AwardsPloom
Core77 Design Awards, notable professional 2011

Tegu
Dwell on Design Best in Show 2011
Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards, Specialty Toy 2014
Talks
2014
Power of Design: "Designer's Toolbox"
Appalachian State University

2012
Designing Change: “A look at how design thinking is shaping new business futures.”
San Francisco, CA

2009
DTS09. Design Thinking Symposium: “I’m Alex, this is Design Thinking”
Singapore
Publications
Contributor: Make Space: How to set the Stage for Creative Collaboration
Doorley, S., & Witthoft, S. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons

Patents
2015 “Single Serve Beverage Production Machine”
2016 “CLIP”
2016 “Seating Device Having Tilt Mechanism”

alexko.co

Alex Ko makes things.
Sometimes it’s food.
Sometimes it’s products.
Product DesignGraphic DesignFood

2016

Client
Knoll

The Knoll HiLo is a lightweight, dynamic "perch" seat designed by Box Clever for active workspaces. introduced in 2016 to complement standing desks. It features a cushioned, adjustable seat (26–33 inches) and a flexible, spring-steel base designed to encourage movement, ease of portability, and impromptu collaboration. 
Project
Hi-Lo

Our team developed the product architecture, separating the overall gesture of the perch into discrete sub-assemblies with performance goals: flexible seat for perching and straddling, gas-spring support column, and flexing foot. Role
Product Design Engineer

This project is a great example of an iterative prototyping process. When you’re in new territory, the quickest way to get into the ballpark of a working design is to get physical. In this case, making prototype seat geometries and sit-testing them revealed subtleties of discomfort when straddling the seat vs. perching. Characterizing the forces on an Instron gave us real numbers to target as we progressed the design forward.


Seat Concept Analysis
Sit Testing
Instron Testing
Industrial Design: Box Clever
Design for Manufacturing: Knoll
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