Peter J Ford
14, Wales Terrace, Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancs. BB4 9ST
Tel 01706 226456
Email Pahford@compnet.co.uk

Personal Information
Date of Birth: 20.01.66
Nationality: British
Status: Married

Education

1977-1985 Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School

9 ‘O’ Levels3 ‘A’ Levels: Engineering (B); Technical Drawing (C); Woodwork (C)

1985-1988 Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic BA (Hons) 3D Design

1991-1992 Leeds Polytechnic PGCE Technology (Q-rated)

1997-1999 Manchester Metropolitan University MA Industrial Design

Work Experience

1997- Design consultant Working as the product designer in a new product development team through Business Link for a private client

1992- Oldham Sixth Form College Tutor in Charge of Design Technology. Delivery of ‘A’ level. ‘AS’ Level and GCSE Design Technology, and GNVQ Art and Design advanced and intermediate. Other responsibilities include staff management, costing and ordering of equipment and materials, development planning, and course marketing.

1988-1991 Brookes Studio, Bacup Designing and manufacturing bespoke furniture, business decisions, marketing, design costing, ordering of equipment and materials, subcontracting, exhibition organisation.

Other Skills/ Experiences
· Currently studying MA Industrial Design
· Currently studying NVQ level 4 course in management
· Completed training course entitled - Managing People and Improvement
· Attended BTEC training day for GNVQ Engineering
· Completed training course for Single Pitch Rock Supervisor
· Completed training course for MLTB mountain leader

Interests/Hobbies
· Outdoor Activities: rock climbing mountaineering and mountain biking
· Photography
· Music, Jazz - Saxophone

Employment history
For the last 5 years I have worked as a Design Tutor at Oldham Sixth Form College where I have been able to work on a great many advanced level projects. This has given me a very broad based approach to design and problem solving. In any one day I may work on up to 20 differing projects in both a consultative and problem solving mode. This has given me the ability to be able to work on many differing design problems and solutions in parallel with one another.

I am also working for a private client as part of a new product development team involved in developing the clients initial brief through to a successful marketable product . This is valuable experience in total product development involving product design, market analysis, sales and manufacture.

I am familiar with many manufacturing processes in industry such as injection moulding, blow moulding, extrusion, forging, casting and how they can be best used in a design solution. Also, I am a very capable in the design to prototype area being comfortable and familiar with many machine tools and modelling techniques from centre lathes, milling machines, mig welding, woodworking machinery and vacuum forming. I have the skills to take ideas from the drawing board into a fully working prototype for product evaluation, testing and refinement.

I have worked for three and a half years as a furniture designer working on bespoke designs for individual clients. I have experience in running a business first hand as I was involved in all important decisions. I have experience of marketing, exhibition organisation, design costing, materials and stock buying, client relations and manufacturing.

I have excellent communication skills and management experience through being a Head of Department at the Sixth Form college. I manage a team responsible for running the department and have completed two units of the NVQ Management qualification. I work well as both an individual and as a part of a team. I communicate well both verbally and graphically as an everyday part of my job.

In addition to this I have a lot of experience using computers on both Mac and PC platforms. I have CAD experience gained through using Minicad+ and 3D Studio Max. I regularly use Adobe Photoshop with digital cameras and use Serif Pageplus 3.0 for my DTP needs. I am very familiar with systems based electronics to solve design solutions and production of PCB designs on CAD systems. I have also done some work using CNC lathes to produce small components for a recent product. I also have recent experience of web site planning and authoring for both internal Intranets and the external Internet.

As a part of my personal development as a designer I am currently studying for an MA Industrial Design at Manchester Metropolitan University. This is a part time course in which I am researching the user interface between people and products. It is an in depth study to find out why technology is so confusing to most people and how design can be used to help people become confident and competent in its use. This research can also then be used as a basis for the design of non technological products where an interaction between user and product needs to be well executed. Integration of psychological theory and design practise is at the core of my study in order to create better products.

Finally, I am a very keen and highly motivated designer, have strong problem solving skills and can work well under pressure. I feel that I have much to offer your company and would be happy to supply further information or attend for an interview at your request.