MAKKINA January 2021 - Onwards
At the start of the new year I found myself working for Makkina again. The Bentley project I had committed to, became delayed due to platform revisions and other unforeseen changes. Makkina, on the other hand, were very busy and keen to have me back on board. Throughout 2021 I have again worked on numerous projects from early ideation through to digital and physical models. As before, due to the discreet nature of the work done at Makkina it is not possible to talk about this in any more detail.
BENTLEY MOTORS October 2020 - December 2020
In October 2020 I started working for Bentley Motors again. Just like with Makkina, I have formed a good lasting working relationship with John Paul Gregory and the rest of the Bentley exterior design team, and was asked back to work on a couple of new and exciting production programs that had started. By now Covid 19 was having a major impact on how people were able to conduct work and I found myself, like many others, working from home and having daily meeting through Microsoft Teams with the rest of the digital modelling and design teams. At present I have been working-from-home for a couple of months now designing and modelling a new and exciting product for the company. It is too early to reveal any more details at this time.
MAKKINA November 2019 - September 2020
In November 2019 I rejoined Makkina in Notting Hill, London. I had previously formed a good working relationship with Michael Ani and the rest of the Makkina team and was asked back to continue working on some new exciting projects that had come into the studio. Once again I worked numerous projects from early ideation through to digital and physical models, and again due to the discreet nature of the work done at Makkina it is not possible to talk about this in any more detail.
CHARGE AUTOMOTIVE September 2019 - November 2019
In September 2019, I finished my contract at Makkina and started working with Charge Automotive, a new EV company based in the heart of London. I joined a rapidly growing team of highly talented individuals responsible for the development of the company’s 1960’s Electric Mustang concept. We were tasked with developing and delivering 499 of these cars for production and sale to a select number of individuals. During my short time at Charge I worked on the development of the Mustang Interior with the design team and other digital modellers. I really enjoyed my time at Charge and the chance to work in a very young forward thinking and dynamic company.
MAKKINA October 2018 - September 2019
In October 2018 I was offered the opportunity to work at Makkina in Notting Hill, London. After 14 or so years of working for OEM's it was exciting to switch things up a gear and work for this world renowned Automotive Design Consultancy led by its founder Michael Ani. I joined a team of extremely talented designers and modellers working closely with an impressive array of international clientele. During my time at Makkina I worked numerous projects from early ideation through to digital and physical models. Due to the discreet nature of the work done at Makkina it is not possible to talk about this in any more detail.
BENTLEY MOTORS August 2007 - September 2018
In August 2007 I had the opportunity to work at Bentley Motors and join a small team of designers and engineers working on the Bentley Continental Supersports. Over the next half year I developed and surfaced the exterior design of the Supersports in Autostudio from the clay model scan data and packaging information. I saw all exterior panels through to 'A' class data. Following this project I was invited to stay on at Bentley and during the next 6 months I became the chief exterior concept modeller within the company, responsible for the investigation and exploration of future models. As the team grew my role developed to become the Advanced Exterior Team Leader. This involved managing a team of Digital Modelling Contractors, creating Project Time Plans and Financial Budgets. Liasing with Bentley’s Design, Engineering and Model Making management, delivering completed exteriors and hardparts on time. In addition to this I am heavily involved in the investigation of new and modified vehicle platforms, creating exterior proportion & volume model studies, building concept and show cars, as well as managing, overseeing and working on future production models until design freeze.
VOLVO CARS January 2006 - July 2007
I was invited back to Volvo's studio in Gothernburg at the beginning of 2006. I began work on a production interior during the early stages of its development. Initially this was concept modelling from verbal and sketch input from the designers involved. Over the following year it developed considerably as I worked more closely with studio engineers to create a viable design solution to the initial concept interior. During the summer of 2006 I briefly worked on the XC60 Concept Car interior, creating a number of fully surfaced components and details for milling and prototyping. In February 2007 I moved to a new project. A design team had developed concepts for a next generation small vehicle. I worked closely with a number of designers, modelling and developing concept exteriors to package information. This project was ongoing when i left.
GM ADVANCED DESIGN October 2005 - December 2005
In October 2005, after my contract at Volvo expired, I took a new contract at GM Advanced Design. Their studio in Pixbo is primarily responsible for the development of the Saab brand, as well as the development of the other GM brands operating in Europe such as Opel and Cadillac. I formed part of a team of Alias modellers and studio engineers that worked on the Aero X concept car interior. We created the interior from scan data supplied from the initial clay model and modified this with concurrent input from Saab's designers and studio engineers along with further feedback from G-Studio's coachbuilders and engineers as the prototype took shape within their studio. The car was finished in early 2006 for the Geneva Motorshow.
VOLVO CARS October 2004 - September 2005
In August 2005 I left the Renfrew Group, having decided to pursue a career within the automotive industry. Shortly after this date I moved to Sweden to take up a contract position at Volvo Cars. During the following year I worked on three different projects for the company. I was initially employed to work on a concept car and did so for six months. However, this car was never completed due to the arrival of the new design director, Steve Mattin, and his new vision for Volvo. I went on to work on two production cars part way through their development. The work varied considerably from project to project and was a mix of concept modelling and visualisation through to design, development and 'A' class surfacing from laser scans.
RENFREW GROUP September 2002 - September 2004
The Renfrew Group is an established product design consultancy with an international portfolio of clients. During my time with the company I primarily managed the visualisation and the surfacing department. The consultancy had a number of automotive and product clients requiring complex surfacing work, created either from laser scans, engineering material or occassionalIy styling sketches, such as Triumph Motorcycles. I worked on these projects, oversaw the surfacing team, worked closely with the engineers throughout the product development cycle, as well as liasing with clients and third parties. In addition to this, I continued to work on new media and graphics projects creating websites and presentations for a number of the consultancies clients.
DESIGNIT May 1997 - August 2002
DesignIT specialised in delivering highly creative and communicative solutions to aid new products coming to market. My responsibilities involved managing the business from both a market and solutions perspective. More specifically I liased with new clients, discussed and presented new media possibilities, and quoted for potential work. Going forward I managed all new projects from a team and client perspective, organising timeframes, project teams, project direction, deliverables and third parties, such as contractors and production houses. In addition I worked on the projects myself, having a wide and cohesive grasp of most new media software as well as eight years experience (at the time) of using Alias Studio.
RENFREW ASSOCIATES July 1993 - April 1997
After finishing University I joined a Renfrew Associates a product design consultancy involved in the design and pre-production of electrical and manufacturing goods. During my time with the company I moved up through the ranks to a position where I managed all areas of multimedia design from concept visualisation to producing interactive presentations and promotional videos. The role grew to include liasing with clients and production houses, quoting for new projects and managing a small team of designers. I helped pioneer the use of 3D software within Renfrew Associates such as Alias AutoStudio, and also introduced it to leading software from other companies such as Adobe and Macromedia. Through this the consultancy was able to re-align itself as computer technology transformed the industry throughout the nineties.
