Snoape // Owner and founder

Creating my brand and the products for it has taught me many valuable skills that university could not. Taking products from ideation to the end user. Starting out with creating a Kickstarter campaign for a snowboarding/skiing vest, learning the ins and outs of manufacturing and dealing with manufacturers and contractual agreements and even claiming for quality not met. Learning about shipping, customs and distribution centres while working full time. Essentially, Snoape is a one man show, however in the end I realised I needed more people on board. Still, the lessons learned were extremely valuable since I did everything myself from filming, graphic design, social media, web design, trademarks and more. To film my first product for sale I received help from friends and for the first order of products I received legal assistance from my partner. I enjoy team work and would like to develop this by working for a company and designing in a cross-functional team environment.

Self-adhesive Cork 

In 2018 I produced cork with an adhesive backing for skateboards as a griptape. The idea was to expand to paddleboards, kayaks, snowsurfboards and the like, but instead the market led the brand in a different direction. Currently the cork sells mostly to those who use it for Jesmonite coasters. Jesmonite is a type of oven baked clay that people can make in their kitchen oven. Later adding cork to either the base or the top of the coaster they get an extra layer of aesthetic and functionality. The cork’s amazing properties make it very versatile and can be used from flooring to thermal insulators on dashboards in vehicles. The reason why customers like my cork is that I have designed it to be very user friendly as a peel and stick application. The cork is thin and dense enough to cut with a pair of scissors whilst maintaining a sense of quality. The customer service aspect that I provide comes from years of hospitality jobs, but is vital in creating repeat customers that leave positive reviews, further providing customer assurance / trust to new shoppers. Although the cork is currently selling, I once again realised I would need someone with marketing experience to take the brand to the next level, especially since the brand pivoted away from adventure and sports. At this current time however, I prefer getting back to what I really enjoy… inventing new designs, finding solutions and prototyping.

Backpacks & Duffels

Making bags is a way for me to relax, and I try to make something new for every trip I take. This gives me a deadline and real world testing of the prototype, and they make great gifts for family and friends. My mind runs free as I try to merge functionality, aesthetics, and innovative ways of using materials to get exciting new outcomes.

Wireless Phone Charging Lamp

Created a wireless charging lamp that held a sentimental narrative for the user. Before wireless phone chargers looked anything more than a plastic disk, there was an assignment at university to create anything you’d like to. Due to my love of lighting and new tech, I decided to build a lamp that incorporated the newly used technology of wireless charging for android devices and make it look like it belongs with the rest of your rustic wooden furniture. However, I was intrigued by something that one of my lecturers was explaining and that was the narrative that you can give products. This narrative or story that you create in your products can be very meaningful to the user, so much so that the user utilises and saves the product longer than they would if the product had no story or sentimentality involved. The idea came to me straight away, and I decided to make the lamp for my mother with her mother’s worn-out old side table. The narrative was strong but there was also another significant outcome, I was reusing material that was destined for the trash and producing another narrative for my mother. One, the timber used lived in my grandmother’s house for 30+ years and my mother grew up using it, and it could be seen in the background of many family photos. Secondly, to my mother it was something new, useful and aesthetically pleasing that her son had made for her.

Outcome: The lamp was showcased in a university exhibition with 3 other students works from other campuses.

Learning outcome: The use of a narrative can be extremely powerful when you thoroughly understand your end user and have the ability to make the product about them. The emotion can transcend the product itself.

Kickstarter Vest

I created a vest that big brands accomplished at the same time. I created a vest for snowboarding, the vest idea was brought to life as a Kickstarter campaign. The campaign had a positive response, although it was not fully funded. Prior to the launch (during the advertising of the pre-release, well established snowboarding brands like Volcom, North Face and Mammut brought out their versions of the vest. The snowboarding/skiing vest led to people contacting me afterwards asking more about the vest and if I was still able to bring it out.

Emergency Services

One firefighter had followed the progress of the Kickstarter vest and asked if I could develop a vest for their firefighting department in Nevada, California. I took up the challenge and taught myself to sew. The vest took the firefighters current belt rig system and incorporated a vest and backpack. This would allow firefighters to maintain their low centre of gravity with the functionality of the vest (easy to reach pockets, water, radio etc.). I increased the functionality of the vest to house a quick release pocket for the fire shelter which reduced current shelter deployment times by 50% (this is lifesaving). Unfortunately, the timing of the vest coincided with the beginning of Covid and my relocation to Sweden. This presented a few obstacles that I unfortunately could not overcome. Limited space and finances whilst becoming a father. I intend to continue with the project as a side project as a donation of my time and for a good cause.

Dog Harness

Dog products worthy of your four legged family members. Designed for comfort and style.

Defence Shelter

 For my last University assignment, a friend and I created a light weight (200 grams), weather proof, compact shelter (tent) that can be fully deployed within 10 seconds. Ideal for extreme situations like military operations and hiking in harsh weather conditions. This idea is one that I would like to develop further for fire fighters as a fire shield. A fire shelter is a fire and heat resistant tarp that is draped over firefighters when they cannot outrun bush fires. It would provide firefighters with a better chance at survival as it would reduce the outer shell touching the users body, reducing heat transfer. Utilising layered shells would create better insulation and last longer in severe conditions.

Concepts & CAD

Some concepts will stay that way for a long time, but when they come to fruition, they will look awesome.