William Roe
Product Design Technology Student
I design for usability first, without settling for the conventional. My goal is to make work that genuinely helps people.
Skills & Tools
- SolidworksSolidworks
- Blender
- 3D printing3D printing
- low fidelity modellinglow fidelity modelling
- high fidelity modellinghigh fidelity modelling
- augmented realityaugmented reality
- indesignindesign
- sketchingsketching
- programming c++
- electronicselectronics
- live wirelive wire
About Me
I'm a BSc Product Design Technology student at Loughborough University. My path into design started with work experience at Rolls-Royce: I arrived expecting engineering, but was introduced to engineering design, and that shifted my focus to product design. I've been my school's course representative for the past year, and my work has won design prizes.
Work Experience
3 years
Kitchen Porter
Coach and Horses
Took on expanded responsibilities including front-of-house order taking and pot washing after consistently completing core tasks efficiently
Adapted quickly across multiple roles in a fast-paced kitchen and service environment
1 year
Labourer
Play Build Projects
Installed flooring and assembled playground equipment across multiple UK sites
Developed practical understanding of engineering drawings and floor plans through on-site work
Worked as part of a mobile team, adapting to different sites and project requirements
Education
2025 - current
Bsc(hons) product design technology
Loughborough University
2022 - 2025
maths - A level
The ecclesbourne school
2022 - 2025
design technology - A level
The ecclesbourne school
2022 - 2025
Physics - A level
The ecclesbourne school
Selected Work
Limited Mobility Hairdryer
Project brief
This project set out to design a hairdryer that people with limited mobility can use independently, giving them a little more freedom in daily life.
Research
To understand the user properly, I simulated living with movement-limiting conditions such as arthritis and muscular dystrophy. The hardest part was getting the hairdryer to reach every part of my head, because I couldn't simply move my hand where I wanted it. That became the core problem to solve.
Testing
I built a card model and had people of different heights try it, to check the design worked across a range of users.
Outcome
The final design uses a controller with a much larger grip to reduce strain on the finger joints. It also removes the need to move your body: the user only needs small arm movements to dry their hair.
