My name is Parke Pleasants. I'm a Product Designer, blurring the line between Engineering and Industrial Design to bring innovative ideas to fruition. When I'm not at work, I'm dabbling in personal design projects, road-tripping, camping, mountain/gravel biking, hiking, woodworking, wrenching on old trucks and motorcycles, and playing farmer on my humble homestead. My hands are my most used tools, whether the medium is 2D or 3D. I make things and fix broken stuff. I’ve spent countless hours trying to perfect the art of caulk application. These are some things that define me as a person and designer.
I graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in Industrial Design and a minor in Green Engineering in 2013. In the years since, I've worked as an engineer and designer of hardgoods and softgoods for major international brands. I've helped my employers to expand and excel in new categories, often challenging (and sometimes overthrowing) long-standing leaders in their respective markets. I strive to use hands-on creative thinking to solve problems and improve product experiences that offer functionality, quality, and longevity - I hold over 15 US and foreign patents as a testament to this effort. I'm currently applying my experience in product design, concept engineering, and prototyping at Bally Design in Pittsburgh.