About

I am David Wiseman, a creative problem solver and passionate product designer. I view the world through a lens of questioning curiosity, analysing the everyday and thinking of ways it could be made better. I love things that work, products that have a positive and meaningful existence in people’s lives through the way they are interacted with and how people experience them - Things that people form a personal connection with through life, work and play.

With over 10 years of experience in the field of product design, I’ve helped bring a wide array of products to life across a broad range of industries. I have an innate ability to think both creatively and technically which enables me to conceptualise ideas into products that can be realised. Through my experience I’ve developed the ability to analyse without bias, listen with empathy, imagine within constraints, enquire with purpose, solve problems holistically and harness opportunities to delight.

Through my work, I strive for solutions that are simple and elegant, functional as well as aesthetically fitting for their purpose. I enjoy constantly learning through my work and engaging with new technologies that I encounter with every new project.

In our connected world, technology has an increasing influence on how we perceive the world, blurring the line between physical and digital realities. I believe that design that makes use of technology in the right ways will be a positive force for the future of humanity.

Education and work experience

I completed a Btech degree in Industrial design from The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in 2004, finishing with Cum Laude in my final year. The next year I joined …XYZ Design, an award winning product design firm based in Cape Town which was then seen as one of the top design firms in Africa.

This is where I cut my teeth as a product designer, working with a talented team of designers and engineers on a plethora of varied products. Year on year I improved my skills and knowledge growing to a senior designer, managing small teams and working on increasingly complex projects. In 2011 I partook in a part time IXD (Interaction design) master’s program which was run by Jӧrn Messeter, a professor at the IT University in Copenhagen, at CPUT which helped me broaden my skills further. My time at …XYZ reached its peak when I became Design Director in 2013, leading the design team.

I parted with …XYZ Design towards the end of 2014 to explore new opportunities abroad. Since February 2015 I have been based in the UK working with a range of local and international clients helping them develop new and innovative products.

Accolades

Some of my work contributions have achieved the following acclaim:

Exhibitions:

  • Why design now? , Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, New York, 2010

Design Awards:

  • Baby Maternity Magazine, Product of the year award, Snuza: Pico Smart monitor 2016 and 2017

  • SABS Disa Design Excellence - Chairperson’s award, Snuza: Hero baby monitor, 2009

  • SABS Disa Design Excellence Award, Snuza: Hero baby monitor, 2009

  • SABS Disa Design Excellence Award, Touchmart: TAP, 2009

  • Most beautiful product in South Africa, Design Indaba, Snuza: Hero baby monitor 2007

  • SABS Disa Design Excellence Award, Touchmart: Oscar, 2007

  • SABS Disa Design excellence Award, Vastech: Zebra E1/T1 Gateway, 2007

No awards submissions were made between 2010 - 2015

Notable:

  • ID Btech external examiner and moderator, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), 2006

Life experience

When I’m not focussing on design projects I enjoy filling my time with exercise, socialising with family and friends and going on outdoor adventures. I love travelling to new places and experiencing different cultures and the wonders the world has to offer. There’s nothing like a good adventure to feed the soul. I believe that immersing yourself in another culture is the best way to learn about people, how they live and the joys and hardships they endure. Below are a few pictures of some epic places I’ve experienced.