BSc PD
Zak Boardman
Zak Boardman - a Product Design undergraduate at Nottingham Trent University with a passion for Industrial Design & Visualisation. My academic journey, coupled with my roles as a student ambassador for Keyshot and Gravity Sketch, has equipped me with a diverse skill set. I strive to create innovative, user-centred designs that transform complex problems into elegant solutions with unique aesthetic appeal.
Focus
Smartphone-related distractions are one of the biggest barriers to productivity and mental clarity in the modern workspace - particularly for Gen Z and young professionals. While many people wish to reduce their screen time, current solutions often fall short in terms of usability, practicality, or long-term effectiveness.
Introducing Focus - a mindful productivity companion designed to help individuals work with greater intention in a world of constant digital distraction. Unlike existing alternatives that rely on discipline from the user, or full disconnection from the phone. Focus strikes a balance between accessibility and boundaries, enabling users to separate from their phones while retaining access to essential functions, such as important calls, texts, or notifications.
Focus consists of two components: a phone-charging base and a portable companion unit. The user places their phone in the base to begin a focused session. The companion unit, meanwhile, allows filtered access to urgent notifications and core phone functions only - reducing the urge to check the phone without severing important connections.
Together, the system encourages purposeful screen habits and reduces the friction of stepping away from the phone. Ultimately, Focus is not about rejecting technology, but about reshaping how we interact with it - with clarity, control, and intent.
Solace
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects around one in 20 of us in the UK. One effective method of treatment is the use of an SAD therapy lamp. Unfortunately, current devices are often found to be lacking when it comes to: aesthetic appeal, feature-set or effectiveness (often a combination of all three).
Introducing Solace - a complete light and circadian rhythm therapy solution, designed to brighten winter days for everyone and deliver clinical-grade effectiveness for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder. Unlike current offerings in the market, Solace offers both a plentiful feature set, and medical-grade light therapy for those with SAD.
This is achieved through innovative user-centered design. Solace consists of two parts, A mood lamp charging base and the main lighting module. Through the use of magnetic wireless charging and battery power, the lighting module can be effortlessly undocked from the charging base and moved around the home for SAD therapy or task lighting. Once it has been used for the recommended 30-60 minutes of daily SAD therapy light time, the lighting module can be re-docked on the base, where it will re-charge, and serve as a wind down and wake up light for circadian rhythm regulation.