CeeD Scotland Event - 22 September 2022
Innovation is a risky business. Whether you're an existing business or just starting up, it can be costly and time-consuming to launch a new sustainable product or service
As the restrictions lifted, we’ve been keen to bring people to the office and share some of our hard-earned experience and secrets to successful product design. Over the past decade we have been walking the talk where we’ve not only helped large organisations and start-ups navigate the design process successfully, but we also launched our own product on the other side of the world to roaring success despite recent global events.
This experience makes us one of the few that can support and guide disruptive innovation in Scotland.
So, during this event, our Managing Director and Design Director will talk you through the design process and how you can de-risk development. To support the advice, real world examples will be given from multiple industries including consumer goods, agritech, industrial equipment and IoT.
Agenda
- Introductions
- Tour of studio and workshop (where the exciting things happen)
- Refreshments (CAKE!)
- Presentation
- Q&A and opportunity to raise specific challenges
Who is this event for?
This event is perfect for senior engineers, project managers and those who lead innovation.
... Did we mention there will be cake?
Venue
Places are limited so early registration is recommended and the event will take place at our office in Glasgow:
R13, 100 Borron Street, Glasgow, G4 9XG.
To register visit CeeD
Walking the talk #1 - an introduction
Over the past 8 years 4c has been working on a life science venture called Numnuts (case study is under construction). During these 8 years, we have walked the journey that so many of our clients have. From initial trials and research, to commercialisation, production and distribution.
Mapping Innovation using Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)
Our first webinar is based on a common discussion we have with with those who ask for our help with their innovation strategy. It is focused on how we have interpreted Technology Readiness Levels and how we transition between the various TRLs by using the design squiggle by Damien Newman to express how widening the scope at the beginning can reduce time to market and overall cost in the long run.
Key takeaways
- A quick introduction to Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)
- What we believe is the typical journey of innovation
- Suggested uses of gates
- Q&As
Downloads & links
Questions and feedback mark@4cdesign.co.uk
The Design Squiggle link
Covid19 | We're still operational
Dear Clients and Friends,
Following the official advice and evolving Covid19/Coronavirus situation, 4c Design will until further notice, operate a working from home policy.
The health and wellbeing of our people and their families is our number one priority – this move will help protect them while enabling us to maintain our usual service levels across our client base without any foreseen delays.
Our agility and creative communication will take on even greater importance in a time like this. We’re fortunate to be able to offer an uninterrupted service when not all are. It will be our mission to provide even more value to our clients in the weeks and months ahead, so please lean on us and we will navigate these uncertain times together. This is a time for going over and above.
Unfortunately, this does mean we will not be accepting any visitors. We are however contactable and we ask you to call or email our team directly. Our main line will still be available (0141 353 5490).
Wishing good health to you and yours,
Will Mitchell + Team
Why have a workshop?
For most of the team at 4c, the most valuable asset is the workshop. While computer aided design has an important place in the detailed design process, prototyping allows the members of the 4c team to design and test concepts, develop multiple iterations, fast.
Internship 2020
We have been running our internship for many years now and seen designers thrive as they define their professional selves and shape their future careers. We run the internship to not only give valuable education that often fills the gap between university and professional environments and have on occasion, hired the intern.
Our last intern, Andrew has joined us as a product design engineer and below he recaps his experience of the internship
For full details on the internship, including dates, eligibility and information see our careers page.
See our previous interns website here for some background of work they completed and where they are now:
- Michael Aldridge – 2010
- Hannah Jenkins – 2012
- Francesca Stevens – 2013
- Michael Tougher – 2013
- Mark Penver – 2013
- Emily Tulloh – 2014
- Robert Riley – 2015
- Heather Guyan -2016
- Katherine Moriarty – 2016
- Andrew Scholes – 2019
2019 Intern | Andrew Scholes
The 4c Team are delighted to introduce our 2019 intern Andrew. We’re excited to be able to provide the opportunity to expand his skillset, and of course for us to learn a thing or two on the way.
