Inventing, Designing and Developing Innovative Products Used Worldwide
2:30pm - 3:30pm
We are delighted to have Gareth Jones of Freshworks, with over 30 years of experience inventing, designing and developing innovative products for world reknowned brands. Gareth was one of the original three-man team at Dyson who designed the first DC01, a product which revolutionised the vacuum cleaner market. Gareth will share his insights into developing innovative products that solve real world problems.
Speakers
Gareth Jones
Gareth Jones is a designer, engineer and inventor. Originally trained as an engineer at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd he went on to study design at the Royal College of Art in London. Upon graduation in 1991 he moved to Somerset and started working for a then unknown inventor, James Dyson, and his small team. His first job was to help design Dyson’s original vacuum cleaner, the iconic DC01. Over the course of the next 15 years, he was involved in the design of various Dyson products culminating in the development of the ground-breaking CR01 washing machine.
Gareth now runs his own design and innovation consultancy, Fresh Works Ltd, innovating for a range of clients including IKEA, Herman Miller, and British Airways. The team’s ethos is to find elegantly simple solutions to challenging problems, more difficult than it sounds! Current work is focussed on finding solutions to tackle waterborne environmental pollution. Alongside his consultancy work he also mentors and teaches. He has held Professorships at the University of Bath and the Royal College of Art and Design Associate status at the Design Council.
Joan Johnston
Founder, Ava Innes / Fashion, Craft & Textile Sector Specialist, XpoNorth
Joan Johnston has over 20 years’ experience working with global luxury brands in senior creative and commercial roles. From creative design and board director, to business owner and university programme leader, Joan’s wealth of knowledge and expertise encompasses concept development through the design process, to high end client-centred promotion online and service delivery. Most recently Joan has developed an innovative sustainable bedding range using the by-product of the cashmere industry, launched under premium brand Ava Innes.
Joan is the Fashion, Craft and Textile Specialist for XpoNorth.
