Project Responsibilities
• Oversaw project from first concepts to final manufacture and delivery
• Evaluated, selected, and visited manufacturers in China
• Defined brief, incorporated user feedback and set aesthetic direction
• Designed welded sheet metal parts, injection molded parts (including overmolded), and machined wood parts
• Worked with manufacturer to define tolerances and adjust designs for manufacturability
• Prepared drawings and applied for patent
• Kept project within budget and on time
• Spokesperson for product at a trade show and for Kickstarter video
• Successfully funded on Kickstarter ($170k+)
Brief
Noisy Clan wanted to create a beautiful and practical music stand for the home. One that would do justice to the elegance of users’ instruments.
Grandstand is a family of products that work together to suit users’ homes and play styles.
Core Considerations
1. Elegant design
2. Swapping mechanism
3. Versatility
Elegant Design
Members of the Grandstand family had to share a common aesthetic and fit well into a variety of home decors.
I evaluated many wood vendors across the UK and China — the main criteria were:
1. Quality of material
2. Quality of machining
3. Price and lead time
Renders were used to help visualise the materials and proportions early on.
Samples from potential suppliers were tested and compared to determine what they were capable of.
Swapping Mechanism
A key mechanical feature in Grandstand is the Quick Click swapping mechanism. This allows all plates to be quickly and securely swapped and used with with all bases.
The swapping mechanism was the most ambitious aspect of the project — it had to be easy to use, reliable, and secure.
3D prints were used extensively to quickly iterate on the swapping mechanism.
I worked closely with our sheet metal prototypers to help with early testing.
Versatility
Grandstand allows people to play the way they want - whether that’s seated at a table or standing, with a tablet or multiple page scores.
In addition to being able to swap plates, the Grandstand has the largest height range on the market — this was achieved by combining existing height adjustment methods — friction telescoping and twist locking - in a new way.
The sourcing journey started with finding a vendor with experience with the friction telescoping pole and twist lock mechanism — once found I designed a custom bracket to combine the functions and double the height range.
