3D Design
We all start somewhere. While I’ve spent many years as a graphic designer, my design journey actually began in Product Design, where I honed my skills in SolidWorks and Rhino. Those early experiences taught me to think about structure, form, and problem-solving—lessons that continue to influence my work today. Below are a few nostalgic projects from my university days that capture that starting point.
ARC folding Chair
Every Product designer, Interior Designer, & Architect has at some point designed a chair.
In my final year at university, I took on this challenge and designed a folding chair that’s as smart as it is sturdy. From initial sketches to material experiments, I explored how to make it compact, functional, and visually appealing. After testing ideas with small models, I built a full-scale, working prototype—folding, unfolding, and holding weight exactly as intended.
For the full-scale prototype, I learned how to bend and laminate European Beech and marine plywood, and fabricated the stainless steel components myself—bringing sketches and research to life in a fully functional, tactile piece of design.
Earlier in my degree, I was challenged to design a stacking chair using plywood and tubular metal. I experimented with making the seat appear to float, giving the piece a sense of lightness and curiosity. Though a short project, it pushed me to think creatively within tight constraints. The 1/4-scale model shown here is crafted from NZ Rimu veneer laminated to represent plywood and finished with several coats of wax, giving it a warm, rich glow.
This brief was to redesign an LPG gas heater to be smaller to use less materials. Designed and rendered in Solidworks.
For this project, I was tasked with designing a new MP3 player. My approach focused on creating a concept that was both visually striking and conceptually meaningful. I based the design of the earbuds on the shapes of musical notes, giving the product a playful yet intuitive connection to music itself. This was my first introduction to the Rhino 3D modelling software.
In my third year, I was tasked with designing a recreational vehicle that utilized rotational moulding as the primary production method. My solution was a shallow-water river vessel, carefully designed to take full advantage of the versatility and durability offered by rotationally moulded materials. This design went on to win the Australasian Rotational Moulders Association competition that year, highlighting both its innovation and practical application. The project was developed and rendered in Rhino.
One of my favourite designs from my degree was the first one, where I had to design a flat-pack paper lamp.
My solution drew inspiration from the Protea Sugarbrushe flower.
Odd Jobs
The Royal New Zealand Navy held a competition to design the ship badge for their new replenishment vessel, HMNZS Aotearoa, and my design was selected as a finalist. The badge features a Manaia, a mythological Māori guardian spirit, chosen for its symbolism as a protector against evil—an apt motif for a naval ship. The design is further enriched by elements of the ocean and the Southern Cross, drawn from the New Zealand Naval Ensign, creating a badge that is both culturally meaningful and visually striking.
Velaris is a resort in Croatia that I have done some work for, including some Illustrator drawings and logos, as well as brochures.
