Academic Experience

I am a graduate of the University of Strathclyde (2008) with a Masters of Engineering (Hons) in Product Design Engineering. I spent an enjoyable 5 years in Glasgow obtaining my degree which included an outstanding exchange year to California Polytechnic State University, Pomona in Los Angeles. Throughout my University career I strove to excel amongst my peers, in my final year a number of my projects were selected for special mention and are still on display today within the department.

While at University I was a member of a number of clubs and organisations that I feel greatly added to my learning while at university. Most noteworthy of these were:

 

• The Cal Poly Rose Float, which entailed the design and manufacture of a hydraulically animated float for the Rose Ball Parade. From this club I learnt basic machining and welding, as well as an appreciation for the realities of manufacturing something on such a large scale involving so many people.
• The Strathclyde Formula Student team, this required the design and manufacturing of a formula one inspired race car that then competes with other university teams from around the world. This required a sound working knowledge of car design, mechanisms and great attention to detail in manufacture.

Industrial Experience

While at university I also had two work placements, first at a company called AJ Engineering (2006) and second at a company called Varis Engineering (2007). Both were steel fabrication companies, although their specialism’s and management structure differed significantly. My primary role at both was CAD technician, using AutoCAD and Solidworks. These proved great learning experiences.

Projects I was involved with included:

• Loch Lomond Sea Plane Pontoons (among others)
• Industrial Warehouse Design
• Distillery Water Treatment Plant
• Grain Hoppers

Upon graduating I worked at a company called Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (2008-2009) as a design engineer. The company designed and manufactured furniture, likened to IKEA furniture but with a number of custom pieces for various clients. The workforce at the onsite manufacturing facilities were predominantly disabled, as a designer I had to work to develop the required product for the client while working closely with the manufacturing team to suit their particular requirements. This presented an extra challenge, but one that was quite welcome.
Projects I was involved with included:

• RNIB (Royal National  Institute of the Blind) reception area and custom display furniture to cater for their very specific requirements
• GHA complete furniture range to outfit a house
• Custom Kitchen for The Lighthouse, Glasgow
• A number of custom furniture designs

While travelling Australia I worked for five months at an Architecture firm in Brisbane, Australia (2009-2010). The primary project was the Gold Coast University Hospital. I undertook many specific roles within the company including managing a small team at various stages. Generally however the goal was to get the drawings approved for construction by coordinating with all the various consultants involved with the project. This included a range of task from positioning of appliances to making major structural changes. The project was primarily designed using a highly modified version of AutoCAD. This proved to be an excellent company to work for, I learnt a tremendous amount and gained a new appreciation for all the design elements that goes into the construction of such a building.

For full listing on work I have completed please view the galleries page.