector.”

Project Focus: Exterior styling and energy generation. Responsibilities included form design for a ‘micro-van’ aiming to hit a new market demographic. Concept development from ideation through to a final concept proposal. Technological definition concerning relevant energy systems, along with CAD models and technical drawings.

Project brief: “Design new outdoor playground equipment aimed at children aged 8 – 12 years.”

Responsibilities included, research backed ideation, concept development with relevant mechanical testing and sketch modelling. The final outcome was to propose two final designs with the aid of Solidworks, Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator.