Michael Anthony Gates

I am an enthusiastic and outgoing designer inspired by the way that good design can enhance people’s lives. Having grown up up surrounded by inclusive design, I am driven to develop accessible design solutions.

Final Project

Kokoon

Kokoon is my final year major project. It is an insulated one man tent designed to provide a better nights sleep for solo wilderness camping in the UK through the winter season. Kokoon strives to reduce the compromise that campers are forced to make between comfort and pack weight by providing an all-in-one sleep system that is still lightweight.

Unlike other tents, Kokoon features a completely insulated inner shell. This traps the users body heat throughout the night and utilises this to maintain a warm and comfortable environment in cold weather, making it easy to get a good nights sleep. The inner layer also features a reflective lining on the bottom panel. This works to combat heat loss to the ground, which can happen 3x quicker than heat loss to the air.

In order to ensure that the product is still lightweight enough to transport easily, it has been designed to use only two trekking poles in order to be pitched. This feature allows for both more compact packing, and reduced pack weight as the user will use the trekking poles to support themselves as they walk.

Final proposal

This visual demonstrates the final design proposal in context. The outer shell extends slightly wider at the sides, allowing for a small porch area, ideal for keeping dirty boots dry, and storing items such as food, which can’t get too warm.

Part one pitch video

This video shows my pitch for part one of this project. Whilst still aiming to solve the same issue, my design approach and concept were both significantly different. My initial concept was an insulated pod that sits inside existing tents, still heating the user with trapped body heat.

Journey to the Show

The following images depict my other major project for the year. this was a group project completed in response to an RSA brief. Our brief was based around future facing food habits and how we might promote new relationships with food that are more secure, regenerative and culturally appropriate.

Our solution was Alga; an at-home seaweed growing device designed for UK consumers to integrate seaweed as a part of their regular diet, and to encourage them to give back to the local community by using excess produce to support a local network of community kitchens – in turn working to

increase food security, and combat the growing cost of living crisis. Alga is part of a wider subscription service, including regular servicing, collection of excess produce, replacement seed pods provided. Excess produce provides nutritious meals to the wider community, building on food security.

This project was my final second year project and was based around the concept of ‘digital touch’ – how technology can be used to interact with out physical senses. The ClearScan is an at home Electrocardiogram designed to fit the Phillips brand.

The product utilises the users touch, hearing and sight to create a clear and immersive medical experience. The product features a camera and projector alongside a removable vibrating ECG pad. These work in conjunction with each other to guide the user through an accurate at home ECG.

Despite the main focus of the project being the physical interaction with the user, this product was developed with the intention of reducing the ongoing strain on the NHS, by streamlining the procedures that need to be done within a hospital.

Work Experience

Lewis Moberly

Work experience completed at a branding and packaging firm in Central London. My main responsibilities in this role included the production of physical mock-ups from rough development, through to high-fidelity mock-ups for presentation to clients, and production of 3D CAD models in collaboration with graphic designers to produce visuals for presentation. I was also given the opportunity to gain guidance from graphic designers, giving me new perspective and understanding in this area.

Path

Work experience completed at a branding and packaging firm in London. I was tasked with developing packaging and branding for a square cigarette concept, to be pitched to an existing client, from consumer and brand research, through to CAD and rendering. This opportunity allowed me to develop new skills within graphic design. I also assisted on active projects with real clients, on tasks from ideation through to CAD and rendering.

Nick James Design

A week of work experience completed at a product design firm in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne during which I was the lead designer on a project to develop a one-off donation box for a National Park visitor centre, from ideation through to manufacture. This gave me valuable knowledge of the complete design process. I also gained experience in sourcing materials, packing and distribution, on-site installation and client communications.

Visionary Thinkers

Visionary Creators

Visionary Makers