engineer. designer. photographer. musician.
I have always had a passion to create, and while pursuing a technical degree in engineering, I have realized that design is the perfect way for me to reconcile my creative passions with my desire to solve complex problems. Over the past few years, I have taken on a number of design projects - some of which have demonstrated my ability to create using digital platforms, such as starting my own apparel company, while others highlight my ability to prototype products, such as designing, prototyping, and building an acoustic ukulele. To learn a bit about my process when tackling design and engineering projects, see below.
Hi, I'm Alex Chase, I'm an aspiring
With any design or engineering related project that I tackle, I often follow the same process - and although I'm still working out the kinks - I've included some of the steps that I've had the most success with. Of course, my process is constantly changing - and I'm always looking for new ways to improve on how I design, create and test!
My process
?
define.
The first step I take in any project is to define the problem. Here, I work to determine the "why" of the project and, if applicable, define a guiding question or statement. For instance, "How can I develop a unique clothing line in an already saturated market?"
design.
After clearly understanding the problem and the "who" and "why", it's time to start creating. Here, I work to answer the guiding question and come up with a solution.
research.
The next step is to research the problem. Here, I work to understand the market for the solution, and see what others have already done. Most importantly, I consider the end user. A good example of this can be seen when I worked to understand the market to create clothing products inspired by the city they were being sold in.
test.
With a functional solution ready, I work to see if I've solved the problem that was initially defined - whether that be by tracking KPIs on a dashboard, or determining metrics of success for a machine learning model. With anything technical - I like to think of the phrase "could my grandma understand this?", and if not, I need to make changes.
analyse.
Analysis is a key step to help draw insight from research, and use data to help drive decisions. Here, instead of considering what a user may want, I consider why they want it. For instance, using survey results to better understand why employees aren't using analytics that would make their jobs easier.
iterate.
And finally, I iterate. Here, I evaluate ways to improve the solution revealed by testing - and jump back to the necessary steps. When I first played the ukulele I built, it sounded more like a banjo. But after re-designing the sound board bracing and polishing the nut and bridge - the results were significantly better.
Starting my own apparel company
was an endeavor that began in June 2015 and demonstrates my unique creativity and innovative mind. What began as a project to pursue a creative passion for design grew into an entrepreneurial venture that included the manufacturing and sale of numerous products including sweatshirts, t-shirts, toques, and stickers. When creating products, I knew that originality was essential as there were countless apparel companies already in existence. Realizing that the demographic I would primarily be selling to would be locals, I discovered a way to appeal to the market while channeling my love for the city I am from. The name “YYClothing” came to mind; a play on the locally recognized airport code “YYC”. Coining the slogan “comfortable clothing inspired by a stylish city”, YYClothing also gave me the ability to realize the importance of giving back to the community that inspired the company – and so 50% of all profits were donated to 3 local Calgarian charities.
Thinking
Critically
After iterating through numerous designs for the "Tower Toque", I was able to create a clean concept that captured the essence of the Calgary Tower. However, I was faced with a dilemma when attempting to stamp this design on leather. Custom leather stamps can be extremely expensive, and take time to produce. Consequently, I came up with the idea of converting the design to a CAD file and 3D printing a mold. The effectiveness of this process is highlighted in the video shown below.
comfortable clothing
inspired by a stylish city
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Designing, Prototyping and Building an Acoustic Ukulele
Building an acoustic ukulele was the perfect opportunity to bring together my technical engineering background with my creative talents in design and music. Although unorthodox, this project taught me a significant amount about designing and prototyping a product, as it was a constantly iterative process that required me to consider the final result at each stage of the process. From considering how body shape and bracing would impact the sound, to selecting complementary wood types to ensure an aesthetic final product, this project demonstrates my ability to effectively implement the entire design process. To learn a bit more about my method, check out the brief time-lapse video below.