Greg Freuler Portfolio

FREEHAND ™ PRO Anti-Fatigue Paint Brush Handle In 2009, I was remodeling my house and when I painted my hands began to cramp. I decided to buy a comfortable paint brush, no matter the cost. To my amazement, nothing existed. “What an opportunity,” I thought.

My initial concept was an ergonomic paint brush. People loved the handle, but pros were staunchly loyal to their brush brand. My strategy had to change… I needed to make a handle to hold a brush, not the entire brush.

FREEHAND™ PRO – Prototyping

A few of the many concept pieces and prototypes along the way.

Changing from brush to handle was more complex and time-consuming than creating the brush handle itself. How to capture the brush and how to make the unit comfortable with the necessary added width created challenges. In addition, I wanted the handle articulate to accommodate all sizes of hands. Although there were numerous possible solutions, it needed to be simple and aesthetically pleasing.

FREEHAND ™ PRO - Prototyping

Clamp slides to restrain brush

Early concepts to contain the brush included clamping it in using a screw-clamp mechanism, but I wanted a more elegant solution that did not require tools.

The red component could change position according to the brush handle’s size

In this concept, the handle was to articulate via a screw assembly shown to the left and below

FREEHAND ™ PRO - Early Design Concepts

Part of the beauty of the design of the FREEHAND PRO is its simplicity. The brush is held securely by a friction fit with the Brush-Lock Cartridges. No tools required.

FREEHAND ™ PRO - Brush-Lock Cartridges

FREEHAND ™ PRO - Packaging/Branding Branding and creating a look of our own was vital. I wanted our packaging to be instantly recognizable.

FREEHAND ™ PRO - Packaging For the FREEHAND PRO, allowing the consumer to hold the product was priority one. How to accomplish without using a clamshell to contain the unit literally had me looking on the inside. I looked at the ribs on the Brush-Lock Cartridges and the geometry of the brush-well area and thought there must be a way to utilize this to secure a header card.

This flap locks under the ribs and stops the card from moving up.

This flap has teeth that grip the ribs and prevent the card from moving forward or backward.

FREEHAND ™ PRO - Packaging The end result is packaging that is distinctive, functional and speaks to our brand.

FREEHAND ™ PRO Anti-Fatigue Paint Brush Handle All of the hard work was validated, when the FREEHAND PRO was awarded “Most Innovative New Product” at the 2013 National Hardware Show and a “Best Product of the Season” award in 2014 by DIY Network’s hit show, “I Want That.”

FREEHAND TOUCH™ Anti-Fatigue Paint Brush Handle

Trying to create a compact version of the FREEHAND PRO was no easy task. The initial concept was to create an all-foam model that used foam tape to permanently secure onto the brush. After long product testing and researching materials, we found the most economical and practical solution was to use the same materials as our FREEHAND PRO. I modeled the handle in Rhino/T-Splines.

The first prototype was made from household silicone to get a sense of the feel of a foam handle.

The form was then refined in Plastalina. This design was intended to permanently attach, using foam tape.

Discovering that the same Brush-Lock™ concept from the FREEHAND PRO could hold, even with limited surface contact, the shape was redesigned again in Plastalina.

After modeling the Plastalina form in Rhino, it was printed on my 3D printer.

FREEHAND TOUCH™ - Prototyping

Wanting the perfect haptic experience for all hand sizes led to producing multiple prototype iterations. Creating one size that was comfortable for all is challenging.

FREEHAND TOUCH™ - Prototyping

The intent was to allow consumers to hold the product in the store and feel its comfort. Utilizing just a few simple bends, and taking advantage of the product’s design, produced a header card that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

FREEHAND TOUCH™ - Packaging

Counter-Gravity System™ Paint Brush Counterweights

Part of what makes a paint brush so uncomfortable to hold is that most of the weight is forward and is compounded when the bristles are loaded with paint. This causes the fingers to grip the brush tightly and results in cramped fingers and unnecessary strain in the wrist and hand. By counterbalancing the weight of the brush, the fingers can be more relaxed, reducing much of the strain and fatigue.

(Actual Photo)

Counter-Gravity System™ - Concept Stage

The initial FREEHAND paint brush design (A) had a removable counterweight and snap-in brush heads, allowing the user to give the brush perfect balance. This was the inspiration to create counterweights to balance any paint brush. An early concept of the counterweight (B) was a swimming nose-plug inspired system, but differing brush geometry made this difficult. Virtually every brush on the market had a hang hole and the decision was made to use press-fit post through that hole.

