by Formation Administrator
The ESR 5000 Series Reach Truck Wins Gold
The industrial design of the ESR 5000 for Ohio based Crown Equipment Corporation was recently recognized with a Fast Company – Industrial Designers Society of America, Gold International Design Excellence Award (IDEA). The IDEA’s are presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America in association with Fast Company Magazine and represent one of the profession’s highest honors. Please visit Fast Company’s website for the entire story.
The ESR 5000 Series is a full range of electric, side-sit reach trucks that achieve new levels of productivity, comfort and robustness for warehouses and distribution centers. A new super-duty mast can now lift a fully loaded pallet up to 12 meters (39.4 feet) high. All models offer a low step for easy on/off, and fully adjustable seating and controls for operators. The all-new new S-Class vehicle establishes a new benchmark in operator comfort with a 30º rotating MoveSeat and a FlexBack reclining seat. The new, patented battery shape provides 40% more legroom, and the MoveSeat reduces upper body twisting. A patented angled overhead guard also increases upward visibility.
2010 IDEA Juror Isabel Ancona noted the following regarding the design of the ESR 5000
“Strong product strategy and user research, combined with elegant and practical design solutions, has created a very accessible and effective vehicle. There are several details that demonstrate a solid understanding of the various workflows and user needs–creating a safe and usable ‘workspace’ for the driver, providing more visibility, simple user interface controls, and visual cues on the truck for safer driving. I’m just sorry we didn’t get to try it out…looks fun to drive!”
–Isabel Ancona
by Formation Administrator
Senior Industrial Designer Job Requirements – Advertisement:
Senior Industrial Designer (multiple positions) – Atlanta, GA – Requires Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from NASAD accredited university. Requires 5 years of industrial design experience with 2 years experience developing aircraft interiors. To include 5 years of model shop experience and 2 years of experience with Solidworks, Siemens NX CAD Software, Corel Painter and BunkSpeed. Must have 2 years of soft goods design and prototyping experience. International travel up to 20% per year. Experience may be gained concurrently. Resumes/Portfolios to: Formation Design Group
Description:
Will work in all aspects of the Industrial Design process, including: open ended creative brainstorming, concept development, sketching and rapid idea visualization, creation of descriptive 2D renderings, geometrically accurate 3D CAD Data and detailed physical mock-ups. Will identify and act on trend, consumer, market and merchandise opportunities to create successful concepts for Formation’s clients. Will conceptualize, develop, refine and communicate proprietary, new concepts for goods and services based on client’s business requirements and defined parameters. Will develop products for use in commercial aircraft interiors, develop and prototype soft goods products, use standard model shop equipment and methods to develop design concepts. In the performance of job duties, will apply an intuitive sensitivity to form, detail and color and the ability to develop concepts through computer-aided models. Due to Formation’s frequent involvement in global product development programs, will be required to work in Asia and will apply a deep understanding of Asian cultures and business etiquette. Will focus on client liaison, outreach and communication, including presentation and explanation of both Formation Design Group collateral material and project specific concept presentations to clients. Will use Solidworks v10, Siemens NX7 CAD Software, Corel Painter and Bunkspeed to develop complex, geometrically accurate parametric CAD models to serve as inputs to toolers and manufactures. Will use relevant specialized software programs such as Illustrator, PhotoShop, In-Design, as well as common office applications such as MS Excel, Powerpoint and Word.
Contact
Careers@Formationdesign.com
Formation Design Group
555 Dutch Valley Road
Atlanta GA 30324
T 404.885.1301
F 404.885.1302
by Formation Administrator
The SPICE Galley system was a featured part of the Airbus display during the 2010 Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg Germany. The Aircraft Interiors Expo is the world’s largest trade fair exclusively concerned with airline cabin systems.
The two Spice Galley monuments on display were designed and built at Formation’s prototype lab in Atlanta GA USA and represent an important milestone in Airbus’s SPICE Galley program. The prototype galleys were fitted with doors, carts and a transfer table built by Dansk Technologi in Denmark. Close collaboration between Airbus, Formation and Dansk was required to efficiently deliver completed units in only a few months time to Airbus for testing.
