We currently have an opportunity to offer an intern position to a student looking for design experience within a professional product design consultancy. You will be working as an integral member of our team and have the opportunity to work on live projects! You must have a sparkling enthusiasm to explore, innovate and create anything design and be able to communicate your ideas clearly through good old fashioned sketching!

A good sketching ability is a MUST for this role, as well as a knowledge/understanding of both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

We are looking for a long term placement (no less than 6 months) and must be someone local to our area of West Yorkshire/East Lancashire preferably with a full UK drivers license.

If you feel you are an ideal candidate for the position and would like to know more about the position feel free to email us at hello@blueprintproductdesign.com.

For any other opportunities check out our careers page under the “contact us” in the footer.

You will need to be able to work both on your own and as part of a growing team, as well as be able to run and manage projects on your own. This will involve meeting and communicating with both clients and suppliers. You will have to have expert knowledge in Solid Works 3D modelling software and have first class problem solving skills to match.

We are looking for someone who lives local to the West Yorkshire/East Lancashire region and must hold a full clean driving license.

I you feel you are an ideal candidate for the role, and would like to know more about the opportunity feel free to drop us your CV/Portfolio to hello@blueprintproductdesign.com or alternatively call us on 01535 613330.

For any other opportunities check out our careers page under the “contact us” in the footer.

This is a fantastic article which will interest anyone looking to develop a new product. The article focuses on a company called Twine who through Kickstarter funding realised how they hugely underestimated their products potential after raising more than half a million dollars to develop it!

Twine had originally set their fundraising goal at $35,000 with a plan to produce about 200 units a year using a homemade wax mould originally created to make their initial prototypes. However just six weeks later after raising $556,541, they found themselves committed to deliver almost 4,000 units!

This great article proves that kickstarter funding alone is just the beginning of a long ongoing process needed to meet demand, timescales and manufacturing goals in order to deliver a product, and how many entrepreneurs overlook the importance of preparation when scaling their business for future growth.

To read more on this great article, follow the link below!

Things to consider as a Kickstarter creator!

A major speech made by the Science Minister David Willetts has revealed that the UK Government is preparing to inject £113m into cutting edge research and technology including major investments in space, robotics and advanced composite materials.

Speaking at Policy Exchange, Mr Willetts described the unique strengths of the UK’s research base, but said the Government now needs to capitalise on this by backing the right technologies and helping to take them through to market.

He went on to say how the advances in technology, and the ability to develop them through scientific research will be essential in supporting a high-tech industrial strategy and a fundamental part in the Department for Business’s ongoing work in encouraging economic growth.

To read the full article and see a breakdown of how the proposed money will be distributed, follow the link below!

UK’s Science Minister outlines £113m investment for space, robotics and composites

We all love a bit of eco-news which is why this article really grabbed our attention as it relates so well to the gripe many of us have with planned obsolescence and the diminishing life expectancy of modern day products.

This is something that transcends straight from the Eco-Design Handbook, (for those who are familiar), and tells of how a French designer created new working products, namely kitchen appliances, from salvaged components of otherwise broken products heading for landfill.

More often than not, when an appliance breaks down the problem can be attributed to a minor malfunction of a specific component, many of which are relatively easy to fix with the correct know how. The drawback of this however is that many products, for all kinds of reason will end their working life prematurely, contributing to our overall general waste and the ever-revolving cycle of consumerism. This is what led Gaspard Tiné-Berès to research into different solutions for these “waste” items.

He began testing tons of component parts to understand their commonalities and how best to get them working again, and developed a series of goods that combines repaired elements with new, CNC-milled cork accents that don’t require the skills of master craftsmen to create! Since then he has established a new studio called RE-DO to focus on projects like this, as well as opening a shop specialising in brining new life back to old products. Perhaps not something which will work on a global scale, but certainly a terrific effort in fighting the eco cause and pressing the point that not everything is unsalvageable after death!

Kitchen appliances brought back from the jaws of landfill!

Dispite struggling to make an impact in the growing market, Cubify recently picked up the award for Best Emerging Technology at this years CES 2013 event held by the Consumer Electronics Association. Many already view this as a bold step towards bringing 3D printing technology to the domestic environment with their friendly coloured machines and primary-colored marketing materials.