Counterweight Insert

Detachable Brush Head

A B Counterweight (Nose Plug Design)

Orbiter II™ Telescoping Magnetic Tool Mount

While showing our original Orbiter clip to a paint store sales rep, he remarked, “It would be cool if you could lower the magnet as the paint level lowered, so the paint brush bristles could always be kept moist in the paint.” We couldn’t have agreed more and added this feature to make the Orbiter II. The Orbiter II was awarded a “Best Product of the Season” award in 2014 by DIY Network’s hit show, “I Want That” along with the FREEHAND PRO.

Original Orbiter

FREEHAND PROBE™ Paint Brush Extension Mount

There are a handful of paint brush extension tools on market, but they are cumbersome to use. The FREEHAND PROBE allows for quick adjustments to almost an angle with the simple release of a cam lever. The brush simply slides in and out. It attaches to any standard extension pole. By utilizing the existing molds of the upper halves of the FREEHAND PRO it saved an enormous tooling cost and tied in with our existing product line.

Quantum Magnetic Tool Mount

The versatile magnetic Quantum securely holds numerous small metal tools and adds an additional tool mount in the receiver of multiple galaxG tool mounts. It was sized to fit the tool well of most ladders.

Element™ Magnetic Tool Mount Belt Clip

When a painter is up on a ladder and doing prep work, there is a constant need to go back and forth between paint brush and scraper. The Element allows for quick access to both tools and gives the painter a free hand when they need one. The 17 angle keeps the brush’s bristles away from the body, while the handle stays close to prevent it catching. Conversely, the scraper’s handle faces outward for easy access, while its blade stays close to the body to prevent injury from its sharp corners.

FREEHAND HOLSTER™

The FREEHAND HOLSTER is the modular mount for the FREEHAND PRO and FREEHAND handles. It plugs into multiple galaxG tool mounts for use anywhere.

Shoe Design Soccer Cleat

Having played soccer for many years, I wanted to create a cleat pattern that would give the ultimate in playability. The upper on this model was intentionally left plain to showcase the cleat design. This was modeled in Rhino/T-Splines .

F4 Turbo™ Collapsible Resistance Trainer

“Wouldn’t it be great if you could fold up your swing fan trainer like an umbrella?” remarked Steve Skinner, President of ProActive Sports, while swinging our rigid-winged F4 Power Resistance Trainer. The group of us standing by looked at each other in this ah-ha moment. The F4 Turbo presented an exciting challenge and the most complex sewing and pattern making task I had ever come across. The end result was a simple, beautiful and effective product, and extremely practical, too.

F4 Rigid-Winged Version

Ultimittens™ / clicgear mitt™

As a golfer in Oregon, I have long suffered through rounds of golf in wet, cold and windy conditions and my hands were always cold, which causes loss of feel and control of the club. While pushing my golf cart, I came up with the concept of mittens that would attach to the handle allowing the player to instantly slide their hands in and out to keep them warm and make the golf game more enjoyable. The “single-wing” design creates a single mitten for both hands and provides the structure necessary to keep the mittens securely in place without losing their shape. Oh, that’s me with the photo and it was 95 degrees that day.

Ultimittens by ProActive Sports mitt by clicgear

Ultimittens™ / clicgear mitt™

Prototyping sample change instructions.

Green-Go™ Pocket Golf Ball Washer If you’ve ever played golf, you know that putting with a dirty ball can cause it to roll off-line causing you to miss that critical putt. You also have certainly experienced the frustration of going to the next tee only to realize you’ve left your towel at the last green. The answer to these problems is Green-Go. Green-Go was the first fully-enclosed pocket golf ball washer and remains the #1 seller. It has a neoprene outer and an interior microfiber towel liner that can remain moist throughout the golf round, while keeping your pocket dry at the same time. It’s so comfortable that while I was first testing it, I came home after work to find one in my pocket. I would never consider playing golf without one.

Keyhole Loop

The Looper™ Towel Series Golf towels with a hole to loop over a club had become quite popular and I was asked to come up with a better design than current brands. The other brands had large holes that looked unsightly and unintentional, as if someone took a pair of scissors to their towel. My solution was a “Keyhole Loop,” whose hole was just slightly larger than the diameter of a club shaft itself with a slot below it to allow the club to pass. The result was a tailored look that lied flat and added a touch of class to any bag. Looper is another name for a Caddy, popularized by the movies “Caddyshack” and “Looper” and was a natural fit for the product.

