Youssef S.

Experience

• DIGITAL BUSINESS OWNER Independent Digital Business · Self-employed Mar 2020 – Present 6 yrs 5 mos Vancouver, BC, Canada Founded and managed an independent digital education business from concept to operation.
  Designed and launched digital products, online courses, and educational content.
  Led product strategy, branding, website management, user experience, and customer journey.
  Managed end-to-end business operations including marketing, customer support, analytics, and sales.
  Produced and launched digital educational products and multimedia assets supporting customer engagement and business growth.
  Built and managed an international online community.
  Worked independently across product development, project management, creative direction, and business operations.
  Built an international audience while traveling and researching projects across Asia.
• Product Developer & Industrial Designer PI FINE ART | PI CREATIVE ART · Full-time May 2018 – Feb 2020 1 yrs 9 mos Toronto, ON, Canada Played a key role in expanding the Alternative Art product development department, helping grow it into an established part of the business.
  Led the design and development from concept through manufacturing while collaborating with suppliers and production partners.
  Put in place a system to facilitate the design process from conceptualization to manufacturing the final product.
  Supervised and managed the development process and ensured that the client’s needs are met within the desired timelines.
  Collaborated with all the departments involved in the development including the 2D art department, print, marketing, project coordinators, sales, shipping and handling, in-house factory and finance.
  Sourced and built key relationships with vendors locally and internationally.
  Negotiated pricing and quotes with various vendors including metal, wood, acrylic, and vacuum forming manufacturers.
  Designed concept packages while taking into consideration the design language appropriate for each client.
  Prepared 3D CAD files, technical drawings and cut files for laser cut and CNC machining.
  Troubleshot mistakes or miscommunications encountered during the manufacturing process by assessing the most effective way to solve the problem (in collaboration with all the parties involved).
  Regulated and managed communications between the project coordinators, external vendors and the in-house factory.
  Produced trade shows including BDNY in New York and IDS in Toronto. Supervised the booth set up and ensured all the deadlines were met accordingly.
  Produced in-line collections used by the marketing department to attract potential clients.
  Documented and organized the department’s process in the company’s database in order to facilitate future development projects.
• Industrial Designer & Product Developer MULTY HOME · Full-time Sep 2016 – Apr 2018 1 yrs 7 mos Toronto, ON, Canada Designed and developed injection molding indoor/outdoor products in collaboration with third party manufacturers.
  Worked with CNC machine suppliers to ensure manufacturing quality. Requested mold quotes and developed compression molds and plungers that run recycled rubber.
  Assisted factories in compression molding and managing mold quality and shipping deadlines.
  Applied DFMA for each design concept. Worked with third party mold makers on running test molds and troubleshooting errors until the desired result is achieved.
  Collaborated with quality engineers by establishing regulations on mold depths, dimensions, radius, drafts, wall thicknesses, and other manufacturing properties.
  Collected quotes from 3D printing suppliers and made mockups that aid in understanding the size and form factor.
  Prepared detailed technical drawings, briefs, presentation decks, sketches, renders, and managed conflicting deadlines.
  Conducted product research and competitive analysis to understand the target market, client needs, trends, and potential opportunities to explore.
  Collaborated with category managers with the purpose to identify customers' needs and future product developments.
• Industrial Designer Umbra · Full-time Sep 2012 – Aug 2016 3 yrs 11 mos Toronto, ON, Canada Designed products that generated high sales (i.e. 450000 Units) in the North American markets.
  Worked on product categories that represented 34% of the company's business.
  Conducted detailed research to identify new product ideas, designs, materials, finishes and production techniques in order to deliver the best user experience.
  Prepared and presented product design recommendations to senior management.
  Updated and developed new product specifications accurately and on time, including product drawings, briefs, and 3D data for production.
  Created prototypes for approval/customer presentation.
  Worked with the graphic design team to ensure accurate and effective packaging and labeling.
  Maintained key relationships with: Category Managers, International Developers, Graphic Designers, Sales, Quality Control, and Materials Management.
• Assistant Product Designer LEIF DESIGN PARK · Internship May 2011 – Aug 2011 3 mos Tokyo, Japan Participated in the design and elaboration of 15 Interior design projects for international manufacturers such as De la Espada in London and Normann Copenhagen.
  Established CAD modeling and final renderings for several projects using Solidworks and Keyshot.
  Built scale models and explanatory mockups during the conceptual phase of the design.
  Discussed designs with clients and attempted to meet their expectations constantly.
  Worked with Leif.design’s team on decoding design complications and attributing the most appropriate solutions to confronted issues.
  Learned the Japanese work style characterized by its strictness and striving for perfection.