Designer Profile

Hello!

I’m Hugo . I’m a second year student at Nottingham Trent University studying BSC product design.

I like to think the things I design are inventive, out of the box and a little bit obscure. After all, id rather be called an inventor than a designer, its what 12 year old me would’ve aspired to and its him I get my creativity from, which I think is important when everything is becoming so professional

(Rega Project)

My Latest Project

Why Design?

I was always regarded as the “techy” kid in my house, living with 3 siblings means things get broken (a lot) and I was always the one to fix them. My affinity for tearing apart devices and getting to know how they work has never left me. During my high school years, after undertaking design and technology, I realised I didn’t have to just take things apart , I could put them back together and make them work.

Product design allows me to use my creativity to make inventive and new products that stand out and that one day someone else might tear down

What Inspires me?

Growing up on a smallholding in Cheshire in a busy town, I have always been close to nature . Having been lucky enough to have a small woodland area has given me perspective on what untouched nature can look like in a places that do not care for it.

I feel it is important to integrate products as much as possible into nature and bring the beauty of the outside world into your own home.

I think designers can take a lot of inspiration from the different forms, shapes and colours nature already provides

What is good design to me?

Good products will always be personal to you and might never be thrown away. They should be tough, resilient and lasting.

It is rare people buy things today that wont be thrown away in a week or a year. It is important to understand what materials go into the products you create and exactly what went into obtaining them. Recycled materials are becoming more prominent in today’s world and new uses are found each day for materials people would usually waste.

Ochis , a start up company in Ukraine has found a way to make coffee grounds into frames for glasses, they mix the coffee grounds with natural oils and put them through an intricate process to become their final plant based compound giving it toughness, water resistance and a matte surface texture when polished, altogether creating a stylish pair of glasses from an otherwise wasted material

I have worked together with a friend from UOL on visualising their product. A coffee cup made from the same material as these glasses which further aims to find a use for wasted coffee grounds and give life to a new long lasting and stylish product

Who has influenced me?

A company that has recently influenced me is REGA . Their founder, Roy Gandy , spoke about how record players can be a better method of producing music than digital media. Realising that a product that is considered “ old ” or “ retro ” can in fact be better than modern solutions , opened my eyes to a different way of thinking and made me look closer at the products we already have around us.

I find it inspiring when designers are passionate about the products they create and love, I think a product cannot truly be great unless the designer has enthusiasm and zeal for it.

I have noticed in my own projects, being involved with the design process and having enthusiasm for what I am creating makes it easier for me to express my creativity and leads to overall better ideation and a final product. I enjoy seeing other designers take pride in their work no matter how complex or simple the product is. If they believe the product has true purpose, then it will thrive .

(berghaus-en, n.d.)

Designing for a client

Designing for a client was something I had never done before when starting my course at Nottingham Trent University. It made me realise that in order to develop a good and impactful product, you must take into account the views and needs of those who you are designing for.

I began my course designing for myself instead of the client , using ideas that I thought looked “cool” or “unique”. It was later in the year I realised I can use my creativity to find solutions to their problems in a method that makes sense to me.

One of our first clients was Berghaus , an outdoor apparel and equipment business. We had to design a product that an exhibitionist might use when enduring a multi-day travel to base camp Everest . The product was aimed to improve their comfort during the trip.

During this project I learned how important it was to see from their point of view, especially if you did not have much relation to the brief. I had never been on a challenging expedition before so it was important to read first hand accounts and ensure that the product is something they would need and want , not just something you think they would like

how i design

My design process has improved drastically over my time at NTU. I have stated in previous reflective journals from past projects that i have had a hard time developing a product from its initial ideation . This is due to the fact I fixate on ideas easily and want to visualise them into a final product without much elaboration on what could be changed to improve it.

My current design process involves making a broad range of creative ideas that closely follow the given brief . I find that i can now better develop these ideas into something more suitable for the client. Visualising the ideas I come up with is my favourite part of the design process and allows me to experiment better with material selection and finishes.

I found that rendering allows me to see my product come to life and presents me with new ideas that can greatly impact the final outcome and how the product will feel personal and valuable to the client.

(Rega Project)

Goodbye

I have thoroughly enjoyed designing for our selected clients this year and hope to find more opportunities to do so in the future.

I already have some ideas about what I want to do when I have finished my course at NTU , I hope to find more like-minded individuals that can inspire me and I hope to create products that I am enthusiastic about.

Thank you!

References

the Guardian. (2022). 10 great places to see bluebells in the UK this spring – chosen by readers. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/ apr/21/readers-favourite-bluebell-woods-tips-travel-uk [Accessed 23 Jan. 2023].

www.rega.co.uk. (n.d.). Roy Gandy, co-founder and owner of Rega. [online] Available at: https://www.rega.co.uk/ about/roy-gandy [Accessed 23 Jan. 2023].

berghaus-en. (n.d.). Berghaus Latest Advice, People, Gear & Adventures | Berghuas. [online] Available at: https://www.berghaus.com/blog/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2023].

:hrjm_design

:hugorobertmatthew@outlook.com

:www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-matthew

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