Product Design Engineer · Apple · Summer 2024

Apple — Input Devices

Four months on the Input team working across mechanical design, validation, and usability for pencil, keyboard, and trackpad hardware.

Confidentiality: Project specifics and unreleased details are under NDA. Below is what I can share about my scope, methods, and outcomes.

What I Did & Learned

Design & Analysis

Built tolerance stacks tied to GD&T, ran quick FEA sweeps on stress/fatigue, and translated findings into geometry/material updates while protecting user feel.

GD&TTolerance stacksFEA (stress/fatigue)

Validation & Reliability

Designed fixtures and clear procedures to improve repeatability. Partnered with reliability to define pass/fail linked to user-perceptible changes and set up fast FA loops.

Test method designFailure analysisDesign-for-reliability

Cross-Functional Execution

Aligned ID, EE, FW, and vendors on constraints (CMF, fit, electrical) without compromising UX; converted ambiguous feedback into actionable spec updates.

DFxSpec writingVendor collaboration

Tools & Methods

MATLAB for analysis/automation, NX for design sweeps, and data logging to compare pre/post changes objectively. Used decision matrices for traceable concept selection.

MATLABNX/CADData pipelines

Outcomes I Can Share

Faster Iteration

Improved test repeatability with clearer fixtures and protocols, enabling quicker feedback between builds.

Risk Reduction

De-risked fatigue-sensitive features by updating geometry informed by targeted FEA and bench data.

Cleaner Handoffs

Sharper documentation and decision logs reduced late-stage churn and kept cross-team work aligned.

Professional Takeaways

Design Culture & Collaboration

Cross-disciplinary trust with ID, EE, and reliability sharpened my ability to negotiate trade-offs while protecting the user experience.

Clarity & Communication

Learned to condense complex technical decisions into concise updates—detail for engineers, context for leadership.

Attention to Detail

Small adjustments in fit, finish, or process meaningfully impact quality at scale; rigor in the last 1% matters.

Operating Under NDA

Built discipline in documentation and alignment without exposing sensitive work—tight, actionable notes and clear interfaces.