Paul Schmidt is a designer who believes design should benefit people. He introduces himself and explains that good design teaches, liberates, excites, and empowers people. The document then discusses the Rocking Rocket Outdoor Swing designed for the furniture startup Sprout. It provides details on the design process, including research, manufacturing considerations, cost breakdown, and product visualization. The summary concludes by noting the swing is meant to create an engaging space for children to explore.

1. designer
paul schmidt

2. This is me. Paul Schmidt, designer.
Design is valuable as it affects people for the better. Not merely
entertains, not merely distracts.
Teaches. Liberates. Excites. Engages. Empowers. Builds. Encourages.
People are the most important resource. People are the reason I get up
in the morning. There is nothing more wonderful than passionate,
thriving individuals who are using their talents to better the world and
lift those around them.
I design for these people. Individuals, and their friends and family.
And I learn their names.

3. Rocking Rocket Outdoor Swing
Sprout is a Utah-based furniture startup started by recent
mechanical engineering graduate Clark Davis. Sprout’s design
advantage is its patented joint system which allows for toolless
assembly and disassembly.
Designing furniture for Sprout has been an excercise in making
the most of limited resources, paying close attention to how the
minutae of design affects manufacturability and marketability.

4. Inspiration

5. Design Research
The goal with the Rocking Rocket was to create a space
which children would instantly recognize as their own.

6. Design for Manufacture
63”long
Made from 60” wide material
(need to make 3 covers from
2 yards of material)
1.5”loop at both ends
18.5”wide
Seam down the edges
12mm 4x8 BB, outdoor
phenolic glue, white paint $53.28/sheet
Rope--½”white nylon, $0.27/ft x 12 ft $3.24
One12ftchain:3592T18 $1.07/ft $12.84
Two SS caribiners: 31165T22 $3.81 each $7.62
6 Nuts and Bolts $0.20 & $0.05 $1.50
Two20”x½”Dowels (48”x½”) $1.72
Two 20”x3/8”Dowels (48”x3/8”) $0.98
Fabric for top $6.50/top
Sewing time 20 min@$15/hr $5.00
Machine time ~20 min $20
Sanding Kit $1
Assembly time (with hardware) 3 min@$10/hr $0.50
Packaging time 10 min@$10/hr $1.66
Cardboard 14c/sq ft 87”x40” $3.38
V-Board 1.7c/in 4x 3H-8 $0.55
Foam 13c apeice 5 pieces $0.65
Tape 1/2c/ft 8 ft $0.04
Stretch wrap 1/2c/ft 20 ft $0.10
Instructions & Label $0.10
Total $106.11

7. Rocking Rocket
Outdoor Swing
Green - $219.95
Blast off!! Let your children explore the final
frontier with their exciting new space ship! This
baltic birch outdoor swing can carry up to 200 lbs
of “child”-load, and is a perfect getaway for
swinging, reading, or sleeping. For little tikes,
place the Rocking Rocket on the ground, and
enjoy a gentle rocking-chair motion. A remove-
able fabric top keeps the astronauts cool in case
they pass too close to the sun, and an underseat
storage compartment provides a handy place to
store rations for the long voyage. Integrated
handholds allow easy entry and exit, and a
sturdy nylon rope allows setup from a tree or
your own backyard swingset.
Retail Visualization
Rocking Rocket
$219.95 $250.00
Blue Fabric Top

8. Outdoor Lighting Opportunities
My Junior Studio Project was for outdoor equipment brand Black
Diamond, exploring lighting opportunities.
With Black Diamond’s strong culture of skiing and climbing, both
activities I had only sampled once or twice in my lifetime, it was an
excellent opportunity to apply my design methods to unfamiliar territory.

9. Research
Outdoor
Cooking
Multiple items
to keep track
of; fixed light
is more appro-
priate
Back-
packing
Backpackers don’t
use lanterns; they
use their headlamps
for everything
Shadows
Light from a single
source causes hard,
dark shadows; light
from two sources
creates soft, grey
shadows
Bouldering
Propane lanterns
are used most
commonly due
to their greater
brightness than
LED lanterns
Glare
Headlamp
glare is most
common in
c a m p s i t e
settings
Battery
Anxiety
Psychological;
felt when using a
headlamp at full
power although
full power isn’t
needed
“99% of the time,
people just turn on their
headlamp and go, not
bothering to mess with
the power settings.”
-Jeremy, BD Designer

10. Problem Statements
Andrew
How can we
improve the
ergonimic &
cognitive
experience of
headlamps?
Kody
What is a
headlamp that
skiers will enjoy
without the
need to take it
off?
Tanner
How can we
create second-
ary lighting to
reduce dark
shadows while
bouldering?
Brian
How can a
headlamp be
useful indepen-
dent of the
head?
Olivia
How can we create
light where a
headlamp doesn’t
directly shine?
Kevin
How can we
design a headlamp
that people are less
likely to shine in
others eyes?

