James Humphries
Industrial Design
Final year project
PHALO - A Cricket Bowler's Protective Headgear [Read more]
PHALO
Cricket is evolving, bat technologies are rapidly improving and batters are becoming more aggressive at the crease. Facial and cranial protection for bowlers is imperative to the future of the sport. The focus of such a design is aimed at advancing safety provision for bowlers during their follow-through.
PHALO - Jofra Archer
It is time the game adapted to this danger, the introduction of protective headgear will prevent severe head traumas seen in both professional and amateur levels.
PHALO - Prototyping
Low fidelity iterations of the headgear helped refine areas such as fit, interaction and visibility.
PHALO - Sketching
The initial stages of ideation were very diverse and varied. After completing secondary research, it was clear that this concept was going to be a lightweight headpiece.
PHALO - National Teams
Cricket is traditional, which means the aesthetic should complement the nature of the sport. It is important that the design takes visual cues from previous Cricket equipment to help players get accustomed to the product.
PHALO - Modular
The modular aspect of PHALO derived from surveys with experienced cricket players. Many players identified that they wanted different areas of the head protected. To ensure the player's protective preferences were met, the modular system was integrated into the design.
PHALO - Rear View
Cricket is very popular in Asia where temperatures can hit 45 degrees. Cut-outs have been integrated to enhance the breathability of the headgear to help regulate the bowler's temperature.
PHALO - Internals
The headgear integrates WaveCel, a collapsible cellular material that's incredibly effective at preventing head injuries caused by high-speed impacts.
James Humphries
I am an enthusiastic creative with a keen interest in sports equipment design.
Having successfully completed my undergraduate studies, I have developed my proficiency in conceptualisation, 3D modelling and design thinking. My future ambitions are to develop as an Industrial Designer and to bring my final year project PHALO to fruition.
Final year project
PHALO - A Cricket Bowler's Protective Headgear
Awards
First Place - ECB Bowlers Protective Headgear Design Competition
The England and Wales Cricket Board and MCC jointly launched the competition at the end of 2019, and judging recently took place at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Silver Design Award - StarPack Packaging National Competition
Logoplaste Milk Bottle Reimaging Brief
Work Experience
PUMA, Teamsport Equipment Design Intern, Germany
My primary responsibilities involved the designing of sports hardware and performance footballs. I worked on a designer's manual for aerodynamic characteristics of footballs, which ensured that all future PUMA performance ball designs would follow technical principles for consistent flight trajectory. Having utilised data from scientific publications on ball aerodynamics, I formulated the optimal ball texture, panel shape and orientation.