From the glowing surface of a smartwatch to the subtle textile wrap of a smart speaker, industrial design is no longer just about function — it's about feeling. In today’s era of material fluency and sensory-led UX, industrial designers have become the narrators of our digital lives, defining how technology feels, lasts, and emotionally connects with us.
These 25 living designers represent the forefront of that transformation. They come from leading brands like Apple, Google, Samsung, and Sony — as well as radical independents and design studios that fuse craftsmanship with computation.
Their signature lies not just in shape, but in CMF: colour, material, finish. Each one here uses texture, tactility, and tone as powerful storytelling tools. They push past product categories, reimagining what hardware could look and feel like — and in doing so, they redefine the relationship between humans and machines.
This is MatterMind’s definitive 2025 edition: a global deep search celebrating the industrial designers leading the next era of consumer electronics — one textured, sensorial surface at a time.
Adele Orcajada – CMF Researcher & Material Strategist (Spain)
With degrees in material science and product design, Orcajada is a leading voice in future-focused CMF. Formerly at MaterialDriven and now based at the Basque BioDesign Center, she researches biobased, biodegradable, and culturally rooted materials for consumer electronics and wearables.
Highlight Projects: SCOBY-based wearables, bacterial cellulose coatings, educational workshops with tech firms
What Tocco loves: Her ability to connect microbiology with CMF — helping tech companies think not just about function, but about regeneration, tactility, and planet-centric storytelling.
Alberto Villarreal – Creative Director (Mexico)
A graduate of the Umeå Institute of Design in Sweden, Villarreal gained prominence as the lead designer of the Pixel 2 at Google. He’s known for translating warmth and emotional intelligence into tech form — both in design teams and now as an independent consultant. His work blends fashion sensibility, Latin American texture language, and clean industrial forms.
Highlight Projects: Google Pixel 2 & 2XL, Pixel accessories, Tonal fitness devices
What Tocco loves: His textile-forward approach to electronics redefines what premium can feel like — with brushed surfaces, woven cases, and CMF choices that truly invite touch.
Ayush Kasliwal – Principal Designer, AKFD Studio (India)
One of India’s leading design voices, Kasliwal studied at the National Institute of Design and works at the intersection of craft, context, and industrial production. His studio, AKFD, collaborates with manufacturers to create smart furniture and consumer products grounded in Indian aesthetics and local material intelligence.
Highlight Projects: Godrej Interio smart furniture line, Aura Air purifier (India launch edition)
Awards: EDIDA India Designer of the Year, Lexus Design Award India
What Tocco loves: His contextual, slow-tech sensibility — proving that electronics can be deeply rooted in place, tradition, and cultural rhythm.
Beatrice Santiccioli – CMF Design Consultant (Italy/USA)
A Florence-born designer and one of the original CMF pioneers at Apple, Santiccioli helped shape the palette of the first Bondi Blue iMac and later the iPod Nano Chromatic series. With a background in colour psychology, fashion, and industrial design, she’s since worked with Swatch, Nike, Herman Miller, and IDEO.
Highlight Projects: iMac G3 colour strategy, iPod Nano, Herman Miller seating systems
Awards: Recognised by Fast Company and DesignBoom as a CMF trailblazer
What Tocco loves: Her eye for hue and finish. She doesn’t just pick colours — she orchestrates product-wide stories that link surface, shape, and emotion.
Benjamin Hubert – Founder, LAYER (UK)
Educated at Loughborough University, Hubert founded LAYER to blend industrial design with user-centred research. His London studio has worked with Bang & Olufsen, Samsung, and Nolii to create premium consumer products, especially in audio and lifestyle tech. He’s known for material experimentation and 3D-printed functionality.
Highlight Projects: Beosound Balance speaker, Nolii accessories, Ford Elevate scooter concept
Awards: Red Dot Best of the Best, iF Gold, Wallpaper* Design Award
What Tocco loves: His deep research-first process leads to tactile, multi-sensory outcomes. From knurled surfaces to hidden controls, his products are as considered as they are quietly luxurious.
Brett Lovelady – Founder, Astro Studios (USA)
With a background at frog design and Lunar, Lovelady founded Astro Studios in San Francisco, helping define the visual culture of modern tech. He was behind Xbox 360’s concave silhouette and co-founded Astro Gaming, applying premium CMF and lifestyle thinking to gaming gear.
Highlight Projects: Xbox 360, Nike FuelBand, Astro Gaming headsets
Awards: IDSA Designs of the Decade, CES Innovation Awards
What Tocco loves: Lovelady’s intuition for youth-driven tech culture — making consoles, wearables and accessories feel vibrant, tactile, and emotionally high-energy.