Clicgear Shoe Brush™

When grass builds up on golf cleats, it can cause feet to slip and your shot to go astray. It can also add extra weight to your shoes and make walking uneven and uncomfortable. Shoe brushes are available, but you have to get them out of the golf bag and bend over to use them, which for many is not a comfortable position. By snapping the shoe brush on the wheel strut, it provides immediate access and ease of use- no bending over necessary. This product quickly became the #1 selling accessory for Clicgear™, the leading pushcart brand on the market.

View™ GPS Mount

GPS devices were a natural fit for golf. The issue had been ease of access, visibility and use. By taking advantage of the existing umbrella mount receiver on the most popular pushcarts, and angling the unit to face the player, the problem was solved. The GPS unit clips in securely and removes quickly, without requiring tools.

Rain Tek™ Golf Bag Cover I was tasked with developing a golf pushcart specific bag cover. Three issues existed with all other pushcart bag covers: 1) The covers required the user to take their bag off of the cart to put on the cover, then put it back on the cart, 2) It was difficult to access the clubs without the clubs hitting the cover and getting the grips wet and 3) There was limited access to the bag’s pockets. The solution was a cover that wrapped completely around the cart with a structural-foam interior shell that protected the clubs and provided convenient, full access. To provide easy access to the bag’s pockets, we gave the cover five generous access flaps with hook & loop closure to keep the access flaps secure.

Tee Time Cribbage™

I loved cribbage growing up and came up with the idea of “playing a round of cribbage” on a golf course. I used basic layout of a local golf course (Eastmoreland) as the blueprint for the game. We wanted the retail footprint to be reasonable, so we made the board with two halves that connect magnetically for an elegant look and feel. The carry bag has a pocket for playing cards and slots for the pegs.

Ka-Ching!™ On-Course Golf Game Several uninspired on-course golf betting games existed and I was charged with bringing a new spin on the games and clearly defining the rules of play. We were forced to play rounds of golf to do this- how utterly inhumane! The end result was Ka-Ching, which makes every shot count. It’s hard for me to image playing golf without Ka-Ching!

A Good Lie™ Board Game While on a plane to Thailand an idea popped into my head for a golf-themed game based on a simple liar’s dice game we played in college. By the time we landed in Bangkok, the foundation for A Good Lie was laid. The game was created from the ground up, from the concept, rules, scoring, components and everything in between.

Senior Tee™

Golf tee designed with larger head for seniors and those with trembling hands.

Graphic Design

I created this course map for Lost Balls Country Club, a private 9-hole Par-3 course in Tualatin, Oregon, using Adobe Illustrator, with Google Maps used for spatial reference. It was done in the style of mid-century golf scorecards.

Graphic Design - Logos

Fruit-based treats

Product holding group Home improvement tool company

The Looper Golf Towel ProActive Sports Group product

(Intentional old-school look)

Fru-Eats

PDX Products

These logos were all created in Adobe Illustrator

Graphic Design – Technical Drawings

Illustrations made in Adobe Illustrator, showing proper fit for FREEHAND PRO.

Graphic Design – Sales Literature

Sell sheet produced in Adobe Illustrator.

Exhibit Design

Simple rendering examples.

Exhibit Design

Continued…

Exhibit Design

Everything designed in Rhino and rendered in KeyShot

Exhibit Design

Another quick booth mock-up.

Photography – Personal

I enjoy discovering the hidden world all around us. What looks to be a distant planet in the cosmos is actually a rusting bolt on an trailer, taken with a macro lens.

Minute areas of rusting metal in a steelyard, captured with a macro lens.

Photography – Personal

A logo on an oil drum and decaying cars in a junkyard.

Photography – Personal

Sculpting - Personal This sculpture was chiseled out of an ordinary salt lick from a feed store.

Creating products where haptics (sense of touch) is vital- sculpting an exacting ergonomic form is critical.

Sculpting – Product Design

Top Left: Early hand-carved foam paint brush handle model. Right: Plastalina model used to perfect the haptics of the FREEHAND PRO.

Taking inspiration from the upper portion of the foam model and the lower portion of the Plastalina form, the final product is the best of both worlds.

Sculpting – Product Design

Sculpting – Product Design Here, the FREEHAND TOUCH is modeled in Plastalina.

Although technically advanced, the final product’s design was born from the Plastalina model.

Portrait of Coco, the world’s sweetest dog, done in Photoshop.

Personal - Artwork

The term “irreducible complexity” speaks to the heart of what I strive for in my product design. I enjoy the challenge of finding methods and materials that allow a product to shine, without over-complication. Creating something that works simply is more challenging and rewarding than creating something that is overbuilt. I’m looking forward to my next challenge! P.S. There are no tools required for any of the products in this portfolio.

My Design Intent

Fin