In 2015, I began teaching my students how to make electric guitars using digital fabrication tools. Credits: Ashley Shelton, Haley Fetter-Crouch, Gunter Jones, Jacob Crawford, Elliott Yohn, and Navdap Singh.
Before making their guitars, I had the 2015 class design and make cigar box guitarts using CNC & Laser Cutting processes. This let them learn and practice the skills they would later use in making their guitars.
Drew Buffkin, Jacob Crawford, Brenton Hilbig, Jack Hoard, Michael McCulley, Ian Ward, Alex Guinn, Rebekah Winegarner, Laura Blake
In 2018, our electric guitars were more complex in design, and more challenging to model in SolidWorks. Finishes were brought to a higher level. Designers participating: Max Gender, Thomas Nieman, Sarah Irby. Allison Langford, Courtney Leonard, Ryan Mayberry, Grant Stoppel, and Jansen Wooton
In 2018, I decided to have our students design and build ukuleles befor they went on to design and build their guitars. Once again, it was a way to learn to build a 3D SolidWorks model in a very detailed and precise way, so that every part will fit together perfectly.
I teach a course in footwear design. The course is structured to introduce a very specific skillset and process that is typical in the demanding world of footwear design. An intensive series of exercised to ramp up skills in research, sketching, illustrator and photoshop prepares us for industry sponsored projects with design professionals at Timberland, Adidas, New Balance, and others. Projects emphasize market empathy, innovation, and storytelling. I'm showing examples of work from some our projects with Columbia/Montrail. Designers: Emilie Gavillet, Avryl Johnson, Luke Sabus, Caleb Meadows, Erika Lobo, and Julia Gronewold.
Erika Lobo, Emilie Gavillet, Julia Gronewold, Aaron Angeles, Tori Karlin, Michelle Kokes, Ali Benz, Connor Bost
Michelle Kokes, Jon McElwee, Aaron Angeles, Julia Gronewold, Dagne Hammond, Ben Wellwood
In 2021-22, I worked with Emilie Gavillet to experiment with making shoes, bags, and garments from upcycled sports equipment. Emily is the goalkeeper for our KU Soccer team, and could not bear to see old gloves, jerseys, bags, and footwear simply thrown away. The shoe soles were "harvested" from discarded sneakers
In 2021-22, I worked with Emilie Gavillet to experiment with making shoes, bags, and garments from upcycled sports equipment. The bucket hat was made from a worn-out Fjällräven Kånken Backpack.
The vest is made from worn out Soccer Jerseys, and the bags are upcycled from variouss team bags and equipment.