About Us

Prologue

About the Roles

Xavier Erik-Anthropologist

I’m 35 years old father of two young children and as an anthropologist professor at Arizona State University. My family and I moved to Mesa 5 years ago from Japan and since then have started a family. In my perspective, many design teams do not think about the needs for people outside of their primary culture. If we are designing something, why not think about how this could be used to improve people’s lives in other parts of the world, like Japan. I’m redesigning a hand-held vacuum for a family in Japan. My focus is on the specific needs of an imagined family in Japan and how these are different or similar to my family.

Augustus Price - Environmentalist

I am 57 years old. I have lived in Mesa Arizona my entire life and have been an active environmentalist since the age of 16. I received a Masters degree in Environmental Engineering from ASU and have devoted my life to finding new and improved ways to recycle, reuse, and redesign products in an effort to preserve the environment. I strongly believe in the importance of seeing the bigger picture when developing and using manufactured products and have striven to ensure that the pollution resulting from the waste of such materials be minimized. I am a staunch pacifist who believes that the only way forward for mankind is to cease the flagrant destruction of our earth's natural resources and pave the way for green energy sources. It is my hope that I will live to see the day in which we no longer need to consume fossil fuels to sustain our way of life.

John Stancy- Designer

My name is John Stancy. I attended Arizona State University and received a master's degree in mechanical engineering and I am working on an archaeological dissection of a device in order to help understand the nature of the people of the past who used it. Hopefully this can help on my path to a doctorates. I grew up in the state of Arizona and have always had in interest in the mechanical workings of things new and archaic in order to see how it can be applied to every day devices in order to make it easier or simpler to use for the consumer.

ROBERT GRAY - PHYSICIST

I am a 29 year old physicist; Born in California, I came To Arizona where I spent my undergraduate years in ASU. This was followed with my graduate studies Back home in Pasadena, where my main focus was on mechanical systems and fluid dynamics. I am still wet behind the ears, and most of my work up until now has been theoretical; I am however looking forward to modeling this find. I have to say, this was not what I envisioned doing after graduation!