Dieter Rams – Former Design Director, Braun (Germany)
Rams studied architecture and interior design at Wiesbaden School of Art, later joining Braun in 1955 where he led industrial design for over three decades. He authored the “Ten Principles of Good Design,” a global manifesto for minimal, ethical, and enduring design. His iconic work at Braun influenced not just appliances, but the entire field of tech aesthetics — including Jony Ive at Apple.
Highlight Projects: Braun SK-4 record player, ET66 calculator, LE1 speaker
Awards: World Design Medal, Lucky Strike Design Award, Federal Cross of Merit (Germany)
What Tocco loves: Rams' legacy proves that clarity is timeless. From matte greys to perfectly spaced buttons, his CMF choices continue to shape how we design — and what we leave out.
Evans Hankey – Former VP of Industrial Design, Apple (USA)
After studying industrial design at UCLA, Hankey became Jony Ive’s successor at Apple, leading the team through a significant transition. She helped launch the M1 iMac, MacBook Pro (2021), and AirPods Max — all regarded as high points in Apple’s post-Ive era.
Highlight Projects: M1 iMac, MacBook Pro (2021), AirPods Max
Awards: Projects under her leadership have received multiple Red Dot, iF, and IDEA awards
What Tocco loves: Her subtle yet powerful refinements — bringing back ports, embracing colour, and guiding Apple into a new era without losing its soul.
Gadi Amit – President, NewDealDesign (USA)
A native of Tel Aviv and graduate of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Amit founded NewDealDesign in San Francisco, where he’s led breakthrough projects for Fitbit, Lytro, and Google. His studio has won numerous Red Dot and IDEA awards, and he’s known for pioneering the “emotive tech” movement in consumer electronics.
Highlight Projects: Fitbit trackers, Lytro camera, Sproutling baby monitor
What Tocco loves: Amit’s work is as much about feel as it is function — shaping friendly, inclusive products with bold CMF and thoughtful usability.
Hartmut Esslinger – Founder, frog design (Germany/USA)
Born in Germany and trained at Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd, Esslinger founded frog design and became one of the earliest voices linking industrial design to brand strategy. He created the “Snow White” design language for Apple in the 1980s, which helped the company become a design leader even before the iPod era.
Highlight Projects: Apple IIc, Sony Trinitron redesigns, Wega TVs
Awards: Lifetime Achievement from Cooper Hewitt, Federal Design Award (Germany)
What Tocco loves: His radical belief that emotion is a function — pioneering soft forms, white plastic finishes, and brand-consistent CMF long before it was mainstream.
Isabelle Olsson – Design Director, Google Home & Wearables (Sweden/USA)
Born in Sweden and educated in industrial design at Lund University, Olsson has carved out a global role at the intersection of product and material design. She was instrumental in shaping Google’s hardware CMF strategy, pushing for more intuitive, tactile, and domestic materials in technology.
Highlight Projects: Google Home, Pixel Buds, Nest Mini
What Tocco loves: Her Scandinavian roots show in every detail — calm palettes, warm finishes, and a design language that brings a human touch to machines.
Ivy Ross – VP of Hardware Design, Google (USA)
A design polymath with roots in both art and business, Ivy Ross studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology and has worked at Calvin Klein, Swatch, Gap, and Mattel. At Google, she now leads an award-winning team that has redefined tech aesthetics, earning a place on Fast Company’s Most Creative People list.
Highlight Projects: Pixel phones, Nest Thermostats, Google Home devices
What Tocco loves: Ross’s fusion of softness and intelligence — from fabric-wrapped speakers to pastel-toned phones — brings emotional depth to digital products.
Jony Ive – Co‑Founder, LoveFrom (UK)
Sir Jonathan Ive is one of the most influential industrial designers of the 21st century. After graduating from Newcastle Polytechnic (now Northumbria University), he joined Apple in the early 1990s and eventually became Chief Design Officer. He led the design of revolutionary products including the iMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and MacBook — shaping not just Apple’s aesthetic but the global tech landscape. In 2012, he was knighted for services to design and enterprise.
Highlight Projects: iPhone, iMac G3, iPad, Apple Watch
What Tocco loves: Ive’s pursuit of perfection and clarity has set a new benchmark in minimalist, material-driven product design — turning objects of use into icons of culture.
Jesper Kouthoofd – CEO & Head of Design, Teenage Engineering (Sweden)
Originally a creative director in advertising and film, Jesper co-founded Teenage Engineering in Stockholm and quickly developed a cult following for his experimental approach to product design. His OP-1 synthesizer and Pocket Operator series redefined musical tools for a younger generation, and his firm has collaborated with IKEA, Panic, and Nothing.
