Experienced Industrial Designer

Cole Ranze

Dallas, TX

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About

Accomplished industrial designer with 15 years experience. Expertise in both product design and manufacturing processes. Driven by a passion for new ideas and a commitment to creating delightful products and experiences.
Education
- BFA Industrial Design
  
  Rochester Institute of Technology
  
  2002 - 2007
Experience
- Director of Product Design
  
  Move2Play
  
  Dallas, TX
  
  Apr 2023 - Present (1 year 7 months)
  
  Director of Product Design
- Project Designer
  
  KidKraft
  
  Dallas, TX
  
  Apr 2019 - Jan 2023 (3 years 9 months)
  
  Category Lead: Imaginative Play
  
  • Responsible for the industrial design on a wide range of product categories including imaginative play, dollhouse, preschool, vehicles, playsets and furniture.
  
  • Effectively coordinated project development from initial concept through manufacturing with cross-functional teams including art, graphics, engineering, marketing & visual identity departments.
  
  • Collaborated with licensors, including Disney and Nickelodeon, on a range of licensed toys.
  
  • Integrated cost engineering and PML tools into design process to accelerate and streamline development.
  
  • Demonstrates excellent time management and productivity skills; developed roughly 20+ SKUs over the course of a single 12 month development cycle.
  
  • Oversaw onboarding process for new hires and established a mentorship role among junior designers.
- Lead Designer - Newcomers Play and Sleep
  
  Fisher-Price
  
  East Aurora, NY
  
  Aug 2018 - Apr 2019 (8 months)
  
  • Developed new and innovative products in the Baby Gear and Newborn toy categories.
  
  • Responsible for bringing a toy concept to life by creating the industrial design, demonstrating compelling play patterns and identifying a cohesive feature set that offers both good play and price value.
- Lead Designer - Infant Toy
  
  Fisher-Price
  
  East Aurora, NY
  
  Jan 2016 - Aug 2018 (2 years 7 months)
  
  • Member of the Infant Toy design team, whose product line includes the popular Laugh & Learn sub-brand and generates roughly half a billion dollars in sales annually.
  
  • Tasked with designing and delivering exciting, innovative products for the Infant Toys division of Fisher-Price, focusing on the Laugh & Learn brand.
- Senior Designer - Advanced Concepts Team
  
  Fisher-Price
  
  East Aurora, NY
  
  Jan 2013 - Jan 2016 (3 years)
  
  • As a member of a small Advanced Concepts innovation team, tasked with identifying and developing transformational product and business opportunities that seamlessly blended digital play and physical toy product experiences.
  
  • Daily responsibilities involved re-imagining how Fisher-Price could continue to maintain relevancy in the eyes of millennial parents through the introduction of new products, technology applications, and potential partnerships.
- Industrial Designer
  
  ToyMonster
  
  Shanghai, China
  
  Jul 2008 - Jan 2013 (4 years 6 months)
  
  • Designed new and innovative “active toys”, including scooters, tricycles, foot to floor ride-ons and play houses.
  
  • Worked directly with licensees to develop licensed products. Licenses include Star Wars, numerous Disney properties, and Ben 10: Alien Force.
- Designer
  
  Primitive Art Restoration
  
  Damascus, PA
  
  Nov 2007 - Jul 2008 (8 months)
  
  • Designed and fabricated museum quality metal and wooden stands used to display artwork and collectibles.
Awards

• Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award: Let’s Pretend Pet Doctor Pop-up, 2021

• National Parenting Product Awards: Winner; KidKraft Blue’s Clues & You! Play Kitchen, 2021

• Toy of the Year Award: Innovative Toy of the Year Finalist, Alexa 2-in-1 Kitchen & Market, 2020

• Encore Award: the highest level honor awarded by Mattel leadership in recognition of my work on the Laugh & Learn Game Controller, 2018

• Executive Award: presented by Fisher-Price Executive Leadership Team for a toy concept presented at Mix Fair, an annual innovation showcase, 2016

• CNET Editor's Choice Award: Newborn Rock 'n Play Sleeper with SmartConnect was awarded a CNET Editors’ Choice Award and was featured as one of their “Best Smart Home Devices of the Year”, 2016

• IDSA Student Merit Awards nominee, 2007

• RIT Merit Scholarship recipient

• RIT Presidential Scholarship recipient

• Dean’s List (Fall 2002, Spring 2005, Fall 2006, Winter 2006)

• RIT College of Imaging Arts and Sciences Senior Show, 2007

• Electronic Gaming Monthly, Issue 230 (2008)

• NGC Magazine, Issue 116 (2006)
Industries
- Toys & Games
- Residential Furniture
Skills
Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot

@coleranze, member since 2005
- Following 23
- Followers 33

Cole Ranze

Assistant Professor - Educator, Industrial Design, Myron E. Ullman, Jr. School of Design

Assistant Professor, Graphic Design