Conor Fredricks Joins Our Family Business!

Conor Fredricks Joins Our Family Business!

by | Jul 8, 2016 | Company News

We have some great news to share…

Conor Fredricks has joined our family business. Conor graduated from Kendall College of Art and Design in May 2016 and was heavily recruited by design firms and corporations. We reminded him through the rigorous interview process that his name is on the door at Fredricks!

Conor completed his studies at the Kendall Campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Manchester, England in May 2016. He has been preparing for his new role with Fredricks since his formative years hanging around our studio. In addition to his wicked sketching abilities, he also has excellent rendering and Solidworks capabilities. Conor really likes building things and working through manufacturing challenges. We are really lucky that he decided to join us.

The addition of Conor to our core team in Grand Haven, Michigan brings us to four family members and two generations actively involved in the company. Ben Fredricks joined us in 2009 and will be key in Conor’s development working with our team.

Please join us in our celebration of this key milestone with Fredricks! A world of thanks to all of our Clients, advisors, suppliers and team members for making our success possible over the past 32+ years!

Fredricks Design Review 3: Artificial Intelligence

Fredricks Design Review 3: Artificial Intelligence

by | Apr 22, 2016 | Fredricks Design Review

In our previous Fredricks Design Reviews, we’ve talked about virtual reality and augmented reality. Now, let’s get into an even fuzzier area of technology and philosophy: artificial intelligence. The term “artificial intelligence” was coined by a computer scientist named John McCarthy in 1955 to describe “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines”.1 Simply stated, artificial intelligence can be thought of as people trying to make computers that “think” like humans: receive some sensory input, make a decision, and react accordingly. We’ll call it “AI” from here on out.

I am by no means an expert in this field, but the implications of AI have led me down a rabbit hole of learning and questioning as new technology often does. Certainly, there are more questions than answers when it comes to the impacts of this rapidly growing field. I keep circling back to a fundamental issue that I’d like to discuss today. Will artificial intelligence be good or bad for humanity? (more…)

Fredricks Design Review 2: Augmented Reality

Fredricks Design Review 2: Augmented Reality

by | Mar 15, 2016 | Fredricks Design Review

Augmented Reality

In our last Fredricks Design Review, we took a look at Google Cardboard, an inexpensive gateway to virtual reality. Today, we’re going to dig a little deeper into another reality bender called “augmented reality”. “But whoa, bro. Isn’t all reality augmented”? you might say. That’s a rabbit hole that neither of us have time for today so we’re going to focus on an area of technology called “augmented reality”.

Augmented reality is, very simply stated, a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data1. Got it? Think of it as a clear (more…)

Fredricks Design Review 1: Google Cardboard

Fredricks Design Review 1: Google Cardboard

by | Feb 25, 2016 | Fredricks Design Review

Google Cardboard

I had a vivid flashback this morning. During the assembly of a Google Cardboard at my desk, I time-traveled to 1986 and relived the unboxing of my first Nintendo console. The simplicity of the setup and the anticipation of hours of novel entertainment through technology found some very common ground in my mind, triggering that great memory. I’ll never forget the first time the red Nintendo logo popped up on the tube with a satisfying *buh-ding*. The Nintendo was much more difficult to setup than the Cardboard but I was only three years old and the instructions didn’t explicitly say to have the TV on channel 3 (ok, maybe they did but I was way too excited to smash bricks and blast some ducks).

The Cardboard viewer that we ordered for four bones came in a non-descript package without any instructions. A quick search gave me a couple of pointers about the lens orientation (curved side away from your face) and I was up and running in a few minutes having preinstalled the Cardboard app on my Droid Turbo II. (more…)

CES 2016 Insights

CES 2016 Insights

by | Jan 14, 2016 | Company Insights, Events

 

Photo by John F. Martin for Delphi.

A visit to CES is like taking a trip to Europe. You have to choose where you spend your time or you run the risk of experiential overload. There is a lot to see and too little time. A high degree of patience is required for any visit to Las Vegas. There are people everywhere and dinner reservations are at a premium. These, of course, are developed world problems and I was lucky to be able to experience the show over two busy days.

CES is set up in 2.74m square feet of space housed in three different venues from the north of the Strip to the south end. There were 3800 companies exhibiting and the show attracted approximately 175k visitors from North America, Europe, Asia and many other countries. The investment in manpower, travel, marketing, show design, exhibit fabrication, setup and tear down must be an astronomical number. It’s really amazing that anyone with business credentials, a nominal fee for entry and the desire to walk miles every day can experience everything the show has to offer. (more…)