Simon Kwan
Industrial Design, Shanghai Shanghai China
 
Share this portfolio

Contact details
Tel: 86 13817552625
Brief Summary
I am a design generalist. Starting with a solid mechanical engineering and manufacturing foundation, I have built a diverse and somewhat unorthodox career in product design and development. Regardless of industry, product type, or materials, I apply artistic skills, project management, understanding of users and human factors, and solid research, combined with years of practical hands on experience to rapidly turn concepts into actionable prototypes and products. I have worked with both low volume, labor intensive as well as high volume, highly mechanized manufacturing, in both soft and hard goods.

I am a citizen of two countries, speak two languages (English and Mandarin Chinese), and have traveled throughout Asia, Europe, and North America, developing a myriad of products with diverse customers. I love what I do, and I’m always ready for a new challenge.

Specialties
My skill set includes:
- project management
- team building and mentoring
- creative conceptualization
- product development
- trend and marketing research
- user centered research
- mechanical engineering and manufacturing development

I am currently crowdfunding my first independent product design, the PodKit Watch + ClipClok : iPod nano watch accessories, on Kickstarter: http://kck.st/OIMag4 - Please have a look!

Professional Experience
Creator and Owner
PodKit Watch
August 2012 – Present (1 month) Shanghai, China

Crowdfunding my first independent product design effort on Kickstarter: http://kck.st/OIMag4

-PodKit Watch is an elegant pocket watch style case for iPod nano.

-Clip Clok is a nano replacement analog timepiece that is compatible with PodKit Watch and all other iPod nano watch kits!

Both are made from aerospace aluminum and available to pre-order on Kickstarter (http://kck.st/OIMag4) at savings of 30% or more compared with estimated retail prices.

Please check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________________________

Freelance Designer
SimonWorks
2012 – 2012 (less than a year)
_____________________________________________________________________________

Director of Product Development
Grotto Design Creations
March 2011 – February 2012 (1 year) Shanghai

Grotto Design Creation's art tiles and modernized Chinese motif decals and house ware gifts and accessories have been sold all over the world, and received numerous design awards and praise from the likes of Elle Decor China.

With an eye towards the growing China domestic market, Grotto is now developing new collections of interior decor and lifestyle products with beauty and innovation equaling those of our original line of products.

We are also designing and producing several collections of fashion bags & accessories for several successful Chinese women's fashion brands.

Key Responsibilities:
- Overall responsibility for successful development of collections of fashion lifestyle and home décor products and accessories
- Lead designer for products and retail packaging
- Manage, develop, and grow internal and external design resources
- Manage and assist in product sourcing efforts
_____________________________________________________________________________

Creative Director - Asia
Wessco International
Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Import and Export industry
March 2008 – March 2011 (3 years 1 month) Shanghai

During my three years with WESSCO International, I helped to incubate and develop the product design competency. My many responsibilities included:

- Product development and creation of annual collections of travel amenity, guest & passenger comfort, and service ware products
- Operational management and execution of semi-annual trade shows
- Management of WESSCO brand identity
- Creation of collateral materials (presentations, brochures, etc) for Sales & Marketing support
- Publication and submission of project bid proposals

Several of my product designs have been instrumental in securing supply contracts with a number of major airlines, including Etihad Airways and Delta Airlines.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Director of Product Development
Tomberlin Product Group
Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Automotive industry
March 2007 – December 2007 (10 months) Shanghai

I was employed as a freelance consultant for TPG. In the role of Director of Product Development, I was responsible for all aspects of product development across 4 different product categories: ATVs, youth ride on toys, scooters, and off road go karts (aka fun karts). As TPG's key technical manager in China, I was directly involved on all levels, from strategic product conceptualization with the executive management team to product and manufacturing quality improvements with our suppliers.

