Passion In Your Work?

Seriously, I am really going to hit you with the cliché to beat all designer clichés. Consider yourself warned.

Every time I engage with a new client, particularly of the mom and pop ilk, I am asked if I think their paper napkin concept is THE next killer device the drooling consumer market has been awaiting. I’ll admit that sometimes, it’s hard to equal the enthusiasm posited by my new charter.

More often than not, I see the potential, albeit occasionally hidden under the dust of over thought, blind ambition and piles of ethereal currency that my new charge has layered upon the base concept. Yet, as an enthusiastic personality myself, it usually does not take much for me to jump on board. That is if the proposal is not rife with LSD induced features. Yet, more often than not, I am presented with a concept that has been well thought out and at least minimally researched. After all, if they have found me then, at the base of it, they understand that they need a designer and an entity that can bring their product to fruition. If not all the way to market.

These client projects tend to lead to some of my most enjoyable works. To glean enthusiasm from those you work with and to bolster your own creative passions is, well, very satisfying. Something that goes beyond the mechanics of pure execution. Which is where I begin with yet another challenge to my fellow designers.

I have had the misfortune to work alongside automatons that possess the title of ‘Designer’, yet bring little to the table in the way of enthusiastic problem solver, personally invested thinker or even mildly enticed CAD jockey. Think incorporeal cubicle inhabitants.

I have also had the great fortune to partner with designers, vendors, etc. who are ready to roll up their sleeves and dump their full worth into a project. THESE engagements are the ones we designers should exist for. To immerse fully into the project and truly invest our definition of self into the design. How else can we stand back from a completed design, arms folded with a slight smirk of self satisfaction and say to ourselves, “Yup, I did that. Ain’t it cool?”

Now don’t get me wrong here. I’m not suggesting that we should supplant reason, perspective, and sound council for the saturation of sightless self aggrandizing. It’s just that too many of us have donned the cape of ‘Designer’ only to be more adept at process engineering or PLM management.

To those who find it hard to muster the energy in your work I suggest searching for that passion. Why are you a designer? What brought you to this place in your life/career? Do you really love what you do regardless of all its warts and maladies?

I once again draw your eye toward the watch industry.

Side note: Why do I cringe each time I dumb down the descriptive of what is one of the most elaborate engineering, design, artistry and marketing fields on the planet? These miracles of human thought and execution are not ‘watches’. They are artistic machines. Sorry for the tangent.

If you read my earlier post on horological and chronological machines, then maybe you have already begun to delve into this amazing industry. Maybe you have been inspired to raise your level of education and personal investment. I hope you have.

Only a modicum of time need to be spent researching brands like Maitres du Temps, MB&F, Urwerk, and many others to see that these designers have harnessed their intense passion into a life-long pursuit of excellence.

I offer these two videos from Maitres du Temps for their horological machines: Chapter One and Chapter Two. Pay particular attention to the interviews with Roger Dubois, Daniel Roth and Peter Speak-Marin. Their summary of the life-long immersion and investment in watch design is impressive to say the very least. Also note the Winding Rotor design on Chapter Two and how each of the three principals that make up Maitres du Temps contributed to its design both conceptually and physically. This is the level of personal investment of which I speak.

So, are you leaving a bit of yourself in your designs? A little bit of sweat? A little bit of blood? Do you take immense pride in your works? If not, then I challenge you to do so. You must immerse your being in order to do full justice to yourself and your life’s work as well as your clients. If you are just going through the motions for a paycheck, then, well, step out of the way so we impassioned designers may sink our teeth into product development. We’ll have need for you to check our math, review our detail drawings and conduct FEA analysis.

A little bit insulted by that last bit? Well then take up the charge. Come join us. The water is fine and the rewards great.

Social Product Development Part Duex (?)

A new Social Product Development Site has cropped up and I’m wondering what the hell is going on. Does the world really need a web based solution to get our ideas to market? Isn’t this bordering on sacrilege for we independent designers?

The business model is interesting... Simplified: For a nominal fee, you may submit a concept to the Social Product Development Community for review and a vote on the market potential. If they approve the concept for development, you surrender the rights to the product in exchange for a stipend based on the sales of that product.

I have to admit that the product developer in me loathes the very idea of such a service. I even had reservations about writing about it here lest I kick the viral marketing can further down the road for them. (Notice that I have not named them. Yet.)

What is the tangible value here? Who’s the target audience? Are they just a parasitic vehicle to fleece the inventor out of his/her intellectual property and potential/deserved profits? Can the business model really work? Might it be doomed as a failed experiment, from which the value of my business is bolstered? I find myself simultaneously intrigued by the new(ish) approach and wishing bad juju upon them. But, let’s investigate before we bekon the web-based executioners to the fore.

