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Tc Nexus Tie Clip by Trevor D. Hirschi |
Home > Winners > Design #66275 >Interview |
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FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
TH: In essence, the TC Nexus is a mechanical tie clip for fine dress for men. While standard tie clips may appear to be mechanical, they the lack the same self-contained mechanism that snaps and clamps to a tie and dress shirt without a separate coil-type spring. The TC Nexus is the spring. My main idea was always to utilize a type of simple yet sophisticated mechanism to operate a set of clamping jaws in an industrial but fashionable manner. The inspiration came from my experience designing, engineering, and manufacturing a series of openable titanium wedding rings for men that I eventually sold the rights to.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
TH: I’ve had the idea for this product in my head for years and when the inspiration of the “how” finally came to me, I knew it would need to be aesthetically pleasing in how the mechanism fit together. My initial sketches were focused on different patterns, finishes, and other superfluous aspects that all seemed to vanish once I knew how the mechanism would operate and in turn, what that would look like in its simple but advanced visual representation. The mechanism itself stands out from the crowd unlike any other comparable product. My preliminary goal was to create a product that was truly innovative in a class that has had little change since its inception.
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
TH: As an artist, I believe in limited quantities of my work and as a part-time or hobbyist creator and designer, I tire of repetition, especially when I am the only one doing all the work to create my products. It is said that all good things must come to an end, and so I serial number my products as a limited edition production run. I felt this design was promising enough to warrant a larger run, but once the fiftieth TC Nexus is sold, they are done. In the past, when popularity has dictated the return of a product is beneficial, I’ve considered it, but something substantial must change so as to not affect the value or rarity of the first edition.
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
TH: As I’ve mentioned previously, I had the idea for this product for years, but it was only just recently that I was inspired to know how I would accomplish my goals. In the begging of January of 2018 that inspiration came, and after several 3D printed prototypes and different revisions, I finally had the product I wanted on my Sunday Best by mid-February. It was quite fast for an entire product development timeline.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
TH: It was really just what I was inspired to do. I knew I liked the results in the CAD software and once I find something that I really like, I tend to stick with it without much deviance from what I have before me. Few things dissuaded me to alter the design because it was so simple and beautiful. This was only ever commissioned to me by myself. I had to other motivation than I needed this design realized as a product I could use myself.
FS: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
TH: Artists enjoy working with those that appreciate their work and one of the beauties of being a one-man-band is that I get to work directly with my customers. I brainstorm the ideas, I sketch them out, I model the design in CAD software, I 3D print and prototype the parts, I machine, assemble, and finish the components, and I ship them myself. In a world of large corporations and big businesses, those that are small typically get trampled, but that fact just makes those that struggle through and make it, worth all the more.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
TH: Being a machinist, I’ve worked in rough environments with heavy tooling and equipment, but because of the need to balance blue collar and white collar, I enjoy opportunities to dress well and think. This product was simply and accessory that I wanted to accompany a suit and tie for special occasions.
FS: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
TH: No, this was done entirely by myself, from the very first idea that I needed to make my own tie clip, to wearing for the first time, it was all done by myself. Not a single process was done by anyone else.
FS: Who is the target customer for his design?
TH: The TC Nexus is a limited edition product that is unlike anything in its class. There are no other mechanical CNC machined tie clips out there, and as such, this product warrants a price tag that may not be affordable or justifiable by some. I’m targeting men with fine taste that want a fine dress accessory that won’t be around for very long.
FS: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
TH: I did a lot of research to find anything similar in design, material, engineering, or manufacturing to my idea for the TC Nexus, and I could not find a single product with the same qualities I had in mind for my design. The TC Nexus is the first ever over-center-mechanism based, CNC machined titanium tie clip, a pioneer in its class.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
TH: The dictionary defines Nexus as a connection or series of connections linking two or more things. My tie clip is an assembly of multiple components linked together with precision ground and machined stainless steel pins, a literal Tie Clip Nexus, or TC Nexus for short.
FS: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
TH: I always start with the most basic of design tools — simple sketches on my iPhone or iPad, and then move on to more advanced tools — CAD programs such as SolidWorks or Fusion 360.
FS: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
TH: Even though I couldn’t find another CNC machined tie clip out there, the more distinctive and unique characteristic of the TC Nexus is its over-center-mechanism. Unlike other tie clips that require a separate, roll-formed internal spring, the entire body of the TC Nexus is the spring, but is completely fluid whether open or closed, until a tie is placed between its jaws.
FS: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
TH: This project was completely undertaken by myself, from idea, to design, to manufacturing. I was the only one that worked on this product, with absolutely no external help.
FS: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
TH: CNC machining was a key feature utilized to realize this design, which incorporates highly advanced, state-of-the-art software for calculations of geometry as well as the calculated control and directions of tool-paths in the machine that carve and shape the raw billet titanium. Technology is heavily laced throughout this product.
FS: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
TH: Being a very small start-up business, I am usually limited in my capabilities in one field or another. Marketing research is one of those areas I am limited in, and all research was conducted on a simple basis of searching for similar designs or products, but this was the most needed and therefore most extensive research I made for this design.
FS: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
TH: One of the challenges I encountered during the development of this product was in orienting the mechanism under the face in such a way that it did not extend too far off the edge of a tie when placed in its functional position, while maintaining an adequately slim profile. At the same time, the mechanism’s clamping pressure is based off a variable value and, after much deliberation, required settling for an average to accommodate the majority of the variation.
FS: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
TH: I follow a number of design blogs and websites and one of these advertised the benefits of winning an international design competition for those that aren’t largely known or well established companies or designers. Being a one-man-band from a small quiet town who started a small business as a part-time endeavor and hobby, this impressed me to submit and nominate a recently finished design, my TC Nexus.
FS: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
TH: I experimented and researched some new techniques of finishing, engraving, and anodizing for this design that will help me in future designs. I now know what will and won’t work for my vision of highlighting very small features on parts to provide operational instruction without providing textual information in a small package.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
TH: I learned a great deal in preparing this product for a design competition. The design challenged me to focus on aspects and features that I typically take for granted when designing something for myself that consumers will never see, and that forced me to think more frequently in terms of manufacturability, consumer friendliness, and ease of use.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A' Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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