2025
NEST LANTERN
The Nest lantern’s innovative nesting design makes it easy to share light and the moment with friends, without sacrificing your own experience. With two removable light modules that dock into a central base, Nest lets everyone have the light they need, whether around camp or on the move. It’s gear designed to be shared, just like any good time outside. ensuring no one’s left in the dark, and everyone stays connected to the experience.
At the heart of the system, the Base Station acts as a central hub—providing ambient lighting, music playback, and device charging to create a welcoming space for gathering. Housed within are two detachable light modules that can be removed and used independently, offering portable light wherever it’s needed. When not in use, they nest seamlessly back into the Base Station. This integrated system supports both individual and group needs, encouraging flexible lighting scenarios and shared experiences without compromising personal convenience.
Design Process
Defining The User &
Identifying Opportunities.
Getting outside isn’t just about the gear—it’s about the people you share it with.
This project began with a moment: my brother Tristen and his girlfriend Eden on her first ever river trip, beaming as she held up her first fish. That big, joyful smile stuck with me. It reminded me that outdoor gear isn’t just functional, it shapes memories, builds confidence, and brings people closer.
In that spirit, Nest was designed for shared experiences in the outdoors. I saw an opportunity to create a lighting product that wasn’t just for one person, but made it easier and more fun for people to go outside together. The Idea: Create adaptable gear designed to be shared.
Sketch Ideation.
Designing Nest started with fast, loose sketches. This early stage wasn’t about perfect proportions or polished lines. It was about exploring ideas quickly: How might light be shared? What forms feel social, intuitive, and adaptable? I sketched everything from modular forms and snap-fit designs to base stations that invited interaction.
As concepts evolved, I transitioned into more refined illustrations, focusing on usability, scale, and interaction. These included marker renderings and digital drawings that explored how the modules would detach, align, and recharge, defining the product's physical and functional language.
This spread only shows a filtered selection of those explorations—key snapshots that highlight turning points in the design process. Dozens more sketches exist behind the scenes, but these were chosen to tell a clear story of how the concept matured from abstract ideas to a resolved system.
Prototype Ideation And Refinement.
This is where I thrive, translating sketches into physical form to test, break, improve ideas, and refine the product.
The prototyping phase for Nest started with quick foam models to explore scale, form, and interaction. These early models weren’t precious; they were tools to see how the lantern felt in the hand, how the modules might nest, and how users might pick them up or pass them around.
From there, I moved into 3D modeling and printing, iterating through versions that tested fit, alignment, and charging orientation. Each round of prototypes was shaped by user feedback.
This hands-on, iterative phase is where I do my best work. The mess of testing and adjusting energizes me; I find flaws not as failures but as fuel for better design.