First, how many of us have ideas rattling around in our own cerebral attics? I know that I have a rather robust folder full of concepts that I would like to bring to market. Ideas that, for one reason or another, have languished. Would these ideas be more likely to breach the light of day if I just handed over all the development headaches, distribution issues, packaging design, revisionary burdens, marketing, and so on, to an entity that will assume all the risk? Maybe. Maybe these ideas are better served in the hands of a Social Product Development Service as they may actually get to market and generate both supplemental income (I have a lot of hobbies that need to be fed) and make some consumers’ life just little bit more convenient. Maybe the poor slobs with THE next big idea, but no means for which to deliver the product beyond the dank confines of their basement workshop, will be liberated from draining their children’s college fund. Not to mention avoid the demise of domestic tranquility.

If you are a designer or product developer, you already have an idea of how many ill fated concepts make it to a successful market delivery. The process is akin to newly hatched leatherback turtles clumsily sprinting for the shoreline through a gauntlet of winged predators. i.e. Patent and product liability attorneys, manufacturers who can’t deliver, underestimated tooling and raw material costs, poorly chosen veins of distribution, etc. And even if the little amphibians DO reach the watery haven, they still have to contend with yet more predatory behavior… Asian IP bandits, export duties that eat into profitability, spare parts inventory to satisfy warranties, shrinkage due to defective production issues and employee theft…

What was once an idea meant for greatness, is now a tired old shoe discarded at the side of the road. Passerby’s left only to wonder about its former owner. And where is this owner? Divorced of course. And with children inquiring about deep fried culinary accompaniments from their clients instead of the attending that Ivy League institution they were accepted to.

So, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic. Maybe this is just what our industry needs. Or maybe the ideas that this service will attract should have been left to die on the vine in the 1st place. Remain in the cobwebs of that dank basement workshop as it were. We surely don’t have a shortage of really bad ideas out there. You’ve seen the USB engagement ring right? Now there’s an idea that never should have leaked from gray matter and a product developer that is in need of a public lashing with the cord of a… wait for it… USB toaster. (Received as a wedding gift of course.)

This Social Product Development concept also smacks of the dot com money grab of the 90’s. And we all know how that turned out. Maybe this idea is the t-rex of this still burgeoning generation of social networking and will live beyond the next evolutionary metamorphosis. But, lest we forget history, even the biggest carnivores were killed off by glacial reality. Charles Darwin’s truisms are strong in a capitalistic society.

I dunno. The value of this service remains to be seen. (The site is pretty new) And I’ll sit on that folder full of ideas for a bit longer before I’ll let them join the ranks of products that end up at the give-and-take section of my local transfer station before I’ve enjoyed nickel-one in returns.

Designers, What Are You Watching?

As a designer, I am constantly searching for design inspiration. The quest for innovation is always keen in me. Also as a designer, it’s no great wonder that I am attracted to consumer products that are simplistic in form and execution. Bicycles, snowboards, a well thought out mobile phone, and more. I thoroughly appreciate minimalist solutions to otherwise complex questions. And quite frankly, our design efforts are often driven by clients’ budgetary constraints that just won’t allow for anything but the most basic execution. Oh so many times have I had a client ask for sexy and cheap. I know. The stock answer (Only partially in jest) is “Pick one”. But a client wants what a client wants and it’s our job to deliver. So, simplicity typically rules the day.

Conversely, I also find fascination and inspiration in elegant complexity as well. A mechanism that is perceived by the user to be simple to operate, but has complex (Hidden) inner workings that took hundreds of design hours, CAD iterations, prototypes, focus groups, marketing pushback etc. These systems are fascinating and also an excellent source of education.

It’s with this in mind that I draw every designer’s attention to watches. Yes, watches. What I’m really referencing here, are upscale horological and chronological machines. For watch designers, the design feature list is long and manufacturing challenges are daunting. Many complex pieces take years to fully conceptualize, prototype and produce.

These tiny machines hit every element of the highest level of technology available. Yet they also tap into a rich history of craftsmanship that reaches back thousands of years. You’ll find true artisans sitting alongside engineers and CAD operators at the same desk with engravers.

Today’s manufacturers are pushing the envelope in both design and materials. Since every watch accomplishes basically the same thing – Tell the time – watch designers are faced with unearthing a new way to do just that while synchronizing functionality with aesthetics and an identifiable brand. i.e. Stand out in the industry. Sound familiar to any of your projects?

An excerpt from an article on the development of the Harry Winston Opus V by Ian Skellern…

...Frei drew up further sketches on the satellite theme and finally the layout of that radical system was agreed. Büsser had stressed that central to the Opus series was the merger of the DNA of Harry Winston and the independent watchmaker. Feeling that the satellites represented URWERK, they consequently searched for a complication to represent Harry Winston. As Harry Winston is well known for its use of retrogrades, the idea of a retrograde minute soon emerged– a decision Baumgartner nearly came to regret!

… URWERK and Harry Winston now had just over twelve months in which to turn a technical drawing of something never dreamed of before - let alone constructed - into a functioning and reliable timepiece.

