Drú Blake is a multi-faceted designer and forward thinking leader. He is involved in every aspect of the design and manufacturing process of new products in a variety of industries. As CEO at Design Faktion, he ensures that each project is managed with the upmost accuracy and efficiency. This includes allocating project resources, budgets and managing cross-functional teams. Drú and his team follow industry leading systems and strategies to ensure that stakeholder’s needs are identified, employee schedules are on track, risks are minimized and that opportunities are maximized.
Drú has been in the tech and hardware product design industry for over six years. In that time he has mastered the art of networking, which has allowed him to grow a national and global network of friends and business associates in over 150 countries. Dru's key strength are people. His genuine love for other humans allows him to grow relationships organically. There is no event or person to high up that Dru won't talk to. Dru has lived in numerous cities infiltrating the right circles in short periods of time. Business relations, growth and development are just a few of his skills. He also spends a lot of time attending trade shows and conferences to network and learn about innovative technologies from industry leading professionals.
Drú can successfully immerse himself into any industry and apply "design thinking" to conceptualize new and innovative products and business ideas. Industrial designers are not taught to design in one specific industry or product. They are taught a process that allows them to design and develop just about anything, from hardware, transportation, furniture, Consumer electronics, and even software.
Drú has been in the tech and hardware product design industry for over six years. In that time he has mastered the art of networking, which has allowed him to grow a national and global network of friends and business associates in over 150 countries. Dru's key strength are people. His genuine love for other humans allows him to grow relationships organically. There is no event or person to high up that Dru won't talk to. Dru has lived in numerous cities infiltrating the right circles in short periods of time. Business relations, growth and development are just a few of his skills. He also spends a lot of time attending trade shows and conferences to network and learn about innovative technologies from industry leading professionals.
Drú can successfully immerse himself into any industry and apply "design thinking" to conceptualize new and innovative products and business ideas. Industrial designers are not taught to design in one specific industry or product. They are taught a process that allows them to design and develop just about anything, from hardware, transportation, furniture, Consumer electronics, and even software.
My Vision
2017
Accomplishments
Design Faktion / est. 2016
Is a full scale (hardware) product design firm. We offer multiple design packages that fit every budget. We offer concept design, patent protection, 3d modeling,engineering, prototyping, local/overseas manufacturing and package design. We focus on making user experience a priority and implementing design-first thinking into everything we do, whether we are designing products for our clients or for ourselves. As a leader I aspire to always encourage those around me to take risks, learn, grow, and inspire others around them to do the same. Ind. Design Team President / 2014-2017
As President of the Art institute of California, Orange County's Industrial Design Team, Drú finds innovative ways to keep his team competitive and community-driven. I grew our chapter from five members to over 25 in just two short months, and stayed throughout my schooling. I was and still am very big on giving back to the community. I facilitated and grew our relationships with organizations such as The Anaheim Ducks First Flight Field Trip, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Good Day L.A. Every event we did was focused around teaching kids about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs. Make-A-Wish Foundation, OC Guts/ 2016
The industrial design team created and carved an epic pumpkin design for the OC Guts pumpkin carving competition that benefits the Make-A-Wish foundation. The team had an amazing time with the kids and took home two awards. Peoples Best Choice Award and 3rd place. Light The Lamp Competition / 2014-2016
The industrial design team has worked side by side with the Anaheim Ducks organization for the last two years. They helped teach kids of all ages about product design and engineering. |
Class of 2017 Commencement Speech
INTRO:
Drú is not just a college student. He is a leader, the president of the industrial design team, a peer mentor, and a serial entrepreneur who runs his own product design firm called Design Faktion. He has dedicated endless hours of his free time to make this campus the best campus it can be. When he is not at school learning or helping other students, you can find him coaching startups on how to launch their business and carve their paths to success. He often gives back to his community by volunteering his time with local nonprofits. There is no limit to his passion for industrial design, and he truly believes in order to create, one must lead — and to lead, one must inspire. |
Inspire. Lead. Create.
My self and the Design Faktion Team are always just an email away. Please contact us today if you need help with anything at all, we are happy to help everyone.
|