Software Skills

Rendering

Keyshot Pro • Cinema 4D

My renderings have appeared on CNN, The Verge, Core 77, and Bloomberg as well as on packaging in The Apple Store and on Apple.com. They are also shown to millions of visitors on our Amazon listings each year. I enjoy creating compelling renderings.

I primarily use Keyshot Pro because it allows me to quickly bring products to life with dramatic lighting and exciting materials. I've created my own library of custom materials, lighting environments, and models that I regularly use.

I use Cinema 4D when I need to bend, bounce, or dynamically animate an object. I've created a workflow where I seamlessly combine C4D assets with Keyshot assets to create powerful images.

Product Animation

Cinema 4D • Keyshot • Adobe Premiere Pro • Adobe After Effects

I love creating product animations to show off the features and generate excitement for my products.

Using a mix of Keyshot and Cinema 4D, I am able to work quickly while creating compelling clips with bending cables, bouncing cases, and mesmerizing weaves. I find that simple motions go a long way and quick cuts keep viewers engaged. I can also create scroll-based product animations for use on the web.

Class A Surfacing

Rhino 3D • Solidworks Surfacing

I can create clean G2+ surfaces in Rhino 3D and Solidworks. I like to create wire models using 3D sketches that have G2 continuity built in so that when I generate the surfaces, they naturally have G2 continuity without the need to rely on software tools to modify the surface. I constantly use surface evaluation tools like zebra stripes to evaluate continuity. I also like to check continuity by looking at reflections in Keyshot.

I outline my process for G2 surfacing in the eSpark project in my portfolio.

I look forward to the opportunity to learn Alias, as I think my current skill set will allow me to quickly adapt to a new program.

Assembly Modeling

Solidworks • Fusion 360

I have experience building large assembly models for everything from the 400HP Stealth Drive electric motor to small snap fit plastic parts on TotalMount products. Here I have shown the assembly from the eSpark Electric Sea-Doo that I created as a sample project, since I'm unable to share many of my other assembly models.

At Innovelis we use SolidWorks for assembly modeling, while my previous jobs used Fusion 360 for cloud-based assembly modeling. I structure my files in a clean manner so that I am able to update parts and relationships without the model crashing.

Physics Simulation

Cinema 4D

I use Cinema 4D to create renderings where the product bends, bounces, twists, or deforms. I also use Cinema 4D to create exciting abstract animations using waves, point clouds, and particle effects. After I have created animated deformable bodies, I'll render them in Keyshot or Redshift depending on the project needs and time constraints.

Image Processing

Adobe Photoshop CC

I use photoshop for compositing and editing renderings to create dramatic images that generate excitement in marketing materials. Using clown passes from Keyshot, I can easily select and edit detailed areas of the rendering. In some cases, I will touch up images and add details by hand using a tablet.

Vector Graphics & Layout

Adobe Illustrator CC • Figma

I use Adobe Illustrator to create and layout vector graphics that may eventually be used as labels in renderings. I also use Illustrator to create graphics for instruction manuals and packaging.

I use Figma for laying out websites and other screen-based graphics. I enjoy Figma's powerful collaboration tools and simple file management systems.

DFM Skills

Injection Molding

Draft • Slider Direction • Artifacts

I've 3D modeled numerous parts on 20+ products that are in mass production. In my current role, I 3D model all of the draft on our products, plan for injection mold pull directions, and strategize slider placement. I collaborate with our engineers and factory on details to hide artifacts like ejector pins, spurs, and parting lines. I use SolidWorks' draft, thickness, and undercut evaluation tools extensively to confirm that parts are ready for mass production before I send them to the factory.

CNC Manufacturing

Depth of Cut • Tool Changes • Stock Reduction

My work on the Stealth Drive electric motor helped me learn to create production quality CNC parts. I worked directly with machinists to optimize manufacturing time without sacrificing design details. I accomplished this in part by using larger uniform fillets, thus reducing the number of tool changes and increasing the cut speed. I also optimized parts to reduce stock size which saved material cost. I worked with the machinist to spec unique cutters for certain features. In one area, we needed an especially deep cut and we were able to achieve it using a cutter that was designed for milling the barrel of a rifle.

Snap-Fits

Flex Arms • Interference Fits • Injection Molding Strategy

I've designed many products with snap-fit features and flex arms that reduce vibration. I now have a mental toolkit of ratios and dimensions that I start with whenever I need to 3D model a snap feature. Snap-fits sometimes pose manufacturability challenges due to undercuts. Having worked through those challenges on a number of parts, I now have a variety of approaches that I use to design and model injection-moldable snap-fit features.

