Tom Andrews - Three-Dimensional Design

Tom Andrews is a product designer, interested in the future of transport. With a strong environmental consciousness, Tom hopes to reduce the reliance on private cars in towns and cities and has designed a compact and sustainable skateboard that tackles short but important journeys.

21-year-old Tom from Torphins, has produced ‘TEXTAM’, a light weight and highly functional skateboard. Tom’s design involved a careful design process as he strove to find the perfect balance between reducing the size and weight of his skateboard without losing functionality.

For Tom's degree project, he challenges urban transport issues and pushes micro-mobility into the future. His work involves constant prototyping, as he tests and produces highly refined drawings. At the heart of Tom's work, is an environmental awareness that influences his product design as he explains;

"I want to challenge current modes of transport. Mobility in urban locations is currently environmentally unfriendly, congested and unsustainable. My project, "TEKTAM", tackles these three main talking points by providing a micro compact solution to a much larger problem. I want to contribute to a more sustainable future and to look beyond private car use in city centres.

"Textam provides a practical solution to the first and last mile often needed at the beginning and end of a trip made on public transport. Whilst you may take a bus or train for most part of your journey, your final destination maybe too far to walk onto. Microbility products such as my lightweight skateboard, Textam, provide a solution to this transport need and plug the gaps often found in public transport routes. In turn, this will reduce the need for private cars in city centres and makes cities such as Aberdeen, greener and cleaner places to live.

“I decided to put a heavy importance in the impact of the environment in my project because of the current state of affairs. As a designer you have a responsibility to improve people’s lives and to consider your product’s environmental footprint as well as it's overall design. Every designer should consider the environmental impact their work generates”

Speaking about his experience at Gray’s, Tom said: “I wanted to study Product Design at Gray's due to the versatility the course offers. Having the chance to work in several disciplines and being able to use the wide range of resources that the University offers, made the easy decision.

“My experience at Gray's has been full of fond memories! From starting in first-year halls during my first drawing week and then going to hand in my final Honours project has felt like the quickest four years of my life. I will always look back and remember all the great times I had.”

As for any more products in the pipeline, Tom has plenty ideas and has applied to do an MA Degree at Robert Gordon University in Product Design to further his studies and to continue to grow as a Product Designer.