Product Design

Commercial grade play equipment has been the bread and butter of my career as a product designer. Robust designs must be well thought out to be successful products. Material selection, intended use, and unintended use are concerns that must be examined with each new idea.

Consumer product design

Consumer grade play equipment is much less costly to produce, but requires tremendous forethought to meet economic criteria. A design that is $.05 over plan can kill the product. Importance of planogram dimensions and stackability can't be overstated. Robust, safe, attractive, and fun designs are the driving force behind the success of a consumer product.

"Michael is a talented and creative designer who adds a strong level of originality to his projects. He has been a very supportive, hard working employee who has contributed significantly to our design team at PlayCore.”

--Bob Farnsworth, CEO, PlayCore, Inc.

"Michael Yates is a talented designer, not only in originality and creativity, but in interpreting the technical specifications, budgets, and requirements of a product. He brings a fresh approach to design and is a pleasure to work with."

--Anne-Marie Spencer, Director of Marketing, GameTime, Inc.

"As a playground design and safety consultant I have worked with hundreds of designers over the past twenty five years. Michael Yates is one of the most talented and creative individuals that I have had the pleasure to work with.”

--Teri Hendy, President, Site Masters Inc.

“I hired Michael straight out of college and was impressed with his creative talent and ‘out of the box’ thinking. His very first project turned into one of the first ‘free-formed’ climbing components in the playground industry. Michael would be a tremendous creative asset to any prospective employer.”

--Wes Sutton, Director of Standards and Compliance, PlayCore, Inc.