Prototyping

3D Printing • RTV Casting • Paper Models

Prototyping is one of my favorite parts of the design process. 3D Printing, building, testing, and breaking prototypes is a great way to quickly find issues and improve concepts. Casting resin in 3D printed molds allowed me to quickly test different wheel designs during the Terrain Tire project. I also like 3D printing objects that I'm modeling to better understand the scale of various features and ergonomics. In my garage, I have three 3D printers, a CNC mill, a laser cutter, and many woodworking tools. I enjoy using these for prototyping and working on other projects in my free time.

Material Properties

Types of Plastics • Metal Alloys • Mold Finishes

Working with a wide range of materials over the past decade has given me an understanding of common materials used in consumer products. Understanding Shore hardness, qualities of specific plastics, and alloys of metals helps me design high quality products that are nice to interact with. While working on Air Rim, I specified a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) bumper and PC (polycarbonate) back plate. The TPU with a high-polish mold finish looks great and is nicer to hold than competitor cases which use inexpensive silicone that becomes sticky over time. I chose a PC back because it won't yellow over time like clear TPU would.

Finite Element Analysis

Fusion 360

In my current role, I've used Fusion 360's "Finite Element Analysis" tools to optimize parts. Using FEA, I can identify what areas of the part are under the most stress and make changes to create sturdy parts. Using these tools, I can make quantifiable decisions about material thickness and rib placement.

Corporate Skills

Management

Teaching • Learning • Working Together

Over the past two years, I've enjoyed hiring and managing my small industrial design team. My team consists of myself, a mid-level designer, and junior-level design interns. I love teaching my teammates new tricks and learning from their perspective. While interviewing and hiring designers, I learned about the importance of defining what skills are needed to round out our team and meet our goals. I chose a mid-level designer whose skill set leans more towards rendering than CAD modeling since a large portion of our work is creating marketing graphics, packaging graphics, and instructional graphics. I am able to handle advanced 3D modeling, but I encourage and help our junior-level design interns work on their concepts in CAD after sketching ideas.

Ideation

Ideas • Options • What if?

I use sketching to explore concepts and communicate ideas quickly. I enjoy digital sketching and marker drawing, but I find that much of my sketching happens on whiteboards during meetings while our team is exploring new ideas. When I'm working on ideas at my desk, I use thumbnail sketches to explore the major forms of various products. I'll also use sketching to explore smaller details like handles or mechanical fittings and mold designs.

Problem Solving

Small • Large • Perspective

I've found that problem solving exists in the design process in two major ways.

The first is problem solving that leads to new products. I enjoy identifying issues that people may have with existing products and finding ways to make those products better. Before designing the Strada Walker (featured in my portfolio), I realized that traditional walkers cause users to hunch their back. My primary goal for the Strada Walker was to build a walker to help people walk with good posture.

The second type of problem solving is during the DFM stage of the design process. We may need to reduce the number of injection molding tools needed to create a product or find a way to reduce shipping volume. Our goal is always to deliver a premium product to the customer at the best price possible. If the product can be smaller, but provide the same benefit to the customer, this reduces material costs, shipping costs, warehouse fees, and CO2 emissions. I love solving these types of problems.

Pitch Decks

Creating Compelling Presentations

As part of the MFA (Manufactured for Amazon) program, we regularly pitch ideas to Amazon that they sell as accessories for their subsidiary's products. These companies include Blink, Ring, Eero, Amazon Echo, and Amazon Fire devices. We engage in weekly rapid design sprints that end with a concept and a set of renderings that I build into a pitch deck describing the benefits and features of our concept. Many of these products move forward and my team then develops them for mass production.

Marketing Strategy

Understanding • Collaboration

I enjoy working closely with our marketing team to provide them with high quality graphics and product animations that help drive sales for our products. Understanding the segments that they are targeting is very important. We make accessories for gaming consoles like Xbox and PlayStation, so those graphics often feature dark backgrounds with highly saturated color pops. We have other product lines that need to cater to a wider audience, so the marketing graphics are generally more friendly and more minimalistic. For advertising graphics, like the one shown here, we use bright color and exciting backgrounds to get the viewer's attention.

Patent Strategy

Design for Patentability

After college, I had the opportunity to work closely with a family friend and patent attorney to patent the Strada Walker and Terrain Tire. I learned about types of patents and the structure of how patents are written. I helped conduct patent searches and come up with a strategy for patenting my products. I also created all of the graphics that were used in the patents. I own utility and design patents for the Strada Walker and Terrain Tire. I'm also listed as an inventor on a number of TotalMount products.

Jack Koby