Balance partnered with startup MOVband to create this successful product to fight childhood obesity.  You can read about it here on cleveland.com!

On the evening of December 6th, a diverse group of designers, researchers, and students gathered in the scenic town of Chagrin Falls to experience a panel discussion by design and research experts and a night of holiday cheer.

The event (sponsored by IDSA, Moen, Diebold, Balance Product Development, Lextant, Omnitek, and The Technology House) was held at the Chagrin Falls Little Theatre and included a studio open house at Balance Product Development.

The Northern Ohio Chapter of the IDSA and Balance Product Development welcomed visitors from as far as Seattle to enjoy pre-panel noshing and networking before a panel discussion centered on the topic of end-user research. The expert panel included Judy Riley, VP of Global Design for Moen, Jeff Hyde, Managing Partner of Ideas In Focus, Linda Wagner, Director of Research for Carbon Design, Dave Loomis, Director of Consulting Services for NACCO Industries, and was moderated by Marty Gage, VP of Research for Lextant.

The evening festivities continued with a raffle and Balance studio visit where multiple rounds of Guitar Hero ensued. All in all, it was a spectacular end-of-the year event for the Northern Ohio chapter and a glimpse of what’s to come in 2012.

The hills were alive once again with the sound of out-of-breath bikers and creaking bones as Balance participated in its third charity bike ride to benefit ALS research.  Balance team members (left to right) Mike Tracz, Jesse Carlson, Rene Polin, James Park, and Anthony DeMore sported brand new Balance team shirts and were quite happy to finish the ride just in time for lunch:  hot dogs and Gatorade.

All in all, it was a fun event with beautiful weather-all for a great cause!

Balance supports worthy causes like ALS research, children’s cancer research, and The Special Olympics.

Balance Product Development, Inc. is proud to welcome James Park and Jessica Birchfield to its growing team.

James joins Balance full-time after a successful internship where he contributed to countless successful programs.  He holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Cleveland Institute of Art.

James’ transition from intern to product designer was seamless due to his natural ability to function as part of a team.  His unrelenting approach to uncovering multiple solutions to a problem is invaluable as we continue to provide responsible product design to our clients.   

Jessica comes to us after having gained real-world experience with a leading manufacturer of home organization products.  She also holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Jessica draws on her background to apply elements of art and principles of design to create product solutions that have positive physical, social, and emotional effects on an individual’s daily life. Her approach is simple: Understand a user’s wants and needs, define opportunities, explore multiple solutions, and deliver a solid final product.

René Polin, President and Founder of Balance Product Development, Inc. said, “The addition of these outstanding new designers is a tribute to the success of our ‘farm team’ strategy of developing young designers through our internship program. Balance is dedicated to seeking out and acquiring exceptional design professionals in order to build an unparalleled team to serve our clients.”

Rene will participate in a panel discussion titled: ‘Where Design Meets Manufacturing’ on Tuesday, April 13th

On Sunday August 2nd, 2009 five Balance designers took to the hills of the Chagrin Valley for the Second Annual Right Side of The Road Bike Tour to help raise money for ALS research.

Balance team members (left to right) Mike Tracz, Jesse Carlson, Rene Polin, Anthony DeMore, and James Park elected to attack the ten mile family course this year due to recurring nightmares from last year’s twenty eight mile torture circuit.

Questionable clouds threatened early but parted way for the start of a beautiful ride through the Chagrin Valley.  Despite the occasional passing from a few children and elderly riders, Balance managed to finish the ride (well most of us) in a respectable :50 minutes.

All in all, it was a fun ride with good friends and beautiful weather-all for a great cause!

Balance supports worthy causes like ALS research, children’s cancer research, and The Special Olympics.