As a product designer, I led the design of the adjustable modular mounting system for a market-ready product where cost, manufacturability, and durability were critical. I first proposed CNC-machined aluminum for the fishing rod mounting claws, but after discussions with the manufacturer revealed it would cost nearly 30 times more than injection molding, I refined the design to remain strong, simple, and production-ready for molding. The system went through extensive 3D-printed prototyping, with hundreds of small adjustments and about ten major form changes before reaching its final version. Through this process, I gained hands-on experience in design for production and learned how molding constraints such as geometry distortion and directional flow shape what is feasible in mass manufacturing.

I also designed and refined the black cone located on top of the Kraken Pro, which serves as an electronics enclosure. Constructed from ABS-GF for strength and durability, this cone integrates a custom-designed PCB, three 18650 batteries, and built-in wiring guides. Since the parts were produced on four 3D printers rather than injection-molded, I had to carefully balance material cost, structural strength, assembly convenience, weight, and most importantly production time. By optimizing the internal structure and supports, I reduced the printing time from 14 hours to 9 hours, achieving over a 35% improvement in efficiency. This project taught me the importance of design-for-production trade-offs in rapid prototyping and how thoughtful structural optimization can directly translate into faster, more efficient manufacturing workflows.