A Design For Life

The beautifully tranquil setting of Pembridge is not the first location that springs to mind when you think of the birthplace for designs that have transformed the way people keep themselves fit, car makers power their engines and healthcare professionals protect themselves.

However, the reality is somewhat different. Converted barns on our family-owned farm now form bespoke offices, design studios and testing labs that house Grove Design, a company I first formed in the early 1990s after learning my trade at Lucas Automotive.

I’ve always been fascinated with ideas and understanding how we can make them a reality, so that we deliver a positive benefit to society as a whole. My own vision was initially to focus on industrial design with its core in mechanical engineering, but this has evolved over the following 25 years to incorporate electrical, electronics and additive manufacturing.

In total, Grove has been responsible for designing more than 300 products.

Our team has grown with demand for our services and we currently employ 11 very special people, that’s nine designers and two office administrators.

Between us we have expertise in concept development and 3D modelling with analysis and visualisation, all backed up by annual investment in the latest software and enhanced workshop facilities to help us deliver prototyping and small run mechanical assembly.

Having knowledge in core disciplines is important, but where our engineering design agency differs is how we remove corporate barriers that can get in the way of creativity. All of our designers are encouraged to understand the brief and then take it in the direction that will ultimately deliver the performance, functionality and aesthetic styling the customer is looking for.

There is no right or wrong way to get there. This approach has been crucial in helping us meet the challenging brief of inventors, small to medium-sized businesses and major global companies, sometimes with an army of investors behind them.

In all projects we offer a full service, from initial concept, virtual design prototypes, CAE simulation and testing to full scale pre-production models - giving our clients access to comprehensive design and testing.

This significantly reduces the time from initial concept to production, saving time and money and, vitally, helping the customer deliver their new idea to market first.

I’ve been accused of hiding our light under a bushel and this first blog is a starting point in changing the way we promote Grove Design and some of the fascinating projects we’re working on.

Over the course of the next twelve months we’re going to give you more of an insight on what goes on behind the scenes and a number of the team will step forward to discuss current design trends, product completions and our thoughts on new technology coming into the marketplace.

We’d love to hear your views on what we write and also any observations you have about the intriguing world of design. 

Thanks for reading.

Austin Owens, Founder of Grove Design.