The visuals for hand and power tools has come a long way. Black and white catalog shots are gone, replaced with images that provide a deeper look into the aesthetics and function of a tool. In one of the industries with the fastest product development cycles, we talk with a team that adapts to technologies and processes that keep them steaming ahead. Stanley Black & Decker design team tells us about their inspiration, their advantage and how they use KeyShot to jump start the development process.
Website: stanleyblackanddecker.com
What inspires your design team?
“We have an internal server running a WordPress site that everyone globally can use to contribute images. Overall, most agree Rob Schoch’s posts on the inspiration wall are the best.”
What are some career highlights?
“We have the unique opportunity to impact some of the leading brands in the industry. This team is exceptional at leveraging one another’s talents to create inspiring results and cohesive design languages, despite dealing with numerous outside pressures.”
What would you say is unique about the design process at Stanley Black & Decker?
“We use a lot of unique tools to enable us to move to a refined ergonomic and aesthetic result as quickly as possible; including a few tools we have developed ourselves. As a team we are proactive about trying out new technologies and tools that help us stay ahead in a very competitive environment. We have been able to adapt to technological advances as well as design trends and have found ways to use it all to our advantage.”
How has KeyShot helped save time, money or improve quality?
“KeyShot has allowed us to jump start our development process by bringing ideas to life early in the process. As we’ve grown this capability, it has allowed our team to offer our business better results at a significant financial cost savings.”
What has been your favorite project?
“The next project is always the most exciting, especially if it involves new technology and something unknown, ready to discover. Some of our favorite projects are still in the works, but KeyShot is helping us bring them to life.”
What is one piece of advice you would pass along to someone interested in work on the Stanley Black & Decker design team?
“Sketch, Model, Build. Always look forward.”
Team: Rob Schoch, Dave Miller, Jim Tirone, Tylan Tschopp, Joe Cooper, Trevor Timson, Mike Walstrum, Don Vetter, Anton Schmid and Jason Busschaert.
