Mary Feyrer, Mechanical Engineer
WHY ARE YOU A MECHANICAL DESIGNER?
My favorite classes were always art and math growing up. In art class I loved to be creative and to create and build new things. I loved math, because I loved how logical it was and finding an analytical answer to a problem. I went into mechanical engineering, because I felt it married these two things that I loved to do. Mechanical engineering requires being creative, but also analytical. The parts of mechanical engineering I enjoy the most are building and testing physical prototypes and figuring out how to fix or improve them.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB AT SOULO?
My favorite part of working at Soulo is getting to work on projects that will improve people’s everyday life. It’s very fulfilling and motivating to get to speak to our beta testers, and hear their stories. Working on this project has even led to me speaking more with my older family members and learning what tasks in their daily lives are difficult for them.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT THAT YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?
My favorite gadget is my kindle. I love to read, and my kindle is very light and thin and holds a ton of books. I can fit it in my purse or even a large jacket pocket and bring it with me easily. Plus, I share a kindle account with my whole family, so we can share and discuss the books we’re reading.
TELL US ABOUT A TIME THAT YOU OVERCAME A DIFFICULT DESIGN CHALLENGE.
One challenging design challenge I tackled was to design a lens support camera accessory for a technique called free-lensing where the lens is not connected to the camera. The main challenge was that the lens needed to be adjusted in a number of different directions, be able to be locked into place when the user wanted, and be operable with one hand. Balancing these different functions that counteract each other was difficult, and a big part of the design process was deciding where to compromise. It took a lot of iterating to create something that moved the way I wanted to be a useful and functional accessory and was easy to use. In the end I was able to create a high fidelity prototype that the photographer we were working with was very happy with!
WHO IS AN OLDER ADULT IN YOUR LIFE WHO HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO YOU?
One older adult who inspires me is my grandmother Genie. She was incredibly accomplished and motivated in her field. She had a masters degree in Chemistry and Clinical Psychology and in her 30s, in the 70s, she went back to school to get her PhD in Clinical Psychology. She also had an amazing sense of adventure. Her and my grandfather traveled all over the world together. A special tradition she started was that when each of her grandchildren turned 11, they could pick anywhere in the US (except Alaska or Hawaii) and her and my grandfather would plan a trip there with just the three of them. When I turned 11, my grandparents and I spent a week together in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. It’s special that I got to have that time and those experiences with just me and my grandparents, especially now that looking back on it.
