Avril Griessbach


Industrial designer with several years of experience in the
tool industry, consumer products, design leadership, and corporate branding strategy.

Passionate about user-centric processes and creating satisfying solutions.


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CV
Industrial Designer

 Professional problem solver - with several years of experience researching and designing for users in the tool industry. Passionate about the process.

EducationIndustrial Design BFA | Communications Minor - GPA 3.9
Dean’s List (2018-2022) | Honors Program (2020-2022)
Rochester Institute of Technology
(2022)

International Baccalaureate Diploma, Bilingual (English and German) 
Atlanta International School
(2018)
Toolbox Languages    

  • English
  • German
Tools

  • SolidWorks
  • KeyShot
  • Adobe Suite (Ai, Id, Ps)
  • 3D Printing (FDM, SLA)
Hard Skills

  • User Research
  • Sketching
  • Prototyping
  • DFM
  • Branding
Soft Skills

  • Supplier Coordination
  • Team Leadership
  • Product Roadmap Management
  • Negotiation
  • Public Speaking
Interests

  • Food & Cooking 
  • Traveling / Culture
  • Sustainability
  • Woodworking


Employment OX Tools USA / OX Tools Global
West Henrietta, NY, USA
(4 years)

Senior Industrial Designer (2023-2025)
Industrial Designer (2021-2023)
Industrial Design Intern (2021)

Joined as OX USA’s first in-house designer and progressed from intern to senior designer for OX Tools Global over four years – laying the foundation for OX’s internal design capability though a period of global restructuring and acquisitions.

  • Developed multiple product ranges from concept to production: OX chalk reels and hickory hammers (which are launched globally and maintain 4+ star ratings) and several products for BORA (a brand acquired by OX).

  • Innovated an award-winning, patent-pending chalk reel featuring a unique pinchable tip inspired by a key pain point found in user research. 

  • Defined OX’s Visual Brand Language (VBL) to guide both product redesigns and new product development to ensure visual consistency across a variety of products. Led efforts to ensure color consistency across materials.

  • Modeled many products with complex surfacing and created large assemblies, including functional mechanisms, using SolidWorks.

  • Led meetings with international manufacturers, keeping detailed entries on product development, action items, timelines, and feedback on samples.

  • Mentored and supported a team of designers (managed supplier communication and timelines, set priorities, held regular critiques, and contributed to ideation phases).

  • Prototyped iterative, functional, and display models using various media (including foam and 3D printing [FDM & SLA]).

  • Rendered customer- and client-facing images and animations showcasing products and their features using KeyShot.

  • Collaborated with global cross-functional teams—including engineering, marketing, packaging, and manufacturing.

  • Pitched new products to Lowe’s (the US’s second-largest home improvement retailer) and other key customers via technical presentations, product videos, and prototypes.

  • Built and maintained relationships with end-users in the construction industry and kept them involved throughout product development cycles and production sample reviews. 


R.I.T. 3D Design Shop 
Rochester, NY, USA
(8 months)

Woodshop Technician (2020-2021)

  • Oversaw woodshop safety, educated students on proper machine practices, prepared shop materials, and maintained an organized environment.


Awards Red Dot Design Award – OX Pro Precision Chalk Reel 
https://www.red-dot.org/project/ox-pro-precision-chalk-reel-80656(2025)

Pro Tool Innovation Award – OX Pro Precision Chalk Reel
https://protoolinnovationawards.com/winners/2024-pro-tool-innovation-awards/hand-tools/(2024)

RIT Story Slam Finalist  – Course on Advanced Public Speaking
(2022)

Stanley McKenzie Writing Award – 1st place in the first year – The Web of Discourse, Authenticity, Truth, and Politics 
(2019)

Patents Patent Pending – Chalk box with a flexible tip – WO2025233924A1  – US20250346066A1
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2025233924A1
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20250346066A1(2025)
Publications Design x Glass | RIT Vignelli Center – Over the Rocks 
https://www.rit.edu/vignellicenter/avril-griessbach(2023)

Metaproject 12 Winner
https://www.rit.edu/metaproject/projects/person/avril-griessbach (2021)
Certifications Foundations in Design Thinking – IDEO U 
(2020)





Last Updated 15.07.2026
©Avril Griessbach