Tristan Christianson

Squirrel Shell - Concept, Industrial Design, Project Development/Management, 2011 - 2012. The objective was to develop a new squirrel-resistant wild bird feeder durable enough to both withstand squirrels and the elements for a long lasting, easy to maintain and innovative looking product. Although they are hard-pressed to give up, the more frustrating obstacles in a squirrel's way the better. Using a Ferris Wheel as basic inspiration for the concept, the design of an unstable, spinning mass that the squirrel has to try to stand on is the starting point. Flexible perches that cannot sustain the weight beyond a few ounces add to the unstable design features. The trough component proved to be an element to apply to widen the range of offerings in a less tapped product category for urban-styled backyard wild bird feeding. Introduced to retail early 2012. Winner, Bird Category at the Global Pet Expo, Florida, 2012.

To improve longevity, the seed trough unscrews for cleaning. Seed reloading is also performed this way.

Packaging and large format store display design. A belly band kept packaging minimized and allowed the feeder to be easily displayed on shelves or peg-hooked. Working with the Art Team, graphics elements were developed for several retail options including floor pallet.