Key Responsibilities:
- Design new product styling, structural elements, and technical specifications for motorsports and powered toys (off-road go-karts, ATVs, Scooters, electric ride on toys)
- Creation of prototypes and development of manufacturing tools, working directly with Chinese factory partners in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces
- Design and implement rigorous testing and validation of new products and engineering design changes for existing products to verify system and component durability and safety
- Examine and verify product specs satisfy legal safety standards and regulations
_____________________________________________________________________________

Senior Product Designer
PMI / Dazon Inc
September 2005 – March 2007 (1 year 7 months) Shanghai

Initially brought into the company to research the market and develop product features and improvements, I was soon made responsible for executing engineering improvements, and then new product development as well as managing a staff of 20+ Chinese engineers and technicians in the R&D department. I was also asked to support the sales and marketing dept. in working with customers on product improvements. On the production side, I was regularly involved in troubleshooting quality problems as well as developing and implementing product and process improvements.

Key Responsibilities:
- Execution of designs from concept and prototype development through to validation, testing, and start of production
- Engineering oversight of structural blue prints and engineering change documents
- Modeled, analyzed, and re-designed steering and suspension geometries and mechanical components to address durability and improve vehicle dynamics

Key Accomplishments:
- Engineered steering system geometry for Dazon Raider Extreme 1100
- Re-engineering suspension and steering geometry for Dazon Raider Sport 150D
- Re-engineered faulty wheel hub design for Dazon small off road go kart family
_____________________________________________________________________________

Associate Industrial Designer
Gravity Tank
Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Management Consulting industry
June 2004 – September 2004 (4 months) Greater Chicago Area

In this position, I had to fill many roles, such as researcher, prototyper, design, and collaborative innovation facilitator. As a researcher, I went into the field and used ethnographic research techniques to study consumers in the 'natural' environment to gain insights into their product purchase and usage behaviors. This research was then dissected and analyzed, and with the team, developed into insights which were then presented to the client. As a prototyper and designer, I physically conceptualized and modelled product designs. As an innovation facilitator, I worked directly with key decision makers within the client company in order to help then digest and then use the research insights in order to actively participate in creating actionable solution strategies for improving their products and/or services. This brief experience was a wonderful learning opportunity!

Key Contributions:
- Planned, conducted, and analyzed user-centered, ethnographic field research
- Assisted in intensive research immersion and design workshop with multibillion-dollar global clients in automotive and consumer markets
- Created rapid prototypes of design concepts using sketch models and CAD renderings
_____________________________________________________________________________

Industrial Designer
Delphi Automotive
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; Automotive industry
September 2000 – May 2001 (9 months) Kokomo, Indiana Area

- Designed and rendered (in 2D & 3D) advanced Multimedia products in support of marketing and engineering groups
- Researched relevant technology, consumer, and market trends to identify design opportunities and provide program direction
- Resolved tooling, assembly, appearance, and NVH issues working with Korean suppliers on MPC telematics project
_____________________________________________________________________________

Audio Systems Engineer
Delphi Automotive
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; Automotive industry
March 1999 – September 2000 (1 year 7 months) Kokomo, Indiana Area

- Managed speaker system development and release for domestic and European customers
- Designed speaker systems specifications working between customer requirements and supplier capabilities
_____________________________________________________________________________

Quality Engineer (Contract)
Daimler Chrysler
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; XETRA; Automotive industry
August 1998 – January 1999 (6 months) Greater Detroit Area

- Analyzed quality trends (in real time) using warranty return tracking system to identify manufacturing and/or design related quality issues
- Performed Root Cause Analysis in design, manufacturing, and assembly
- Rapidly implemented engineering solutions
_____________________________________________________________________________

Project Engineer
SLP Engineering, Inc (Street Legal Performance)
June 1996 – May 1998 (2 years) Troy, MI

- Designed, released, and validated LED CHMSL for 1998 Camaro SS
- Conducted ergonomic packaging and fit studies of retrofitting Recaro seats into GM F-cars
- Produced rapid prototype mockups of design concepts for team evaluations
- Created styling and concept renderings of original vehicle designs in support of Marketing and Engineering 
Advertisement

Where ‘finders’ meet creatives.
For networking, collaboration or inspiration.

Log in

Username:
Password:
OR
LinkedIn

Sign up for free, instantly.

I'm here to:
Set a User ID:
Enter your email address: