1st ATL Hardware Meetup @ Fourth Ward Tower 2 | IDSA Atlanta
We're so excited to be a part of Atlanta Design Festival and co-host the very 1st Atlanta Hardware Meetup with our friends from IDSA Atlanta!
We have an awesome panel discussion planned for the evening where we'll explore how emerging, affordable small-scale manufacturing technologies are transforming the industry. Learn how these innovations allow businesses to produce products at various scales, making their operations more nimble and efficient. Discover how this flexibility supports quicker iterations and more responsive product cycles, empowering local talent to bring high-quality, adaptable products to market right here in Atlanta.
JP Kiernan-Lewis is a product design engineer at PolarPro, where he builds innovative tools for photographers and videographers. He also founded Artifactual, a design studio specializing in consumer product development and small-scale manufacturing. With over 70 products taken from concept to mass production, JP focuses on creating functional, beautiful, and impactful designs.
Derek McCurry is the owner of Stubby Nozzle Co., a small business located in Brookhaven, GA, that designs, manufactures, and sells car care products using the power of 3D printing. Derek spent the first 10 years of his career marketing advanced manufacturing technologies like automation, robotics, and additive manufacturing at Siemens and HP Inc. before starting his own business. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, tennis, pickleball, wakeboarding, skiing, and Onewheeling with his 2-year-old son.
Ben Gould is an accomplished designer in the toy industry, and the newest team member at Kickr Design. Most of his work has been in mass-manufactured consumer goods, but he has also explored bespoke fashion for film and editorial under his co-owned label, Dawnamatrix. His further passion for BBQ has led to multiple smokers and pits assembled from scrap steel into functional dragon-shaped cookers, and most recently a trailer mounted 6' rotisserie.
Stephen Chininis, IDSA is a Professor of Practice in the School of Industrial Design at Georgia Tech and Principal of Chininis Design. His specialty is in integrating invention and innovation into the process of product design development. He infuses the entrepreneurial spirit into both the work he does, and the design studios he teaches. For many years, Steve has taught a course at Georgia Tech that challenges students to design and manufacture a product, and then make 10 of them to sell at an event called MAKE 10 Marketplace.
Agenda
6:00-7:00pm: Arrive, mingle, grab some food and a beverage
7:00-7:10pm: Opening remarks
7:10-8:15pm: Panel + Q&A with the audience
8:15-9:00pm: Mix + mingle.
Thanks to our partnering organizations:
Atlanta Design Festival is a platform to celebrate, convene, & connect creative industries. The festival invites the brightest creative leaders and organizations to host installations, exhibitions, design and architecture tours, film screenings, conference panels and more, to showcase Atlanta as a global powerhouse and innovator of ideas.
Steadfast Design Co. is an Atlanta-based product development team dedicated to bringing your ideas to life. With over 20 years of experience in both corporate and startup environments, founders Nathan and David offer a unique blend of skills to meet your product development needs. They offer everything from innovation roadmapping and proof-of-concept creation to mechanical design and mass production. Whether you need to augment your existing team or seek a full-fledged product development partner, Steadfast Design Co. is here to help. Contact them at info@steadfastdesignco.com.
The IDSA Atlanta (ATL) Chapter serves the networking and professional development needs of industrial designers in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas including Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Some of the activities and events that the Atlanta Chapter has produced include lectures, studio tours, and collaborations with other professional design organizations. In 1993 and 2017, Atlanta was the site of IDSA’s International Design Conference and Education Symposium which brought together designers from around the world for design dialogue and discourse.
informal is a freelance collective for the best independent professionals in hardware and manufacturing. Whether a client is looking for a single contractor, a full time employee, or an entire team of professionals to work on everything from product development to go-to-market, informal has the right collection of people for the job. With projects as varied as 3D printers to electric vehicles, informal members work with companies at every scale to design, manufacture, and ship physical products.
If you want to help support the next meetup, please reach out to nate@informal.cc for sponsorship inquiries. See you soon!