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Design Manager- Furniture
May 2022 - Present (2 years 6 months)
Lead 3 Senior and 1 Junior Furniture Designers in design and development of Patio Furniture goods for major US and Canadian retailers.
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Lead Designer | Maker | Owner
Secret Basement Lab Studio/KDKD Design
Saint Paul, MN
Jun 2005 - Present (19 years 5 months)
Designed and manufactured furniture and reclaimed material jewelry products sold in juried craft fairs, art galleries, farmer’s markets (as Secret Basement Lab Studios). Produced custom product for clients.
• Designed furniture line that won the Northern Woods Exhibition Judges Award in 2006, pieces from the collection sold through 526 Gallery in Saint Paul and were featured in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Woodworker magazine, and Twin Cities Metropolitan magazine.
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Industrial Designer II
Lakeville, MN
Jan 2016 - Apr 2022 (6 years 3 months)
Utilized trend research, market awareness, and design tools to develop new hearth products for multiple brands. Created SolidWorks models and renderings of new hearth appliance concepts to deliver on design brief goals and timelines. Collaborated with Category Directors, Product Managers, offsite engineering teams, and suppliers to create cost effective and manufacturing friendly new product designs and improve existing offering through the development of exclusive finishes and interior panels.
Developed Visual Brand Language and Differentiation Guidelines to drive aesthetic direction and brand differentiation strategy for the nine core HHT stove and fireplace brands.
Designed the first new cast iron stove and fireplaces in 20 years for heritage brand, Vermont Castings.
Created and executed multi-year interior panel strategy for five industry leading fireplace brands.
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Industrial Design Manager
Richfield, MN
Jun 2015 - Dec 2015 (6 months)
Managed relationship with Best Buy Design and Engineering team for fixture Sourcing/Procurement group.
• Quarterly all company award winner for Innovation in role. Mobilized and managed LogicSource HQ team (Norwalk, CT) to gather hundreds of fixture specs in three days, meeting a quick turn deadline.
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Technical Designer
Target
Minneapolis, MN
Aug 2010 - Mar 2015 (4 years 7 months)
Indoor Furniture: 2014 to 2015 | Wall Décor: 2013 to 2014 | Outdoor Living: 2010 to 2013
Partnered with design team to create concepts and product direction for thousands of products per merchant objectives. Collaborated on product development with overseas vendor partners. Partnered with marketing teams on multi-channel quality messaging strategy. Products included 2 utility patented and 28 design patented items including knockdown furniture.
• Created process to reduce testing failures resulting from packaging call outs, reducing failures 90% by testing rather than overriding to ease workload of QA engineer and overseas team members.
• Led development of low-cost consumer research-based design process; created insights gathering process and mentored team members through multiple projects including a project that shifted wall décor quality strategy to align with consumer needs.
• Designed a storage mirror, which ranked 3rd in sales for mirrors when launched in only half the chain.
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Furniture Designer | Maker
Duff Thury Studio Furniture
Saint Paul, MN
Jun 2005 - Jul 2010 (5 years 1 month)
Produced sketches, drawings, and scale drawings of products. Presented designs to customers including architects, interior designers, homeowners, and to company owner for approval.
• Researched production costs, materials, and manufacturing methods, directing and coordinating product fabrication. Created estimates for company owner.
• Handcrafted unique products, utilizing multiple materials and custom manufacturing techniques.
• Created expertly crafted high-end furniture products using woodworking, welding, and finishing skills.
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Furniture Design and Manufacturing
A&B Furniture
St. Cloud, MN
May 2004 - Jun 2005 (1 year 1 month)
Designed and engineered furniture and operated multiple manufacturing tasks during production, including final assembly. Developed manufacturing procedures and inventory control process.
• Developed 30+ furniture items from concept to implementation and manufacturing.