"Take the spanner out of Will's hands and give him some felt-tips."
Adrian Childs, New Business Development Manager, MainTrain, Sydney
INTERFLEET NOTE: Between 2002 and 2005 I was working full time as an Industrial Designer for Interfleet, an International Rail Technology Consultancy.
Background: As part of my graduate training scheme with Interfleet I was sent on secondment for three months to a MainTrain depot in Sydney, where I was supposed to learn about train maintenance.
Brief: On a depot placement, I would generally be expected to work shifts, change axels and learn about train maintenance intervals. However, I suggested to the new business development engineer at MainTrain that perhaps my skills would be better suited if I was to get out my felt-tips and propose a mid-life make over for the Tangara double deckers. Fortunately he agreed.
Approach: The Tangara was launched in the 1980’s and back then it's innovative design was described as a modern glass skyscraper on rails. Sadly, this eighty’s icon had dated fast and it was in need of some “flow” medicine. I enhanced the look of the train in line with meeting the stringent Rail Vehicle Accessibility Standards.
Results: The proposal was taken from MainTrain to the head of the State Rail Authority where it was considered by the head of marketing. A year later I was told that it had been put aside for future use.
2004/Interfleet/EWS Train/
“This is fantastic! I’m going to have the treasurer on her next week and the Queen can borrow it too if she likes." Keith Heller, Managing Director, EWS Railways
INTERFLEET NOTE: Between 2002 and 2005 I was working full time as an Industrial Designer for Interfleet, an International Rail Technology Consultancy.
Background: The new managing director of English, Welsh and Scottish Railways (EWS), the largest hauler of commercial goods by rail in the UK required a bespoke train for business use when he was in the UK to entertain clients as they travelled across the entire rail network.
Brief: EWS provided two class 67 locomotives and three carriages to be upgraded to include a conference room, accommodation and dining for six, as well as a cinema and lounge. The Interfleet Industrial design team were asked to design the inside and outsides of the train.
Approach: The design had to take into consideration the existing EWS brand coupled to the expectations of the international jet set. Working within a six month deadline the external livery and interior design was worked up from sketches, through rapid CAD modelling, full scale schematic mock-ups, management of interior material selection, sampling and specification and subsequently the detailed engineering design and turnkey management of the refurbishment.
Results: The project was completed on time and within budget to the delight of the managing director of EWS, Keith Heller. The train can now be seen on the UK mainline from time to time.
2004/ Toniq-R/Channel 4 Documentary/
TONIQ NOTE: Between 2002 and 2005 I was working full time as an Industrial Designer for Interfleet, I was running Toniq in my spare time.
Background: Whilst running Toniq Ltd with business partner Colin Williams, I was always looking for innovative ways to increase the awareness of the Toniq-R outside the traditional kit car market.
Brief: To place the Toniq-R in a position where it was seen by petrol head enthusiasts in their millions.
Approach: Utilising contacts that had been nurtured from two years before at the Birmingham International Motorshow, l set up a documentary that compared the engineering developments of the lightweight sportscar against a new type of Ford Transit Hybrid.
Results: The documentary entitled 'Engineering at the Cutting Edge' was broadcast through Channel 4 to all GCSE students of Engineering and their teachers throughout the UK over a twelve month period. Toniq Ltd also produced a commemorative DVD which was sold to potential clients and given away free with the car to all those who bought one of the production Toniq-R sports cars.
Want to watch Part 1 and Part 2 of the documentary? Click here
2003/Interfleet/London Underground/
“The new common passenger safety signs should help to make a real difference to safety.”
Keith Hutchins, Senior Engineer, Interfleet
INTERFLEET NOTE: Between 2002 and 2005 I was working full time as an Industrial Designer for Interfleet, an International Rail Technology Consultancy.
Background: Angel Trains Operating Company approached Rail Safety and Standards Board, which commissioned Interfleet to carry out work on a range of safety issues including a common system of passenger safety signage. I worked on behalf of Interfleet Industrial Design team to complete the project.
Brief: The first phase of the project was to create a set of symbols. The major consideration was to convey precise meanings with little or no text. The one-hundred signs in the range incorporate scientifically designed symbols and provide instructions for the use of items such as fire extinguishers, emergency exits, passenger communications alarms and emergency window hammers. They will help both passengers and train crews in dealing with emergency situations.
Approach: Testing and evaluation of the symbols included passenger surveys and practical trials using members of the public under mock emergency conditions. The next step was to develop a comprehensive set of guidelines for the design of new signs, using the newly developed symbols.
Results: The next step was to develop a comprehensive set of guidelines for the design of new signs, using the newly developed symbols. These are now available to all train operating companies (TOCs) through the ATOC Engineering extranet, which Interfleet developed and manages for ATOC.
2002/Toniq R Lightweight Sportscar/
Background: Whilst studying for a degree in “Transport Design” at the University of Huddersfield I teamed up with three fellow students for our final year project.
Brief: To design and produce a full size prototype of a lightweight sports car based on a Westfield kit-car chassis.
Approach: The team set about researching the track-day lifestyle phenonomenon and visited many motor bike shows before putting pencil to paper and drawing up over three-hundred concepts. Then we had the daunting task of raising £15k of sponsorship to build their dream machine. We learnt that although no company would give us cash, almost all would donate their services for the good of some students following their dreams. So the RAC transported our prototype around, Westfield gave us a chassis, HMC painted the car for free and Jaguar developed some prototype headlights for us.
Results: Our team was awarded top marks (95%) for our full size prototype. In 2002 we then went on to exhibit it at London New Designers, the Birmingham International Motorshow and at the Donington Performance Car show. Through these shows we met our future business partner, Stuart-Taylor Motorsport, that enabled Colin Williams and I (two of the four students) to continue our dream and turn the car from concept to reality. The other two students went on to become a car journalist and a computer games designer.
2010 
