Morph Armour was my 3rd year product design project, it started as a research paper around snow safety. Later on in the research I narrowed it down to snow boarder wrist guards. Research indicates that the most frequent injury for snow boarders are wrist injuries. The human hand contains 27 delicate bones that are exposed to shock when fallen upon. Wrist injuries are obtained when the snow boarder falls due to a loss of balance (beginners) or unsuccessfully executing tricks (intermediate – advanced). The loss of balance often results in a fall, the boarder usually breaks their fall with an outstretched arm. The impact of the fall is taken by the wrist and can lead to breaks, sprains, strains, surgery, arthritis and long term effects on wrist movements. Research shows that wrist guards are only used by 12% of the snowboarding population. Current wrist guards on the market are seen as unfashionable, uncomfortable and too ridged, restricting movement. Wrist guards should have shock absorbency to reduce impact and be light weight so the user forgets they are wearing it. They should also be comfortable for use all day and have a slim profile to hide underneath apparel while being easy to use Morph Armour is a wrist protection device that gives the user ultimate freedom by combining a range of elements resulting in the perfect wrist guard. A flexible splint system, an individually customized shell, a multi-point fastening system and a soft cushioned insert combine holistically in Morph Armour to enable boarders to stay on the slopes longer. At the point of purchase the “Morph Armour  is moulded to the contours of the customers arm for a personally customized fit. This is achievable through the thermoplastic shell that becomes soft when heat is applied, hardening within minutes. Freedom to move the hand within the “Morph Armour  is accomplished by a moving splint made of polyethylene. The 2 splints are comprised of multiple segments all joined with embedded living hinges. These segments allow wrist movement in one motion up to a 45 degrees. This is executed by having an 7.5 degree angle on the hinge point of the 6 individual of the sections, providing overall wrist movement range of 90 degrees. The “Morph Armour  is fixed to the users forearm using an 8 point lace system which tightens evenly with one pull, providing the user with minimal displacement during use. A removable neoprene insert gives the user extended comfort through cushioning.

This is a furniture project done in my 2nd year of industrial design. The project revolved around a piece of everyday household furnishing, to be made dominantly using Pinus radiata (New Zealand pine wood) and had to be visually light and represent the New Zealand design and culture. I chose to design and produce a coffee/side table.The NU-tone coffee table was inspired by minimalism and simplicity, NU-tone brings the best of empty spaces and precision craftsmanship to acquire a visually light ambience. Kiwi ingenuity and all round D.I.Y attitude of New Zealanders plays a major role in representing the true elegance of New Zealand culture. The main support leg is comprised of many small lengths of pine laminated together, the secondary sliding support leg is made from native New Zealand Kauri. The top is made from crystal clear diamanté glass (carbon free) stripping overall heaviness and giving visually light and honest feel.

This was a 1st year project based around lighting. The constraints within the brief were that it had to be made out of some sort of plastic. It also had to be able to be disassembled down into a flat pack parcel for easy and convenient postage and weigh under 2 kilograms.This light fixture is called The Swell, it consists of one sheet of polyurethane, a circular support disk and eight fastening screws. The Swell is made to be hung from the ceiling and provides a overall ambient feel when illuminating the room. The precise cutting and scoring of the polyurethane sheets allow it to fall into its wavy ball like form upon assembly. The Swell can accommodate most bulbs and can easily be mounted on to a variety of different bulb fixtures within minutes.

The Poseidon was a seven week project given to us in 3rd year. In this project we were given a real time client to work with. The parameters of this project were “Create a piece of fitness equipment that has the simplicity of a Swiss ball and gives you the full rounded workout and enjoyment of a surf “ The Poseidon is made of natural rubber and tolerates any level of battering propelling back with unpredictable movement while withstanding oppressive impact and weight. The Poseidon is an elongated rubber tube, inflated with compressed air and water. The ratios can be adjusted to suite users’ individual capabilities and skill level. The unpredictable surface and movements of Poseidon persistently challenge the user’s stability, which develops strength and control through the required skills of balance, agility and power.Its shape, elasticity and cushioning provides users with a stimulating low impact workout, and also encourages diversity in individualized exercises. Its changeable skin and contours force agile reactions from the user, which sways the center of gravity, furnishing a ubiquitous cardiovascular workout. Physical characteristics of the Poseidon allow it to be tailored and adapted to the desired method for exercising. The volume of air and water can be altered by adding or removing the elements to suit a specific user. If the ratio is fair, additions to control the difficulty such as introducing a rope for beginners, a balance board or bar for confident users, can be manually rolled in, or around the Poseidon’s tubular form. Its broad range of uses can be taken advantage of by focused fitness training and coaching. From Outdoor Contact Sport to Martial Arts, the aspects of its shifting elastic skin, act as a lively torso to train with. The Poseidon allows each user to engage in personalized exercise activities, using the very essence of a traditional cardiovascular workout. The user creates challenges around mastering their center of gravity, while engaging in an energizing and enjoyable routine.

This was a 12 week health care assignment based around a miniature electronic fridge for diabetics to keep their insulin cool while away from home. I chose to base my design around the extreme user “Diabetic backpacker” Current solutions available on the market were mini fridges which needed and external power supply (wall outlet) or cool pack technology that couldn’t last 12 hours. Insulin needs to be kept at 2-6 degrees at all times to ensure optimum effectiveness and usage life.The Icicle is a cooling system designed for the extreme diabetic traveller. This products offers an electricity free solution to people burdened with diabetes. The Icicle gives diabetics the freedom to roam and explore the world around them without feeling vulnerable. The Icicle is a fully reusable and ongoing cost free insulin pen and vial cooling system, that no travelling diabetic should be without. All plastic walls are injected with PCM (phase changing material) gel that sustains a 2 degree environment. The Icicle is frozen for 7-10 hours to absorb cold energy, ensuring that the contents stays cool for up to 72 hours without freezing again. The Icicle also consists of easy to use big squeeze button to release the tray for access to vial and pen, held by effective hugging clips.

This was a 2nd year elective project based around learning how to digitally illustrate pictures using a wacom drawing tablet. The assignment brief was to create a illustration of the “life” that the Curiosity Mars land rover found while exploring planet mars. The “life” illustrated had to reflect the conditions and pressures that it would have been exposed to.This insect is called a Areonaught its an insect only found on mars, named after the shape of their body. The Areonaughts body allows for it to extract valuable minerals and gases from the atmosphere on its hard textured shell. It does this by anchoring its head and legs into sand/dirt/rubble and uses its back like a spoiler to hold it stationary while harvesting its food. Its legs are flat and light weight which allows it to have control while airborne when relocating and escaping from predators.

Morph Armour

​Poseidon