BA Product Design
Joe Manning
I'm an innovative designer passionate about creating meaningful, user-focused experiences. My work aims to help people connect more deeply with the world around them. I believe design should be intuitive, impactful, and accessible, empowering users to engage, discover, and grow in everyday life.
Trail tails - Portable GPS device
Trail Tails is a family-friendly handheld GPS device designed to inspire outdoor exploration, learning, and connection with nature. While created with children in mind, its engaging features appeal to adventurers of all ages. Trail Tails transforms ordinary woodland walks into exciting journeys, using gamified challenges, collectable creature covers, and interactive storytelling.
Built for simplicity, safety, and fun, Trail Tails helps users confidently navigate trails while encouraging discovery through educational prompts and nature-based tasks. Along the way, users can unlock wildlife facts, track progress, and collect virtual badges tied to local flora, fauna, and landmarks.
The device also supports customisation, letting users choose their trail buddy - an on-screen creature that evolves with each adventure.
Whether used on family hikes, school trips, or solo explorations, Trail Tails promotes curiosity, outdoor activity, and shared experiences. Its durable, child-safe design and user-friendly interface make it ideal for low-income families seeking affordable ways to connect with nature.
By blending playful technology with real-world discovery, Trail Tails creates meaningful outdoor moments, helping families unplug from screens and reconnect with each other.
Alpine Spire
Inspired by the enduring beauty of mountain landscapes, this task light brings a sense of permanence and quiet strength to your workspace. At its foundation lies a solid aluminium base, providing both weight and stability, while a tall, slender spire rises with graceful confidence - reminiscent of a distant peak piercing the sky. Carefully cut triangles of authentic Welsh slate are layered along the structure, echoing the jagged forms and textures of mountainous terrain. Each piece of slate tells a geological story, grounding the light in natural history and craftsmanship. The combination of raw, tactile stone with precision-engineered metal creates a striking contrast between the organic and the industrial. More than just functional, the light becomes a sculptural presence, an ever-present landmark within your environment.
Whether used for focused work or ambient illumination, it instills a sense of calm resilience, inviting moments of reflection and connection to the natural world even within an urban setting.