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Industrial Design Director & Founder

Zach Donohue

At Conficio our team of multi-disciplined product design professionals are on hand to work closely with you to explore your concept and bring your idea to life.

Whether you are looking to develop a product in its entirety, or create a part of something bigger, Conficio are here to help.

From start to finish, our in-house team will ensure your project is closely managed helping you realise your vision. Team Conficio combines a wealth of knowledge, from Engineers and Industrial Designers, to Software, Hardware and Electronics experts. With this unique combination of talent, Conficio are able to keep your project under one roof, reducing the need for any costly or disjointed diversions to achieving your goals.

We’ll work with you on next step idea exploration, through to prototyping, testing, creating the product and even addressing how you will take your concept to market. We pride ourselves on giving your product realization our full attention through its journey, from concept to creation, for best results; high standards and happy clients is what we’re all about!

Key Skills

Technical

Software

Interpersonal

Past Work

Experience

April 2017 - Present

Director & Co-founder

Conficio Product Design

At Conficio our team of multi-disciplined product design professionals are on hand to work closely with you to explore your concept and bring your idea to life.

Whether you are looking to develop a product in its entirety, or create a part of something bigger, Conficio are here to help.

From start to finish, our in-house team will ensure your project is closely managed helping you realise your vision. Team Conficio combines a wealth of knowledge, from Engineers and Industrial Designers, to Software, Hardware and Electronics experts. With this unique combination of talent, Conficio are able to keep your project under one roof, reducing the need for any costly or disjointed diversions to achieving your goals.

We’ll work with you on next step idea exploration, through to prototyping, testing, creating the product and even addressing how you will take your concept to market. We pride ourselves on giving your product realization our full attention through its journey, from concept to creation, for best results; high standards and happy clients is what we’re all about!

Apr 2019 - Present

On-Call Firefighter
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

Retained Firefighter. Over 60% of Dorset and Wiltshire's Firefighters are retained, have you thought about seeing if you live close enough to your closest station? Chances are they will be looking for help.

Want to know more? Visit - www.dwfire.org.uk

Sep 2015 - Apr 2017

New Product Design & Development Engineer

Corintech Ltd.

Corintech was established in the UK in 1977 and offers complete Electronic Product Design and Manufacturing capabilities as well as producing a wide range of Environmental Data Measurement, Monitoring and Logging Devices.

Corintech provide a full turnkey solution for contract Electronic Design and Manufacturing, covering everything from PCB design and assembly to purchasing and full mechanical build.

Corintech seamlessly combines electronic and industrial design to turn clients concepts into completed products, optimised for rapid turnaround in the UK and cost effective high volume manufacture in the Far East.

The FilesThruTheAir™ environmental monitoring range includes wireless and stand-alone data logging sensors, with PC or remote Cloud management, for use in a wide variety of industrial, commercial and domestic applications.Corintech was established in the UK in 1977 and offers complete Electronic Product Design and Manufacturing capabilities as well as producing a wide range of Environmental Data Measurement, Monitoring and Logging Devices. Corintech provide a full turnkey solution for contract Electronic Design and Manufacturing, covering everything from PCB design and assembly to purchasing and full mechanical build. Corintech seamlessly combines electronic and industrial design to turn clients concepts into completed products, optimised for rapid turnaround in the UK and cost effective high volume manufacture in the Far East. The FilesThruTheAir™ environmental monitoring range includes wireless and stand-alone data logging sensors, with PC or remote Cloud management, for use in a wide variety of industrial, commercial and domestic applications.

 

Aug 2013 - Sep 2015

Senior Industrial Design Engineer

Corintech Ltd.

Comprehensive electronic and industrial design from concept through to manufacture. Expertise in implementing touch-screen technology and WiFi connectivity.
Designs optimised for rapid turnaround in the UK or cost effective high volume manufacture in the Far East.Comprehensive electronic and industrial design from concept through to manufacture. Expertise in implementing touch-screen technology and WiFi connectivity. Designs optimised for rapid turnaround in the UK or cost effective high volume manufacture in the Far East.

Apr 2012 - Jul 2013

Product Designer

Innovate Product Design

Developed client’s original ideas and concepts through to fully working prototypes. This process entailed; establishing a design specification from client meetings, research into appropriate technology, proposing technical solutions, team brainstorms to identify alternative solutions, concept sketching and product development using Solidworks. To finalise each project I would create a written report and portfolio using Photoshop and InDesign, and then lead a handover meeting with the clients. Test rigs and prototypes were created to define product deficiencies so that further refinement of mechanisms could be considered. Projects include consumer electronics, medical devices, home appliances and fitness products.

