Jim Kershaw

Lead product design for Orvis Fish/ Hunt.

Strong focus on design, development, and sourcing for footwear and technical outerwear.

Establish in-house prototyping and material testing.

Travel to Asia 3-6 weeks a year to work alongside factories and mills on new material development, concept creation, costing, and manufacturing.

Manage the selection, growth, and project allocation of the Industrial Design intern.

Help grow the footwear category by 16%, outerwear category by 32%, and women’s fishing by 16%.

Establish consistency across product design, packaging, techpack communication, and trims for Orvis fish / hunt products.

Collaborate with technical design team to improve fit across all technical garments
Experienced in 3D modeling footwear components (outsole / midsole/ uppers), 2D pattern making, material testing, and custom fabric development.

Work with athletes to identify product opportunities and improvements through field testing.

Responsible for establishing consistency for fish/hunt colors and trims
Present data, products, and proposals to leadership team and board of directors.

Host an Orvis Adventures trip to Mongolia for 8 customers over the course of 12 days.

Design and develop industry leading protective gear, bags, and hard goods for STX and Nike Lacrosse.

Drive grassroots discovery, prototyping, and development of select advanced concept projects.

Manage the selection, growth, and project allocation of the Industrial Design intern.

Professional mentor for senior design students at Iowa State.

Identify global market trends, create color palettes, and source new materials for lacrosse and hockey each season.

Travel to Asia and work alongside suppliers to troubleshoot production issues, review tech-packs, investigate new manufacturing processes, and review tier samples.

Highly experienced in 3D modeling and creating tool ready designs for a variety of product categories including: Lacrosse heads (injection), field hockey sticks (carbon bladder molding), protective equipment (cold/heat foam compression), bags (cut + sew), handles (extrusion/bladder), and logo treatments (fine molding / high frequency welding).

Conduct fit sessions and product research with athletes of all ages to ensure the products meet safety and performance needs.

Responsible for new product development for IRWIN Tools, LENOX, Hilmor, Shur-line, Ashland, and Bulldog Hardware brands.

Additional design support for the Sharpie, Papermate, Calphalon Cookware, and Rubbermaid Brands.

Responsible for traveling to China to oversee production, ensure quality control, and design intent is met for the IRWIN Folding Utility Knife product line.

Conduct field research and prototype testing with end user to understand their needs and product frustrations throughout the design process.

Effectively work alongside global team members to develop products acceptable in all international regions.

Continuously elevate the IRWIN design language serving as the Industrial Design lead on each assigned project.

Assist brand teams on creating promotional internal graphics and provide guidance with new product commercialization.

Utilizing Industrial, Graphic, and Interaction design skills to create quality products and lasting relationships with a variety of clientele both domestic and international. Designs include products, prototypes, brand identity, websites, logos, mobile phone applications, and other multimedia.

Design Consultant for 520 Studios, a web development firm located in Portland, Oregon.

Assisted Senior Designers, Engineers, Packaging, and Marketing teams on select projects for both IRWIN Industrial Tools and Bulldog Hardware. Conducted end user research and assisted in conceptualization, product development, rendering, and 3D modeling on several projects. Scheduled and lead presentations, brainstorming sessions, and group meetings with teams involved in all aspects of the design process.