For as little as $1,300 (roughly £820 in Sterling) you can own a fully fledged, 100% functioning 3D printer that will, within reason, create anything you want on a scale around 5 inches! It’s remarkable stuff when you consider Industry technology and equipment far exceeds the Cubify in cost! It doesn’t just end there either, right down to the language the company uses is on a level thats ‘easy to understand’. No room for geek talk here!

Though not a company to predict trend, Cubify want to get as many domestic 3D printers out there as possible to both homes and small businesses by providing good working product at the most affordable price. Interesting times ahead it seems! Well be keeping an eye on this, but for more information on Cubify and their push towards domestic 3D printing, follow the link below!

Cubify 3D Printers want to domesticate technology

With the cold winter nights still present, its imperative for cyclists to be as visible as possible when travelling on busy city roads or any roads for that matter. A good pair of cycle lights can set you back a pretty penny, not to mention the clothing on top for things such as high visibility jackets. By the time you’ve finished, you could end up looking like some glow in the dark clown heading to a late night rave! But what of the bike? Sure the lights provide visibility, but they don’t really make you ‘stand out’ from the background!

That’s where German company 8Bar Bikes come in. They have developed a fully covered (rims also) bike in photo luminescent paint. During daytime the paint absorbs light and stores it ready to emit in the dark, much like the hands on a watch, only way stronger! You’ll need to park it somewhere well lit during the day though as the light diminishes over time if not fully charged, but it can be charged using both natural and artificial light. Exposure to UV however provides the best charge, so great news if you work in a tanning salon!

Impressive as this kit is, it does come with a hefty price tag of £1,040 as standard, and its only suitable for use on roads. As a cheaper alternative you can buy the Kilo Glow which has a similar paint job to the 8Bar (applied to the frame only) for as little as £250, a bargain compared to £1,040! But be sure to invest in some good cycle locks, as something this cool won’t last unattended for long!

To read more on glow in the dark bikes, follow the link below.

Night Rider! The glow in the dark bike that makes safety paramount!

Its back to business as usual for many now that 2013 is underway, and what better way to start the year than with some positive news! Its that time again when the names of a select few are announced for the Queens New Years Honours List, of which a certain Kenneth Grange will receive a knighthood for his contribution to design services for Industry.

For those who aren’t familiar with Kenneth Grange, he is the man behind such Iconic designs as the TX1 London Cab, the Intercity 125 and the very first parking meters, as well as a whole range of consumer based products. Still to this day he remains the only person to have won the Prince Philip Designers Prize twice (once in 1963 and again in 2001), and was a founding member of Pentagram Design Studios London. Regarded by many as the unsung hero of the design world, Grange is a recognised Royal Designer for Industry, and was appointed CBE in 1984.

To celebrate this achievement, we have selected an fine article called “British Modernist” celebrating a recent exhibition dedicated to that of Sir Grange at the Design Museum London last year.

Kenneth Grange: British Modernist

On behalf of everyone at Blueprint, we’d like to wish all our clients and suppliers a very Merry Christmas, and many happy returns for 2013!

This article is an absolute eye-opener and illustrates the challenges faced everyday by a woman with no arms. To help us understand her everyday issues, she has filmed a video of herself getting dressed, one of many challenging aspects of her daily life.

Rather cleverly Tisha uses an aid which she had specifically made to help her. The device comprises of a metal rod with a hook on one end. As effective as the device is; as a designer you already start to think of ways to improve it, prompting questions like “Is the hook the optimum shape? Is it too sharp, in case she misses and contacts with her skin?, Is the metal unpleasantly cold? Does the rod need to be straight, or would it be better if it had been slightly arced at one end? Does the rod need to be cylindrical in cross-section to fit between her toes easier, or would a slightly elliptical cross-section provide better purchase and maneuverability? When using the device, Tisha manipulates the upper part between her chin and collarbone, therefore is the product optimally shaped? And how does she store the device?”

The underlying message here is that there’s an abundance of products just waiting to be developed for a consumer group that is in desperate need of aids and devices just like Tisha’s. Product Design is about making peoples lives easier, through better design and better products, and design for disability is an area which desperately needs such input.

To view Tisha’s video follow the link below!

How a woman with no arms dresses herself, and what assistance can design provide?