SPICE, which stands for SPace Innovative Catering Equipment, is the result of nearly 7 years of research and conceptual development that began as collaboration between Formation Design Group, Ergonomic Systems Design and Airbus. The early research on the overall catering process, concept development and user testing conducted in Atlanta resulted in the SPICE project being awarded an IDSA IDEA Award for Design Research in 2008 as well as the coveted Crystal Cabin Award in 2007.
The system has been tested with 11 airlines and has been well received. For more information please visit Airbus’s Innovation & Technology Website.
by Formation Administrator
Our friends at Design Within Reach and Coca-Cola have done it again… Design Within Reach Atlanta is hosting an Emeco 111 Navy Chair® launch party and cross town Coca-Cola love fest on Thursday May 20th from 6-8pm. For more information and to RSVP for the event please visit http://111navychair.com/about/. See you there!
The 111 Navy Chair® is made from 111 recycled plastic Coke bottles. It is the result of a special collaboration between Emeco and Coca-Cola, and it’s available exclusively at Design Within Reach. It took four years of research, design and materials testing to create this chair, which is a plastic version of the iconic 1006 Navy® Chair. This chair is suitable for outdoor and commercial use, and it’s made in U.S.A.
Our friends at Design Within Reach and Coca-Cola have done it again… Design With Reach Atlanta is hosting an Emeco 111 Navy Chair
® launch party and cross town Coca-cola love fest on Thursday May 20th from 6-8pm. For more information and to RSVP for the event please visit http://111navychair.com/about/.
by Formation Administrator
Join Formation Design Group for an evening with Steve Portigal.
Date & Time
Monday April 12, 2010
6:30pm – 9:00pm
Location
Formation Design Group
555 Dutch Valley Road
Atlanta GA
Please RSVP
The event is free of charge, refreshments will be served. rsvp@formationdesign.com
Presentation Abstract
In product development circles there has always been a lively discussion on how to best transform product concepts into new goods and services. Conversely, there is precious little dialog about translating research findings into product concepts. The murky time between research and the beginning of synthesis is one of the most critical parts of any development process. Join guest speaker Steve Portigal and members of Formation’s Industrial Design team for a presentation and discussion highlighting this critical but often overlooked part of the development process.
Based on a process used in Portigal Consulting client engagements, Steve’s presentation will emphasize strengthening the creative link between “data” and “action.” One of the most persistent factors limiting the impact of user research in business is that projects often stop with a cataloging of findings and implications rather than generating opportunities that directly enable the findings. As designers become increasingly involved in using contextual research to inform their design work, they may find themselves holding onto a trove of raw data but with little awareness of how to turn it into design. How can designers and researchers work with user research data to create new things for business to do?
About Steve
Steve Portigal is the founder of Portigal Consulting, a bite-sized San Francisco firm that brings together user research, design and business strategy. Portigal Consulting helps clients to discover and act on new insights about themselves and their customers. Steve is a frequent speaker at design and marketing events and writes for interactions, Core77 and the Portigal Consulting blog, All This ChittahChattah. He is an avid photographer who has a Museum of Foreign Grocery Products in his home.
by Formation Administrator
The 8th annual TechBriefs – “Create the Future” design contest is now accepting submissions. The contest features a $20,000 grand prize as well as other great prizes from Hewlet Packard and 3Dconnexion. The contest is free to enter and is open to students and professionals alike, team entries are also permitted.
Winning entries will be featured in a special supplement to NASA Tech Briefs magazine to be published fall 2010. Top prize winners will be invited to a special awards reception and dinner in New York City. Please visit http://contest.techbriefs.com/ for the latest information.
The contest begins March 1, 2010 and ends June 30, 2010. They must receive your entry by 11:59 pm ET on June 30, 2010. Thanks to the Sponsors for continuing to support product developers and inventors through the 2010 competition. Primary sponsors include Tech Briefs Media Group, COMSOL, Inc. and PTC.
by Formation Administrator
Each year Modern Atlanta (MA) celebrates architecture and design with a week-long event around Atlanta. This year MA has asked the Young Architects Forum of Atlanta to create a competition for a temporary outdoor installation which will act as a beacon and marker for the week of events. The structure is to be installed and operational during the MA events, currently planned for June 1-6, 2010. The project is not only to accentuate the series of events organized by MA, but will also be an event of its own celebrating young talents showing their work to the public.
The Young Architects Forum is calling on young designers to step up to the 10Up challenge! Please visit YAF’s Website for more details.
