WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN
We are a highly specialized group of Industrial Designers with 30 years of experience bringing over 500 products to market, spanning across multiple industries.
However we are not your typical creative service - we've been in your shoes.
We founded, built and exited four companies. We’ve had some big wins; and big losses. We understand the power of design, while recognizing the significance of timing. We’ve travelled to Asia over 100 times, raised capital, built a global sales team, collected hundreds of patents, coordinated complex logistics, and exhibited at more trade shows than we can remember. Always with the focus of being a design-driven company.
Contact us for inquiries.
INFO@GEARNEED.COM
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Ed began his career as an award-winning Industrial designer, creating hundreds of consumer products and packaging in various industries such as housewares, electronics, and sports equipment for a wide range of clients, including NIKE, Reebok, OXO, Starbucks, Humanscale and Unilever.
In 1997, Ed co-founded NYC-based Pollen Design, an industrial design consulting firm, where he spearheaded many iconic designs, including the Rabbit Corkscrew, (rabbitwine.com) which quickly became the #1 selling wine and barware accessory brand in the world. Ed created and managed all product development and manufacturing while growing the product line to several hundred SKUs, before exiting in 2013.
Ed co-founded Prepara in 2007, (prepara.com) a Kitchen Tools brand selling to many upscale retailers globally before exiting in 2017.
In 2013, Ed launched EVAK, the world’s only glass storage container that automatically removes the air. Winner of Red Dot Award.
Seeing a need for low-cost but stylish Child-resistant packaging in a sea of commoditized plastic pharmaceutical pill bottles, Ed founded Pollen Gear in 2016, (pollengear.com) introducing the “HiLine”, the first ASTM Certified child-resistant glass jar designed for cannabis, disrupting the industry. Our small team grew the product line to over 100 SKUs, $12mm in top line annual revenue and 106 issued global patents, before being acquired for $26mm in 36 months.
Ed holds over 150 worldwide patents, winner of Businessweek IDEA Award, CES Award, German Red Dot, ID Magazine, GOOD Design Award, and IHA Innovation Award. His work is also featured in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).
Ed holds a BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University, where he graduated with honors and won the School of Design Merit Award, and currently sits on the board of the Robot Heart Foundation- a Music and Arts Public Benefit Corporation.
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Shane has over 14 years of design experience in a wide range of industries including housewares, cannabis, child resistant packaging, toys, and lifestyle.
He offers the entire design process from beginning to end. From initial research and ideation, 3D modeling, prototyping, to factory communication.
Being a part of both small start-up companies and large corporations means Shane has been a part of every aspect of running a business. This allows for a unique top-down perspective of design within a company structure.
Shane began his design journey with Andrew, fresh out of college while founding Flatlab design in 2009. (Acquired 2011)
After moving to New York City he started work at Prepara under Ed and soon after began working with Scott. There he worked on housewares for Prepara and Bar/ Wine products for Metrokane.
Ed and Shane moved on from Prepara and founded the award winning packaging company Pollen Gear, which revolutionized the child resistant packaging space for Cannabis.
Shane also designs and sells custom accessory components for the tabletop game “Warhammer 40k” and the action sport “Airsoft”. He has a dedicated number of followers who buy and use his conversion and upgrade components.
Now, the original team is back together and forging ahead with their own endeavor: Gear Need.Shane holds a BFA in Industrial Design from Savannah College of Art & Design.
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With 14 years of experience, Scott has established a successful career as an industrial designer, crafting innovative and user-centric products for a wide range of clients such as Bang & Olufsen, Under Armour, Keurig, Prepara, Tumi, Incase, and Incipio.
He possesses a proven ability to translate market trends and user needs into successful product launches. Scott skillfully navigates all aspects of the design process, from concept development and prototyping to production management.
Throughout his career, Scott has consistently delivered impactful designs. Notably, he spearheaded a comprehensive CMF revamp for Incipio’s entire core collection, managing a large-scale production change of over 100 skus. He also led the design of successful product lines for Incipio's iPhone X launch and served as the lead designer for Bang & Olufsen's first iPhone case collection. Scott's collaborative spirit is evident in his work with Under Armour on their initial line of athlete-focused tech accessories and with Tumi for their travel-focused mobile accessories.
At Greenlane, Scott continued to leverage his design expertise for a different market. He played a key role in the design development for industry-leading cannabis brands such as Higher Standards, Marley Natural, Davinci, Eyce, and K.Haring. His contributions led to successful product launches targeted at filling a design gap within this emerging industry.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from California State University, Long Beach, where he graduated with honors and was awarded the Duncan Anderson Design Scholarship.
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Andrew is an accomplished industrial designer with over 14 years of experience. His expertise encompasses all stages of the design process, including concept generation, 3D modeling, rendering, packaging design, and process development. Andrew's journey in industrial design began in 2009 when he co-founded Flatlab LLC and created the Pop's 'Stache Product with Shane. As one of the Kickstarter pioneers, he successfully launched and funded the project in the platform's early days. Their design was featured in Gestalton's "Hair'em Scare'em" international design book.
Andrew joined the team at Prepara in 2013, where for one out of the five years he served as the sole designer and de facto design director, responsible for a wide range of design tasks, including products, packaging, sales assets, catalogs, and tradeshow design. He ensured smooth production by maintaining close engagement with factories through communication and visits. His innovative and patentable home and kitchen gadgets are a testament to his creativity and understanding of cost engineering and retailer needs.
Before joining Prepara, Andrew worked at Acolyte LED, where he co-designed and manufactured custom LED lighting fixtures for an Emmy-nominated lighting designer, for New York City Fashion Week. Andrew's contribution to the lighting system for the Intrepid aircraft carrier museum in New York City is also noteworthy, as he replaced outdated fixtures with energy-efficient LED lights.
Most recently Andrew complimented the team at Pollen Gear/Greenlane, where he played a crucial role in developing products for nine unique house brands. He created pitch presentation concepts for strategic partnership brands such as PAX, Cookies SF, and Diamond Supply Co. Moreover, Andrew helped pioneer innovative child-resistant packaging for the cannabis industry, crafting bespoke solutions for major producers, and several of these designs were patented, becoming valuable intellectual property assets.
Andrew holds a BFA in Industrial Design from Savannah College of Art & Design, where he graduated magna cum laude.