Hi there, my name is Andrew Scholes and I have just completed my first week of my internship at 4c Design. I graduated from the University of Strathclyde this year in Product Design Engineering (MEng) with a Distinction. I would now like to enhance my skills in all areas of the design process, including: sketching, graphic design, CAD, physical prototyping and mechatronics. Outside of work I enjoy mountain biking and rock climbing.
I was drawn towards 4c due to their strong interest and experience in physical prototyping which sets them apart from other product design consultancies. I also believe working with a small design company provides more opportunities in innovation as there is more flexibility for trial and error which is not always possible with larger companies. In working with 4c I am building upon my previous experiences with a another design consultancy, and the makerspace, ‘Zios’.
My first week at 4c has been pretty busy. I have been introduced to my primary project which involves re-purposing a 4c ventures IP into producing potential solutions to aid farmers in vaccinating livestock. I also shadowed a meeting with a client and subsequently produced some preliminary sketches for them.
To be made familiar with the team’s CAD process and their 3D printing capabilities, I also produced a part for modifying their fridge!
It has been really great getting to know everyone on the team and I look forward to 3 months of exciting projects.
Update 31/1/20
After an extended internship, 4c hired Andrew full time as a product design engineer. The decision was an easy one. His attention to detail on engineering challenges was impeccable and he has already made a great addition to the team.
Learn more about his entire internship experience here.
What does effective design mean to ewe?
For 4c, effective design means enabling our clients to achieve business goals they wouldn’t have reached otherwise. Our Barbervax project is a great example: as our client, Dr David Smith says:
“When we started this project we didn’t know if it could be done. 4c have designed practical machines that have enabled the creation of a new international business.”
Barber’s Pole worm is a parasitic nematode that infects the gut of sheep and goats in hot, humid climates. For farmers in such regions an infestation can be economically devastating as these blood-sucking, treatment resistant parasites spread quickly causing anaemia and ultimately death of entire flocks.
After 20 years of research, Dr David Smith’s team of veterinary scientists at Edinburgh’s Moredun Research Institute had developed the first vaccine for the Barber’s Pole worm. Making the vaccine involves grinding up worms taken from the stomachs of dead sheep. Although the process was successful at lab-scale, to be commercially viable a production process and equipment needed to be designed which could operate at the same rate as Australian abattoirs. No equipment capable of the task was available and a bespoke solution was required. We were engaged by Dr Smith to design and build a commercial production system that could scale the harvesting of the worms and bottle the vaccine in a reliable, cost-effective and semi-automated way.
Our design process led to three separate production machines. Invented, developed and built in our workshop, then shipped to our client’s site in Australia where we installed and commissioned the machines. When Barbervax® (the Barber’s Pole worm vaccine) was launched in Australia in 2014 the 300,000 dose production run was a sell-out success. Since then, production has grown rapidly to 2.5m doses in 2017-18, all produced by the machines we designed and built.
Seeing their research make an impact in the real world remains an un-fulfilled dream for many academic researchers. We are proud of enabling Dr Smith to realise his dream of producing Barbervax® at commercial scale and making it available to farmers to protect their sheep and livelihood. Dr Smith and his colleagues at the Moredun Research Institute, have set up a new business, Wormvax, to produce Barbervax®. Wormvax now employ 8 people and have launched the vaccine in Australia and South Africa with other markets planned.
Wormvax are now saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australian sheep, and the livelihoods of Australian farmers. Over 500,000 sheep were protected from the deadly Barber’s Pole parasite last year with production planned to increase year on year. Effective design at work!
But don’t just take our word for it. We’re delighted that this project has been recognised by an independent expert panel of Design Business Association judges and awarded a Design Effectiveness Award. This realises a long-held ambition of 4c’s founder, Robin – so doubly effective design!
Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) in Design and Engineering
Product development is a journey which starts with an idea and ends when the finished product rolls off the production line. It’s never straight forward.Read more