PROJECT
FIXAGONLAZY CREATIVE
SNAIL
HELLO KITTY
IKBC
CO STAND
PAPER MAGIC
FABPET
INFO STATION
W-ROLL
HANDMADE
BLOG
Information
LAZY CREATIVE
SNAIL
HELLO KITTY
IKBC
CO STAND
PAPER MAGIC
FABPET
INFO STATION
W-ROLL
HANDMADE
Information
Email: hongruiliu228@gmail.com
New York City, NY
YOE: 5 years
TECHNICAL | PMP, New Product Development (NPD), CMF Strategy, Design for Manufacturing (DFM) especially in injection molding, 3D printing, metal AM, Cost Reduction Analysis, Quality Control (QC);
CAD | SolidWorks (Expert), Creo/ProE (Expert), Blender, KeyShot (Expert), Adobe Creative Suite (Ps, Ai, Id: Expert), Canva, Microsoft Office Suite, Figma, Touch Designer.;
INNOVATION | 3D Printing (Bambu Studio, Creality Print), AI-assisted design workflow (Gemini, Lovart, Leanardo, ChatGPT)
AWARD & EVENTS
IDA, CES, Toy Fair, Surf Expo
WORK EXPERIENCE
Southern Telecom Inc. Feb 2024 - PresentIndustrial Designer in Consumer Electronics, Home Goods, Sporting Goods and Outdoor Gear
- Directed end-to-end high-volume product development for top-tier licensed brands (Sanrio, Peanuts, Hurley, Off-White, Brookstone, Cloudco, and so on), ensuring alignment with annual business roadmaps and translating strict brand guidelines into mass-market products while meeting strict retail price targets.
- Planned systematic product ecosystems for high-impact seasonal windows (Christmas, Halloween, Back-to-School, Easter, Thanksgiving) and global milestones (USA 250th Anniversary, World Cup) by integrating consumer trend and holiday marketing into the product development phase to drive strategic market expansion.
- Act as the lead technical engineer with overseas teams to develop CMF strategies and resolve DFM bottlenecks and QC issues, ensuring all products meet strict quality standards and IP compliance.
- Develop innovative packaging, structural dielines, and retail display concepts (PDQs) that enhance in-store branding and consumer engagement across Tier-1 retailers (Walmart, Target, Costco, and so on). Successfully launched products across retailers by creating high-fidelity renderings and retail merchandising solutions.
- As the Lazy Creative Founding Designer, established the studio’s visual identity and product line. Leveraged expert knowledge of Design for AM to optimize complex geometries. Managed the production workflow from digital preparation to surface finishing, successfully validating market fit.
- Created the "Chengbao" IP character ecosystem to revitalize the community brand. Executed a cross-platform visual strategy spanning physical environmental graphics and digital engagement (WeChat sticker series), laying the UX roadmap for future digital community assistance features.
- Designed the 30th Anniversary collection, featuring architectural magnets and material-driven accessories.
- Established the visual identity that enabled the transition from a material supplier to an independent brand.
Beijing One Unicorn Technology Co., Ltd. Feb 2021 - Oct 2021 Lead Industrial Designer - Mechanical Keyboard
- Led design of multiple IP collaboration mechanical keyboards, forecasting emerging keyboard and trends to define IKBC’s product line strategy, visual language, and feature differentiation across releases, strengthening overall brand positioning in both enthusiast and mass markets.
- Owned CMF strategy and factory collaboration, optimizing design-to-manufacturing workflows, improving tooling and production efficiency, and ensuring design intent integrity from concept through mass production.
- Conducted feasibility studies and material testing to integrate traditional textiles, wood and resin-combined home goods, balancing cultural aesthetics with structural integrity and safety.
EDUCATION BACKGROUND
Parsons School of Design Sep 2020 – Jan 2024Major: MFA in Industrial Design GPA: 3.91/4.0
University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) Sep 2016 – Jun 2020 Major: BEng in Product Design & Manufacture GPA: 3.8/4.0