Video of the amazing functionality of the Harry Winston Opus V
Video of CNC Ops on the Opus V Casing

Watch designers utilize CAD systems, FEA, CFD, casting, machining, forging, surface blasting and etching, and so much more. The latest designs are even utilizing silicon growth technologies to produce parts that are temperature and humidity stable. Something that is a must for a watch to maintain accuracy.

A word of caution though. As you slowly immerse yourself in the world of complex watches, you may also find yourself becoming entranced by the industry and with the right amount of disposable income, an owner of a fine timepiece. (Or 3)

The pride of my collection is the Maurice LaCroix Reveil Globe. A machine with three time zones represented by an equal number of differing mechanisms.

Just how complex can these time pieces become? Many machines command prices upwards of $700,000US and might have a limited run of 20 pieces or less. The design and manufacturing lifecycle investment can be immense.

The investment in your design capabilities should be so intricate. Both you and your clients would benefit from such an endeavor and you should address your continuing education with the vigor and profundity that you and your clients deserve.

Watch this video of the Jeager Lecoultre GyroTourbillon2 and wrap your head around the size of the engine and the complexity of the mechanism.

I could really go on for days about watch mechanisms and designs, but I won’t. This is a blog not a book. And many books by well versed industry experts have been written on the subject.

So, what’s the real point here? In plain terms, designers, you MUST continue to find inspiration and contest designers-block and/or the potential loss of your job/business because you have risen to the level of your incompetence. Why watches as case studies? Because it’s all in there: Industrial design, kinematic systems, miniaturization, advanced use of existing and new materials, extreme manufacturing challenges, and so much more. And it’s all contained in a robust package that you wear as art. A more concise example of the ultimate design challenge doesn’t exist. Which is why you should examine the watch industry as a whole and watch mechanisms and designs as an exercise.

Here's some homework:

A few examples of forward thinking in the watch industry (And some of my favorite manufacturers): MB&F, UWERK, Jacob & Co, HD3, Jaeger LeCoultre.

Study the development process of the Harry Winston Opus V. (A joint venture between Felix Baumgertner of URWERK fame and Harry Winston.) By reading this excellent article by Ian Skellern.

Subscribe to International Watch and WatchTime magazines. Both are excellent resources and go into exacting detail of watch designs and industry challenges.

Don’t get complacent in your work. Look about you for new ways to apply mechanisms and aesthetic applications and continue to grow as a designer.


Special thanks to Ian Skellern for allowing use of images and excerpts from his article on the Opus V.

Social Product Development (Holy medium confluence Batman!)

A cycling friend is authoring a blog on Social Product Development. Hunh!? You mean, at age 43, I really DO need to consider Twittering, (I had thought that was only for twits), Facebook (I’m already excellent at face-planting. Just join me on a mountain bike ride and I’ll prove it) and blogging?

Well, thanks Robin. Thank you very much for adding yet more distractions from my business of Mechanical Design Consulting. Thanks for thrusting me into a realm that I previously thought was only occupied by the likes of Paris Motel6 and the Real (?) Housewife’s of well, wherever (Certainly and gratefully not my neighborhood) Thanks for forcing me kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Yeah yeah, I know that I need to network more than I do. And I know that signing up for LinkedIn, Facebook etc. are all for my own good. I guess sometimes we just need to be guilted into action.

So, after wading through all the aforementioned points of resistance, I’m taking the plunge with this blog – BJ Speak. And it’s all thanks to Robin. So, it’s only fitting that I dedicate this 1st rambling to her. Oh, and Robin? If this all goes horribly wrong, I know where to find you.

But where to begin? What was the subject of my 1st blog post going to be? I’ve never been accused of not having an opinion. But, sorting out whether this blog was going to be purely business based or personal or maybe a mixture of both was proving to be a challenge. So, I’ve settled on mixing business with pleasure and my life interests. But still the question begged… Where to begin?

Well, after perusing my favorites for that thar intremanet, I find that I am already tuning into a few fellow designers and manufacturers.

One of my favorite clients, Rob Vandermark of Seven Cycles has been blogging for some time now. If you count cycling among your interests or you are just curious about unique business models and you are not following Rob's posts, you’re missing a real treat. Add 25Seven to your RSS feed’s and browser bookmarks and learn more about bicycle fabrication, socially responsible manufacturing and lean production systems from THE (Yes, I am biased) most thoughtful bicycle manufacturer in the world.

Another favorite is Alternative Needs Transportation (ANT) bikes. Mike Flanigan is a bicycle manufacturer, or more accurately, an artist of utilitarian human powered vehicles.

I also get my cycling industry and racing news from Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN) and VeloNews.com.

There are so many more bicycle industry blogs. But, I’ll save those for future posts.

I’d also list my favorite designer sites/blog here too, but this post is already too long. And whadayaknow? My 1st post has written itself. Maybe this will be easier than I thought. Maybe I will be able to keep this up. I know I have many topics running through my head… Designers with identity crises; The positive economics of utilizing consultants; Domestic manufacturing in the current world climate; Upscale watches and why you may want to invest… And a whole lot more.

So, stay tuned, please feel free to comment, and thanks for visiting. You too Robin.