Nike ACG Night Rider
Designed for Nike ACG
2020

The Night Rider is a concept sneaker designed for Nike ACG. Influenced by the winter months in Norway, the shoe is designed for wet weather conditions, and is intended to increase visibility for daily commuters who travel by foot, bike, or public transit. The Night Rider features a durable polyurethane outer sole with non-slip treads, a waterproof upper made from Gore-Tex for breathability, and a neoprene ankle cuff for comfort. In addition to water resistance, the signature Nike swoosh, brand logos, and shoe laces are reflective to keep commuters safe during days with reduced sunlight.


Planter System
Designed for New Shell
2019

New Shell began as a concept for a furniture company that transforms recycled ocean plastic into furniture that lasts. In tandem with my graduate studies at the University of Bergen, I partnered with the VIS Gründerhub program in the summer of 2019 to participate in market research, customer interviews and sustainable product development. By collaborating with researchers, environmental organizations, and manufacturers in Norway, I found opportunities for building a circular supply chain that showed great potential for using ocean plastic as a viable material for product manufacturing. By combining good design with radical sustainability, New Shell aims to develop products that keep use plastic inside the home and out of the ocean.



10 Inch Skillet
Designed for Milo
2018
Milo is an American housewares company that offers chefs affordable enameled cast iron cookware. I was approached by the company in 2018 to design a skillet that could accompany their existing Dutch oven product line. With previous experience designing cast iron cookware, I provided the company numerous iterations that aimed to identify the essential features necessary for comfort and utility.


Stack Growler
Designed for Manna Hydration
2018

The Stack Growler is a portable drink-ware set designed for traveling outdoors. The product features a double wall stainless steel body with vacuum insulation to keep 64 ounces of any beverage hot or cold for up to 48 hours. The threaded collar locks four stackable cups secure during transport.

The product was designed for Manna Hydration in 2017 to target the outdoor market, and later released at the Outdoor Retailer show in 2018. The Stack Growler continues to be sold by retailers and licensed to a selection of outdoor brands, such as the Hunter Boots x Target collaboration.


Incline Containers
Independent Project
2017
The Incline Containers are a series of form studies that utilize planes to intersect extruded geometries. Each container features a middle surface that extends from the highest to lowest points. Due to consistent wall thicknesses, the diagonal incline of each vessel is reflected on the underside, which allows the forms to become mirrored when flipped upside-down.


Museum Bench
Independent Project
2017
The Museum Bench is a modular concept designed for museums and exhibition spaces. A single bench is composed of two parts that are laser cut and folded from a piece of 11 gauge steel. Although simple in form, the design remains sturdy due to the structural durability gained when both steel pieces are bent and assembled in place. Due to its utilitarian design and efficient manufacturing process, the Museum Bench provides short-term public seating that is adaptable for multiple configurations.


View Mirror
Independent Project
2016
Bringing picturesque landscapes into the home has been a tradition for many cultures around the world. For centuries, artists have created landscape paintings to transport viewers beyond domestic environments and interior spaces. In China, Song Dynasty landscape paintings allowed viewers to follow meandering paths and steep trails, while European landscapes of the Romantic Period provoked images of paradise. The View Mirror explores the concept of manufacturing paradise by simulating an idyllic landscape. The round perimeter, which directly references Victorian era mirrors, invites viewers to physically see themselves inside the display, creating a dichotomy of vertical portraiture and horizontal landscapes.

The View Mirror was designed for production in 2016 and produced by Lucid Glass Studio in Providence, Rhode Island. The transparent graphic is UV printed onto a clear sheet of glass that is heat laminated to the mirror. The mirror is hung to the wall with an aluminum French cleat.



Synthetic Plants
Independent Project
2016
Synthetic Plants began as a project to explore the typology of fake plants. The series investigates the role houseplants play within domestic spaces. By removing all labor required for sustaining a living houseplant, Synthetic Plants become speculative objects that aim to question the human desire for domesticating nature and living things.

The design process began with the decision to utilize a standard terracotta pot as a reference. A series of discs were laser cut to fit the inner lip of the pot, which acted as a base for the leaves to slot into. Prototypes for the disc and leaf shapes were made to identify the correct tolerance for a snap fit. Each leaf was bent by hand to achieve a playful result.


Arc Chair
Independent Project
2015

The design process for the Arc Chair began in 2015 with an interest in understanding the relationship between Eastern and Western aesthetics. Through historical research, I understood how many Scandinavian designers, such as Hans Wegner, had been strongly influenced by Chinese furniture from the 17th century Ming Dynasty.

As a Chinese-American designer, I have become fascinated by this cultural exchange of identity through products. How can industrial design interpret traditional Chinese aesthetics in a contemporary context? Through investigating this question, I continue to iterate upon this concept by combining a Ming Dynasty backrest with a bent laminated seat. By pairing these two components, a visual language is created to celebrate two contrasting cultures.


Wheeler School Chair
Designed for The Wheeler School
2015
The Wheeler School Chair is a seat designed for elementary school students who struggle with hyperactivity disorders. This kinetic piece of furniture offers a limited range of rocking motion, which is intended to keep students attentive and engaged during class activities.

In 2015, the project began as a partnership with the Wheeler School in Providence, Rhode Island. A series of 1:1 mock ups were created for kindergarten students to test during their group work and daily presentations. Throughout the design process, feedback was collected from students, faculty, and an occupational therapist to further understand the relationship between classroom furniture and student behavior.

The newest iteration of the Wheeler School Chair carefully considers natural materials, simple construction, and efficient production methods. Both of the chair’s legs are made of laminated ash wood, which can be manufactured from a single mold. The seat is okoume marine plywood with ash veneer.



Plywood Whales
Independent Project
2015
Plywood Whales began as a form study to challenge the practice of bent lamination. As a notable manufacturing technique, the process has been used to produce furniture, medical splints, and other everyday objects. Through engaging in an iterative design process, I attempted to challenge the limits of laminated plywood by implementing compound curves and complex geometries. Prior to production, a series of sketches and paper models were created to generate a spectrum of concepts, which eventually led to a nesting object that takes full advantage of the material’s unique properties to illustrate a delicate balance of light and shadows.




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