Freelance product developer
With over 20 years in product development, I know how to turn an idea or concept into reality. My knowledge and experience in design and engineering is applicable beyond my expertise: Dutch mobility.
I believe good industrial product design is functional and efficient. No fluff, but well-made products that are friendly to the planet and are easy to manufacture, build and use.
My Industrial Product Design study in The Hague (Netherlands) taught me to look differently at products. For me it’s fascinating to discover why and how everyday products are made. Looking close enough will even reveal something about the designer and his intent. As a graduate I was generalist, ready to specialize for which there was the obvious one option: bicycles!
I’ve been fortunate enough to work 20+ years at the premier Dutch bicycle brand Santos Bikes. Making designs here is just a small part of the whole process. Seeing your product being made, assembled and get used can be as confronting as satisfying. This is where and how I have mastered Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA). Visit Santos Bikes to learn more about the products I’ve developed there.
My role as Head of Development within VROEGH Design put me among a group of young, highly skilled engineers. My experience was put to the test and proved valuable. The effect of shared & combined knowledge and skills has been invigorating. We’ve been working for big brands such as Swapfiets, Veloretti, Sigo & Cleantron. Visit VROEGH Design to learn more about their expertise.
After a yearlong Cycle trip in South America on a self designed Santos bicycle, I decided to explore freelancing besides (part-time) joining Santos Bikes again. Not to become an entrepreneur or make good money. I’m doing this for the joy of sharing, learning, motivation and better products.
I’ve been cycling since my adolescence. Mountain biking, Racing, Commuting, Bikepacking & Touring. It may come to no surprise that for me the bicycle hits more than one sweet spot.
Bicycles make mobility extremely affordable and therefore available to many.
A human on a bicycle is by far the most efficient mode of transportation.
On a bicycle you're fast enough to explore the world, yet slow enough to fully enjoy it.
The bicycle is (for me) a perfect combination of ergonomy, mechanics & aesthetics
Humans, of all species, are the only ones who can imagine things. All species have a speciality that allows them to survive. I believe that imagination is ours, which is the incentive of creation.
Creations come in many forms, such as art, food, theories and products. As a child I started creating with pencil and paper. Later LEGO became an obvious obsession. Currently in my free time I love to work with wood, either for home construction, furniture or loudspeakers.
You’d think that either if you start or finish your industrial product design study, you’d have some affinity with so-called ‘design’. I didn’t. Nowadays the term is often misused as a marketing term for products that need it to be emphasised.
But over the years I have formed a personal opinion about the definition of design.
For me design is everything and nothing. Good product design is inside and out. It’s all that could be left out. I couldn’t agree more than with Dieter Rams’ principles of good design of which my favorites are:
“Good design is as little design as possible”
“Good design makes a product understandable”
Idea to reality.
Seems easy enough nowadays with a 3D printer on our desks. But if you have an obligation to deliver consistent quality, it’s a different game.
Which materials will you use?
Where can you save material?
How much are you planning to produce?
Which manufacturing techniques are available?
What are the achievable tolerances?
Who is assembling the parts into a product?
How long and under which circumstances should the product last?
How can you minimize points of failure in production, assembly and use?
These are just a few of a long list of ‘floating points’. Each decision affects another.
This puzzle is by far the most important and interesting in the development process.
Shortcuts in this field often come at a price.
You are here for a reason and I'm ready to help.
Below you'll find typical stages of product development in which I feel most comfortable to help you.
Feel free to ask me anything. I'll be honest about my capabilities and fair with my rates.
The sooner a potential risk is assesed, the better. But without applicable experience it's hard to predict what to expect.
A peer review is a proven effective method to prevent or tackle issues.
I'd be happy to lend a second pair of eyes to audit your idea, design or product.
Every product needs form, needs identity and needs functionality.
So, through many years in product development I've learned not only what I (dis)like, but also why.
If you're looking for a design that is:
simple hence timeless, simple and understandable, simple yet very functional, simple but strong...
... we should talk!
You have every right to be daunted the development stage, the first step into reality.
It's a reality check where some dreams may shatter, but actual products come to life.
With extensive experience I can help answering if and how we can solve the many puzzles along this road.
You want to be as sure as possible about your design, before investing into mass production.
With a broad awareness of potentional risks I can help decide what and how to test parts of your design.
Trust me: you don't want to skip this part. Not only because it is great fun.
All is good on the screen. Simulations are promissing and prototypes look good, but mass production is different.
It is crucial to understand the manufacturers' (im)possibilities to get a satisfactional product.
Injection moulding, casting, forging, hydroforming, extrusions etc...
If you need advise on material, techniques, partners...? Ask me.
I love to work and learn, so this could be a win-win.
In fact, I'd be honerd to lend a hand with any project beyond my expertise.
Construction, furniture, loud speakers... I have dipped my toes in these fields, so if you think we could do a project together, please do not hesitate to conatct me.
And, if you're helping me learn something new, obviously my rates will reflect my gratitude for that.