Bill

Stephens

industrial design

new product development

design process management

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25 years helping visualize the future.

Hundreds of functionally, aesthetically, and commercially successful products.

Passionate about advancing the state of the art, balancing creative innovation with real world experience.

Please scroll down to review projects, experience, and qualifications.

Experience

25 years of new product development. 19 years consulting, 6 years in-house. Expertise in 3D CAD sculpting and designing for manufacture.

Markets include consumer goods, electronics, housewares, hardware, medical devices, industrial goods, surgical instruments, and transportation.

Specialization in sports and fitness equipment, outdoor products, and bicycles, utilizing advanced computer software and carbon composites.

Experience

Expertise

Personally designed products for over 150 brands. Product design, project management, and liaison to engineering and manufacture. Product development workflows for multidisciplinary teams involving market & product research, various design resources, multiple engineering disciplines, rapid prototyping, and design for manufacture.

Software

Fluent in advanced surface modeling and concept visualization in 2D and 3D. Expertise in class-A surfacing with Alias Studio; experience blending

sculptural surface models (Alias) with engineering team's CAD (Solidworks) to create complex assemblies not possible with either tool alone.

Software

Process

Developed and continually refine a three-part research methodology designed to identify specific opportunities for breakthrough innovation.

Example - the Waterpik Flosser's innovative ergonomic solution quadrupled first year sales estimates and is still selling 15 years after its introduction.

Phase 0 | Research

Product, Market, & User Research

Team Selection and Roles

Ergonomic Study / Baseline Matrix

Competitive Product Matrix

Engineering Performance Specification

Stakeholder Expectations

Phase 1 | Concept Generation

Brainstorm + Ideation

2D Concept Generation

Ergonomic Baseline

Feature Identification

Form Development

Initial Team Assessment

Phase 3 | Refinement

Form & Aesthetic Finalization

Engineering Partnership

Design for Manufacture

Prototype Development / Review

Photorealistic Marketing Imagery

3D CAD Finalization and Export

Phase 2 | 3D Development

3D CAD Form Development

Material & Process Selection

Engineering Collaboration

Mechanical Development

Finish / Aesthetic Studies

Team Review and Approval

Management

Experience managing product development timelines, budgets, and resources from concept to production. Management of both internal and

external resources for research, design, engineering, and prototyping. Liaison to sales & marketing, procurement, and manufacturing entities.

Range

Experience with product development teams from multinational corporations (developed soft goods technology on Nike campus) to venture capital

startups (Kickstarter's record breaking luggage introduction Trunkster). Personal experience with domestic and overseas manufacturing protocols.

Accolades

Named on 20 patents and 10 international design awards including an IDEA award, two Medical Design Excellence Awards, two Consumer Electronics Show awards including Best of CES, and 4 Eurobike Gold Awards. Niner Air 9 named one of the 25 most important bikes ever designed by MBA.

Accolades

Materials & Processes

Experience with most plastics and molding technologies (injection, blow, roto, gas-assist, vacuum), most metals and metal processes including hydroforming

and thixoformed magnesium, composites, fiberglass, sewn goods, and multiple rapid prototyping technologies. Specialization in carbon fiber composites.

Clients & Brands

Some of the 150+ brands for which millions of dollars of product has been personally designed in 25 years:

Clients

Airstream logo

Black and Decker logo

Briggs + Riley logo

Camelbak logo

Cannondale logo

Case Logic logo

Coleman logo

Gaiam logo

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Personal

Avid triathlete, cyclist, and marathoner. Extensive world travel - 36 countries, including charitable work in Southeast Asia. Strong belief in passionate creativity,

personal integrity, and being easy to work with. Dedicated to leading with positivity, attention to detail, and a commitment to excellence.

Career

Partner, Studio West Concepts LLC, Boulder, CO 2007 - present

Consultant, Raytrace Industrial Design LLC, Boulder, CO 2002 - 2007

Director of Design, Volan Design LLC, Boulder, CO 1996 - 2002

Industrial Designer, Evenflo / Gerry Baby Products, Denver, CO 1991 - 1996

Bachelor of Science, Industrial Design, University of Cincinnati, featuring co-ops with Fitch and IDEO

Portfolios

Portfolio | Sport + Fitness

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Portfolio | Consumer + Medical

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Portfolio | Cycling

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Portfolio | Graphics + Visuals

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Contact