Luxxbox
2023 - Ongoing
Employment
Luxxbox is an internationally recognised and award winning design studio based in Brisbane and California. Luxxbox designs and manufactures acoustic lighting and flexible solutions for commercial spaces. From sound-absorbing pendant lights to playful and functional pops of colour, Luxxbox products go beyond the traditional, reinventing the everyday into interpretations of practical furniture and lighting. Headquartered in Australia and with their factory located in Northern California,
I am currently a Junior Product Designer at Luxxbox, having started work in August 2023.
I have been the primary Product Designer since I began in 2023. Working at Luxxbox has been an incredibly enjoyable, challenging and formative experience for me as a young designer. I have had far greater opportunities to develop my skills, solve problems, adapt to new responsibilities and work autonomously.
My responsibilities at Luxxbox include:
Modelling and maintaining parametric models of the Luxxbox catalogue
Developing and prototyping new products, including sheet metal design
Redesigning, revising and improving existing products
Creating and maintaining product spec sheets, BOMs and exploded drawings
Creating product renders
Packaging design
Creating installation instructions and graphics
Programming and operating CNC Laser Cutter and Press Brake for prototyping
Product and part documentation
Supplier communication and resource creation
QA of manufactured parts
Project Highlights
Birdcage
The Birdcage Suite has been my favourite products to design, being constrained to limited material types forced me to think creatively and employ unique and innovative design techniques.
I was tasked to completely redesign Luxxbox’s already successful Birdcage Mk1 from the ground up. Other than it needing maintain most of its aesthetics, I had complete autonomy to create the Birdcage Mk2.
I managed to eliminate all visible metal structures by using multiple interlocking connections in our recycled PET sheets. This meant the minimal remaining aluminium could be left raw, saving production from the expenditure of powder-coating.
Unlike the Mk1, this design can be shipped completely flat and unassembled, and can be assembled in under 5 minutes.
Kurtain
The Kurtain Suite was an interesting exercise in letting the design serving the material, rather than the material serving the design. Allowing the fabric itself to be the focal point was an interesting approach, forcing me to change my thinking
I took the design lead for the initial concepts, then collaborated with an Upholstery Designer for further development.
Despite only being released in April 2024, Kurtain has already gained international recognition, it took centre stage in Luxxbox’s display at NeoCon, Chicago 2024. Kurtain was selected in Design Milk’s "Cut Through the Noise With Our 2024 NeoCon Editors' Picks."
Metropolis Magazine featured the Kurtain acoustic pendant in their "Design The Future: Products 2024" issue. Their "Your Brain on Color" explored the fascinating link between colour and neuroscience, reminding us that the products and colours we choose don't just reflect style, they shape our moods, memories, and well-being.
Vapor Echo Cylinder
The Vapor Echo Cylinder Mk2 Suite were some of the first products I took the lead on designing at Luxxbox. It was an excellent learning experience as I started to develop an understanding of our chosen materials’ unique strengths and attributes. The experienced gained from developing this product gave my the knowledge and technique to succeed and to continue developing innovative products
Vapor Echo Rectilinear
The Vapor Echo Rectilinear Mk2 was another example of being given complete autonomy to design, as long as the aesthetics remained the same. This was an interesting challenge in designing a new suite with minimal unique parts and maximum compatibility across its sizes. This forced me to take a wider perspective and plan my approach before diving head first into design.
My design did away with any need for painted/powder coated metal and reduced total metal components significantly. It can be shipped flat pack and is easily serviceable.
