GOUICHI TANAKA
Hi.
Wonder & Wander
Hey, and welcome to my site.
This is my space where I share some of my professional work
and personal projects. Have a leisurely browse, and get to know me.
I am a skilled model maker, fascinated by how physical material properties influence the building process. I am also an educated industrial designer that values the journey of user experience, and sustainability.
Outside of creativity, I am passionate about food, outdoor play, and animals.
Experience
Patagonia
Material Performance Technician
09.2022 - 09.2023
Assisting in material development using lab equipment, recording data, and archiving physical samples. Collaborating with engineers, developers, and designers to ensure material quality clears protocol standards. Facilitating communications with external partners at mills, factories, and testing facilities.
Google - HH Global
Production Designer
01.2021 - 08.2022
Explored concepts for Google’s flagship stores’ customer experience journey from navigation, visual merchandising, and try-on demos. Crafted physical models of store fixtures, utilizing shop tools and mixed media incluidng foamcore, wood, 3D printing, laser cutting, large-format plotting, etc.
Google - Zenith Talent
Design Assistant
11.2018 - 11.2020
Co-managed a workshop whose capabilities focused around model-making and plotting marketing graphics. Assisted in a range of tasks including research, visualization, prototyping, presentation, and archiving. Adapted quickly to change while supporting multiple teams and individuals.
Cosmo SF
Design Prototyper
Jun - Nov 2018
Created low-volume prototypes specialized in soft fabrics formed over hard substrates (ie. sunglasses case, headphone case, phone case, smart watch bands). Experimented with forming different combinations of face fabric, interface, and back fabrics.
Focus PDM
Industrial Designer
Aug 2015 - Jul 2016
Collaborated with designers and engineers on various product designs ranging from toys, appliances, auto accessories, and electronics. Delivered research, mood boards, sketches, CAD models, and presentations.
PQ Bypass
Industrial Design Intern
Jan - May 2014
Researched and observed arterial bypass surgery for pain points in the specific use case of the existing handheld instrument. Ideated, refined, and mocked up concepts for an improved design for the stent graft delivery tool.
Education
San José State University - San José, California
B.S. Industrial Design / 2011 - 2015
Universidad Véritas - San José, Costa Rica
Diseño de Productos / Fall 2014 (Study Abroad Program)
Skills
Design Process
Research & Synthesis
Conceptual thinking
Ideation sketching
Physical prototyping
User testing
Tools
Laser cutter
3D printer
Sewing machine
Thermoforming
Leather working
Software
InDesign
Illustrator
Photoshop
Solidworks
Sketchup
Language
English: fluent
Japanese: conversational
Spanish: basic
Exhibition
Transhuman: From Prosthesis to Cyborg
Museum Ulm (Ulm, Germany) / Jul 11 - Dec 13, 2020
Showcased prosthetic leg from a team student project during SJSU program
Get in Touch