Good luck!
by Formation Administrator
Senior Industrial Designer Job Requirements – Advertisement:
Senior Industrial Designer (multiple positions) – Atlanta, GA – Requires Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from NASAD accredited university. Requires 5 years of industrial design experience with 2 years experience developing aircraft interiors. To include 5 years of model shop experience and 2 years of experience with Solidworks Siemens NX CAD Software, Corel Painter and Bunkspeed. Must have 2 years of soft goods design and prototyping experience. Must be fluent in spoken/written Japanese and English and associated business etiquette. International travel up to 20% per year. Experience may be gained concurrently. Resumes/Portfolios to: Formation Design Group
Description:
Will work in all aspects of the Industrial Design process, including: open ended creative brainstorming, concept development, sketching and rapid idea visualization, creation of descriptive 2D renderings, geometrically accurate 3D CAD Data and detailed physical mock-ups. Will identify and act on trend, consumer, market and merchandise opportunities to create successful concepts for Formation’s clients. Will conceptualize, develop, refine and communicate proprietary, new concepts for goods and services based on client’s business requirements and defined parameters. Will develop products for use in commercial aircraft interiors, develop and prototype soft goods products, use standard model shop equipment and methods to develop design concepts. In the performance of job duties, will apply an intuitive sensitivity to form, detail and color and the ability to develop concepts through computer-aided models. Due to Formation’s frequent involvement in global product development programs, will be required to work in Asia and will apply a deep understanding of Asian cultures and business etiquette, applying fluency in Japanese and English. Will focus on client liaison, outreach and communication, including presentation and explanation of both Formation Design Group collateral material and project specific concept presentations to clients in Japanese and English. Will use Solidworks v10, Siemens NX7 CAD Software, Corel Painter and Bunkspeed to develop complex, geometrically accurate parametric CAD models to serve as inputs to toolers and manufactures. Will use relevant specialized software programs such as Illustrator, PhotoShop, In-Design, as well as common office applications such as MS Excel, Powerpoint and Word.
Contact
Careers@Formationdesign.com
Formation Design Group
555 Dutch Valley Road
Atlanta GA 30324
T 404.885.1301
F 404.885.1302
by Formation Administrator
I just finished reading “The Atomic Chef” and found it difficult to put down. I simply couldn’t resist finding out what unexpected consequence or turn of events was around the next corner.
This is an absolute must read if you are in any way involved with the development of new products or services. Sometimes things don’t go as planned despite everyone’s best efforts. Like the bumper sticker says, “stuff” happens. This book gets into the stuff to reveal what really happened. The author painstakingly researches and recounts the real story behind mismatches in people and technology.
If you like fairy tale endings this may not be the book for you. However, if you are interested in learning the true details behind real world events, I highly recommend the Atomic Chef. In contrast to more traditional Human Factors books or case studies, the Atomic Chef presents enjoyable and eminently readable accounts of actual events.
Little things can make a big difference; I’d recommend The Atomic Chef’s cautionary tales to any student or professional interested in learning more about the relationship between people and technology.
Buy your own copy!
Russell Kroll – Formation Design Group
by Formation Administrator
Formation Design Group is located in Midtown Atlanta adjacent to Piedmont Park, approximately 20 minutes by car from Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Memorial Airport. For commercial flights, Hartsfield Jackson International Airport is the closest option. For private aircraft please use DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK).
Directions From Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport
1. Exit terminal area and follow signs to I-75 / I-85 North to Downtown Atlanta
2. Continue on I-75 / I-85 through downtown
3. Exit at Tenth 10th street. At the top of the exit ramp turn right onto 10th street
4. Continue east on 10th street through 5 traffic lights to the “T” intersection of 10th Street & Monroe Dr – Turn left onto Monroe Dr.
5. Continue on North on Monroe Dr through 3 traffic lights to the “T” intersection of Monroe Dr and Dutch Valley RD. Turn left onto Dutch Valley RD.
6. Formation Design Group is halfway down Dutch Valley RD on the left side.
Formation Design Group
555 Dutch Valley Road
Atlanta GA 30324
T 404.885.1301
For additional informarion detailing Atlanta hotels and resturaunts please download the Formation Design Group Map
Formation’s GPS Coordinates
Longitude 33° 47’ 31.52” N
Latitude 84° 22’ 8.55” W
