Brian Piper
Product Development Manager · Pioneer Square Brands
Seattle, WA
In My Own Words
With over 15 years of experience as a designer, product developer, and manager, I've thrived on a global stage collaborating with customers, factories, and fellow creatives.
My greatest satisfaction comes from tackling challenges with a strategic, fast-strike approach that balances immediate needs with long-term objectives. I'm deeply motivated to surpass user expectations and organizational goals, consistently bringing top-selling products to market by merging design expertise with a keen understanding of manufacturability and market dynamics.
Outside the office, you'll find me exploring the mountains on a bike or snowboard, dreaming up new product innovations.
See a selection of my work at www.coroflot.com/bpiper
Work Experience
Design & Development Manager
Pioneer Square Brands2019 – Present
• Led industrial design & engineering teams to bring durable consumer electronic accessories to market for Brenthaven, Gumdrop, and Vault brands. • Hired, managed & coached team members through an acquisition and headquarters relocation. Responsible for establishing a new design studio space. • Built detailed project schedules (via Asana and Smartsheet) to bring over 25 products per year to market. • Oversaw North American dual sourcing to onboard 2 new injection molding factories. Achieving a 16% reduction in cost of goods, lowering carbon emissions, and improving product quality. • Spearheaded sustainability, reducing packaging by 15%, saving 25K square meters of cardboard annually. • Responsible for product testing, Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (FMEA), QA Plans, and warranty support. • Designed the Edge Folio iPad case, surpassing first-year sales targets by 66% • Updated the Edge 360 iPad case design, achieving over 300% QOQ growth selling over 400K units/yr.
Industrial Design & Development Manager
Ricardo Beverly Hills2014 – 2018
• Created original designs of molded & sewn travel goods for Ricardo, Skyway, and private label brands. • Managed design process from concept through production for >$50M in products with major retailers such as Costco, Macy’s, Kohls, Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Amazon. • Generated strategic product roadmaps, design briefs, and project timelines in collaboration with sales team. • Worked extensively with Asian factories to meet stringent price, quality, and timeline objectives. • Managed design and launch of Pendleton travel goods in collaboration with the iconic brand for the centennial anniversary of the national parks. • Competed and won Costco Kirkland Signature private label luggage program, an industry benchmark.
Industrial Designer
The Gem Group2010 – 2014
• Designed bags, packs, and accessories for the promotional industry and private labels including Brookstone, Carhartt, Salesforce, NFL, Gatorade. • Traveled 2-4 times per year to Asia to work with our sample room and suppliers. • Conducted trend research, analyzed sales and mapped competitive landscape to deliver new opportunities. • Utilized lean and six-sigma principles in increasing productivity, including standardizing spec documentation and managing a material library.
Lead Designer
The Dutch Bicycle CO.2008 – 2010
• Developed a line of custom, domestically manufactured bicycles featured in WIT Alumni magazine and Core77.com • Lead the creation and management of a design intern program
Athlete + Consultant
e13 Components2003 – 2010
• Competed as a professional mountain bike athlete and brand ambassador • Offered technical support at events to local and world-class athletes • Provided product testing, graphic and apparel design
Industrial Design Intern
Evil Bike Co.2009 – 2009
Refined bicycle frame design concept as the company transitioned from aluminum to carbon fiber manufacturing. Collaborated with engineers to package the concept around specified geometry and suspension kinematics.
Footwear Design Intern
Puma2008 – 2008
• Designed Special Make Ups footwear for key account requests.
• Collaborated with an international team in a fast paced environment.
• Responsible for trend research, color analysis, and material selection.
Education
Bachelor
Wentworth Institute of Technology2005 – 2009
Bachelors in Industrial Design. Completed an internship at PUMA North America and The Dutch Bicycle Co.
Senior Thesis project on human-computer interaction through tangible user interfaces in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab.
Projects
Evil Bikes Uprising
Design language for the company's first carbon fiber bikes. Worked with engineers to sculpt a form around predetermined geometry and suspension kinematics.
Pendleton Luggage
Licensed luggage collection with iconic patterns celebrating the National Parks centennial.
Brenthaven Rugged Keyboard
https://brenthaven.com/product/rugged-keyboard/Keyboard case that transforms iPad into a rugged laptop for K-12 students.
Skyway Glacier Bay
Luggage piece sold at Costco and Macy's
Skyway GlobeTrekker Duffel
Rolling duffel sold at Costco for a highly competitive program.