11. Brian
Native Utahn -- 29 yrs old
Avid backpacker
“What do you do at night
without a campfire?”
“We make do”
Design Specificity
After a phase of broad research, I moved forward focusing
on one of the individuals I had studied, designing a final
solution ideally suited for his needs.
Yellowstone/Teton
Wilderness
Wasatch/Uinta
Mountains Colorado
RockiesSierra
Nevadas
Fire Restrictions
Summer 2012

12. Making Do

13. Vela
• Clips securely to trees, straps, poles, tents,
to create above eye-level light
• Useful when head-mounted lamp is not ideal—
cooking, changing clothes, night games, etc
Velito
• A small, lightweight lamp for use while reading,
using restroom, looking through bag, etc
• Optimizes energy use to the task at hand
• Recharged by Vela Lamp when attached to
headband
A headlamp for when you need more
than just a headlamp.
The Vela and Velito lamps symbiotically
work together to provide for Brian’s
lighting needs while out on the trail.
Vela Velito Lamp
Quick-Release Clip
Vela Lamp
Velito Lamp

14. 1/15
Description: Fatigue Reduction Device
Docket No. :
Inventor: Brian Owens et al
FIG. 1
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106
114
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FIG. 6
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621
3/15
Description: Fatigue Reduction Device
Docket No. :
Inventor: Brian Owens et al
310
304
312
302
306
308
100
Infant Carrier Arm Pad
In 2015, I was asked to validate and refine a concept
invented and patented by a client in preparation for selling
the idea to an established manufacturer.

15. First modification of
V-shape design. Deter-
mined proper geometry
to fit into elbow, proved
symmetry is ideal for
easily switching the
carseat from one arm to
the other.
Strap doesn’t hold
tight—mounting points
are too high. Also,
mounting points are
difficult to manufacture.
First exploration of
U-shape design that
would allow the user to
easily switch arms.
Dimension A too wide.
Dimension B too wide:
puts too much pressure
at Point C. Edge D digs
into arm. Slots E too
low and wide: handle
pinches skin through
slot. Flange F not full
enough to be stable.
Modification of U-shape
design, ideal geometry
for comfort and stability.
Difficult to understand
how to use properly. 2
out of 3 test subjects
wore the carrier in the
wrong position, and
could not figure out the
correct position before
becoming frustrated.
Chopped up version of
1st Mod V-shape design:
removed high mounting
points, drilled out slots.
Symmetry makes switch-
ing arms relatively
painless. No confusion
about positioning. Test
subjects considered it the
most comfortable. Strap
holds securely.
Client’s original vision,
fleshed out into CAD.
Asymmetry unsuitable
for switching arms. Not
wide or deep enough:
slides off arm too easily.
Mounting points are too
high: strap doesn’t hold
securely.
Holding an infant in their carseat at the elbow is the common method, but for heavier
babies (10+ lb), it begins to hurt after ~5 sec. Pillow-type arm pads exist on the market,
but only delay pain for an additional 10 sec. My client’s concept had the potential to
delay pain for twenty minutes.
Form Development
A
E
F
B
C
D
2.8
71
.8
20
5.8
148
76°
1.9
48
3.8
98

16. Aesthetic Development
While the final geometry was remarkably comfortable, it didn’t visually
communicate “comfortable”. Aesthetic development was necessary to create a
look that would appeal to mothers while maintaining manufacturability.

17. Preparation for Sale
T H E M A R K E T
AN UNDERLYING NEED
THREE PATHS, LLC CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY 11/4/15
It is convenient for mothers to carry babies in
their carseat, the seat handle slung over the
mother’s arm, keeping the baby in a safe environ-
ment while still leaving the mother with two free
hands. Doing so, however, is uncomfortable after
a very short time.

18. Floating Log
HappinessMountain Lake
Waterlog Pool Toy
Hiking in the Tetons and Uintas, I’ve enjoyed the delight
of swimming to a floating log in a mountain lake. Inherently unstable,
these natural pool toys are a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

19. Toy Design

20. Waterlog

21. Waterlog
Different from a pool noodle in that it is stiff and unbending,
it is wide enough to be straddled, buoyant enough to carry
multiple individuals, and delightfully unstable.
Pinewood Rod
PVC
Cast Polyethylene Foam

22. paul schmidt paulschmidt.designer@gmail.com 801-419-2198