Who We Are
I (Josh) graduated from UC Davis in 2016 with a B.S in Mechanical Engineering. My first job after receiving my degree was designing satellites and the various subsystems that make them function throughout their lifecycle in the harsh environment of outer space. I enjoyed the work I was doing and the people I worked with, however I felt I was missing a little something extra. I chose to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering because I liked figuring out how things worked. My favorite part of my studies was the hands on aspects, and I felt I was lacking that experience at my job. Additionally, I felt I was designing satellite parts, but then would just send the design off to be built and assembled. One of my favorite things about designing is starting with a concept on paper, moving to a design on the computer, then fabricating and being able to hold that design or product. My job was only covering the first few steps of the design process, so I decided to develop some hobbies to try to apply my degree to the entire design process.
My first project was the Modular DIY CNC, which involved a lot of design iterations and learning throughout the process. I had never used motors, Arduino, or even a CNC, so I spent a lot of time learning about these topics and determining how I could apply my learnings. Unlike school, I was in charge of my own learning, and the true test of my knowledge was if the finished project worked or not. This process of designing, troubleshooting, and iterating is what I enjoy doing, and I found a new joy in sharing this process with others.
I continue to create projects, all with the same goal to learn a new skill or develop an old one further and then apply this to create an end product that I’m proud to share with others. I started Tiny Big Dog Designs to share the design process of my projects with others and inspire them to learn something new and apply this new knowledge. I really enjoy designing and making things and hope to share my findings with others, whether it be offering project plans and instructions, files for laser cutting, customization services and more.
The Name
Why Tiny Big Dog Designs? The answer to this question comes in two parts. First, I wanted to continue to learn and make designs, but didn’t want to be limited to one category such as only woodworking, only engineering, etc. Thus, the designs here are TBD (to be determined). Second, I wanted to design a logo around our dog, Bailey. As you’ll notice below, Bailey has one ear that always sticks up and one ear that’s always floppy, a unique byproduct of her mixed breeds (see below for her actual mix). Bailey is a medium sized dog, and as an engineer I like to overcomplicate things. Another way to say “medium dog” is “tiny big dog”, so by combining the ambiguity of the designs with the inspiration of our dog, Tiny Big Dog Designs was created.
The Team
Josh
Josh is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from UC Davis who loves to build things and figure out how stuff works. He enjoys design work, both in the field of engineering and general graphic design, along with learning new skills (as long as there won’t be a formal test on it). When he’s not working he enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing soccer, traveling, and just being outdoors.
Natasha
Natasha is the inspiration behind many of the designs created throughout this site, both directly and indirectly. She’s always thinking of new things for Josh to make to share with others. In her free time, Natasha enjoys being with friends, traveling, and experimenting in the kitchen with her own baking project, Chickenkatsumara.
Bailey
Bailey is the inspiration behind the Tiny Big Dog brand. As a Border Collie Australian Cattle Dog mix, she is a small version of a big dog, AKA a tiny big dog! Bailey enjoys running, watching squirrels, chasing tennis balls, sleeping and being outside.
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Also check out our Instructables page!