• Managing the in-house rapid prototype capabilities and organising it’s schedule.
• Market and competitor research into products and emerging technologies.
• Liaising with RP companies and sourcing different materials for prototypes.
• Working closely with client managers and leading client facing meetingsDeveloped client’s original ideas and concepts through to fully working prototypes. This process entailed; establishing a design specification from client meetings, research into appropriate technology, proposing technical solutions, team brainstorms to identify alternative solutions, concept sketching and product development using Solidworks. To finalise each project I would create a written report and portfolio using Photoshop and InDesign, and then lead a handover meeting with the clients. Test rigs and prototypes were created to define product deficiencies so that further refinement of mechanisms could be considered. Projects include consumer electronics, medical devices, home appliances and fitness products. • Managing the in-house rapid prototype capabilities and organising it’s schedule. • Market and competitor research into products and emerging technologies. • Liaising with RP companies and sourcing different materials for prototypes. • Working closely with client managers and leading client facing meetings.

Sep 2006 - Sep 2007

Product Design Engineer

Dyson Ltd.

My time with Dyson as a Product Design Engineer was invaluable in gaining a holistic view of the entire design process and manufacture, from initial concept generation to fully working prototypes and final engineering drawings. I worked closely with different R&D engineering teams to produce a broad range of world leading products utilising Dyson’s state of the art software, in-house rapid prototyping equipment and test facilities. Dyson’s hands-on approach to creating prototypes and test rigs gave me a great opportunity to switch daily from CAD models to the workshop, testing small refinements before updating the CAD model.

Two products that I was extensively involved in during my time at Dyson are currently on the market, they are the DC24 upright vacuum cleaner and a combi floor care tool, which is used across the current generation of handheld, upright and cylinder vacuum cleaners. I had ownership of several assemblies and experienced this entire end-to-end product design process whilst developing the combination tool, initially identifying the problem and then developing this concept through to final engineering drawings. To finish, an extensive transfer of knowledge report was written and sent along with the 2D drawings to the manufacturers in Malaysia. This explicit communication was important to ensure smooth and accurate handover was achieved.

• Released products I worked on include the DC24 and the current generation of floorcare combi tools.

• 2D technical drawing / drafting & tolerance stacks. (01 and TS drawings have been issued)

• Market research into existing Japanese products and identifying competitor technologies.

• Detailed design development of the handle assembly, including FEA and tolerance analysis.

• Material selection of both assemblies, the handle with three parts and the combi tool with two parts.

• Knowledge of design for assembly, volume manufacture, injection moulding and tooling limitations.My time with Dyson as a Product Design Engineer was invaluable in gaining a holistic view of the entire design process and manufacture, from initial concept generation to fully working prototypes and final engineering drawings. I worked closely with different R&D engineering teams to produce a broad range of world leading products utilising Dyson’s state of the art software, in-house rapid prototyping equipment and test facilities. Dyson’s hands-on approach to creating prototypes and test rigs gave me a great opportunity to switch daily from CAD models to the workshop, testing small refinements before updating the CAD model. Two products that I was extensively involved in during my time at Dyson are currently on the market, they are the DC24 upright vacuum cleaner and a combi floor care tool, which is used across the current generation of handheld, upright and cylinder vacuum cleaners. I had ownership of several assemblies and experienced this entire end-to-end product design process whilst developing the combination tool, initially identifying the problem and then developing this concept through to final engineering drawings. To finish, an extensive transfer of knowledge report was written and sent along with the 2D drawings to the manufacturers in Malaysia. This explicit communication was important to ensure smooth and accurate handover was achieved. • Released products I worked on include the DC24 and the current generation of floorcare combi tools. • 2D technical drawing / drafting & tolerance stacks. (01 and TS drawings have been issued) • Market research into existing Japanese products and identifying competitor technologies. • Detailed design development of the handle assembly, including FEA and tolerance analysis. • Material selection of both assemblies, the handle with three parts and the combi tool with two parts. • Knowledge of design for assembly, volume manufacture, injection moulding and tooling limitations.

Learning

Education

2004 - 2008

Bournemouth University

BSc (Hons), Product Design

Activities and societies: President of the Bournemouth University Table Tennis team.Activities and societies: President of the Bournemouth University Table Tennis team.
This holistic course taught me to design and develop well-considered and potentially commercial products, particularly focusing on the technological aspect of design. Our final year product had to be aesthetic and a fully functional working prototype combined.

My final project ‘Aqualife’ provides third world countries and disaster stricken areas with an innovative way of obtaining clean, safe drinking water. The key features of the product are, ease of use, very cheap to maintain, serviceable with only a knife and perishable parts, which could be replaced with local materials.

- Submitted a patent application for ‘Aqualife’ no: GB0811460.5.

Modules covered;
Applied Mechanics, Advanced Technology and Electronics, Material Science & Manufacturing, Computer Aided Design & Rapid Prototyping, Business Commercialisation, Prototype Model Making & Workshop Skills, Product Development Projects and User Centered Design.

Don't Just take my word for it

Recommendations

Certifications

Issued May 2020

CSWA - SolidWorks Certified Associate

Dassault Systèmes

Issued May 2020

CSWP - SolidWorks Certified Professional

Dassault Systèmes

Issued 2011

ACA (Adobe Certified Associate) in Adobe Photoshop

Adobe

Outside of work

Interests & Hobbies

Photography

Technology

OnCall Firefighter

Gardening

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Jon Reece

System Architect

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Lee Wade

Hardware Engineer

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Neil Clarke

Software Engineer

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