Highlight Projects: OP-1 Synth, Pocket Operators, OD-11 speaker
What Tocco loves: Jesper’s playful restraint — tight color palettes, tactile forms, and lo-fi textures — offers a radical rethinking of what tech can feel like: intuitive, joyful, and unapologetically weird.
Lee Min-hyuk – VP of Design, Samsung Electronics (South Korea)
A veteran industrial designer at Samsung, Lee led the aesthetic transformation of the Galaxy smartphone series, moving the company away from plastic shells toward refined glass and metal designs. He has spoken publicly about his commitment to original design thinking, defending Samsung’s identity during its early rivalry with Apple.
Highlight Projects: Galaxy S3–S9 smartphone evolution
What Tocco loves: His confidence in form as identity — giving mass-market tech a unique look and feel through expressive curvature, high-gloss finishes, and ever-evolving silhouettes.
Michael DiTullo – Founder, Michael DiTullo Studio (USA)
DiTullo studied at RISD and began his career at Nike, where he worked on the Zvezdochka with Marc Newson. He later joined Motorola and Google’s Project Ara before founding his own studio. Known for expressive sketches and high-impact forms, he brings future-forward CMF thinking into audio, gaming, and concept tech.
Highlight Projects: Harman Kardon Aura, Google Project Ara, Dell XPS concepts
Awards: CES Innovation Awards, Core77, IDEA finalist
What Tocco loves: DiTullo’s bold, layered surfacing — from translucent housings to saturated metals — helps tech feel expressive and unapologetically high-design.
Naoto Fukasawa – Independent Designer (Japan)
A master of “without thought” design, Fukasawa studied at Tama Art University and worked at IDEO before establishing his Tokyo-based studio. His design philosophy revolves around intuitive usability and understated beauty. He has designed everything from the MUJI CD player to the Infobar phone, and collaborated with brands like B&B Italia, Herman Miller, and ±0.
Highlight Projects: MUJI CD Player, KDDI Infobar phone, ±0 Humidifier
Awards: Mainichi Design Award, IDEA Gold, and a permanent collection in MoMA
What Tocco loves: His quiet, behavioural-led approach to CMF and form — where plastic feels soft, function disappears into familiarity, and nothing is wasted. Fukasawa makes simplicity profound.
Ralf Groene – Former Head of Industrial Design, Microsoft Devices (Germany)
A trained cabinetmaker turned industrial designer, Groene studied at Hochschule der Künste Berlin before joining Microsoft, where he became a key figure in the development of the Surface line. Under his leadership, Microsoft introduced premium CMF features — like Alcantara keyboard covers — into business computing.
Highlight Projects: Surface Pro, Surface Studio, HoloLens
What Tocco loves: Groene’s meticulous material choices challenge the idea that business hardware must be boring — showing that cool metals, soft fabrics, and warm tactility have a place in productivity.
Robert Brunner – Founder, Ammunition (USA)
With a degree in industrial design from San José State University, Brunner began his career at Apple, where he became Director of Industrial Design and laid the foundation for the company’s early hardware identity. After leaving Apple, he founded Ammunition, a San Francisco-based design firm renowned for merging brand and product seamlessly. He co-created Beats by Dre, transforming headphones into fashion-tech status symbols.
Highlight Projects: Beats headphones, Square reader, Polaroid Cube
What Tocco loves: Brunner doesn’t just design products — he designs entire experiences. His ability to fuse storytelling, surface language, and bold silhouettes gives everyday electronics lasting emotional resonance.
Tej Chauhan – Independent Designer (UK)
A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Chauhan is best known for bringing bold personality and narrative into consumer electronics. His work is visually expressive — with soft forms, punchy colour palettes, and 1960s–70s retrofuturism. His Nokia and Rado collaborations show how emotion and nostalgia can be reintroduced to high-tech products.
Highlight Projects: Nokia 7280 concept, Rado DiaStar Original 60th Anniversary Edition, Deuce speakerphone
Awards: Good Design Award, Design Week Best of Show
What Tocco loves: Chauhan’s playful, human-first CMF makes every product feel like a character — using form, finish and colour as emotional hooks.
Tom Howard – Head of Design, Nothing (UK)
Formerly a design lead at Dyson and Teenage Engineering, Howard brings engineering intimacy into hardware design. At Nothing, he helped shape the transparent aesthetic of the Phone (1), which has earned accolades for its radical visibility and layered CMF. His approach combines robust performance thinking with raw, expressive surfaces.
Highlight Projects: Nothing Phone (1), Nothing Ear (1), Ear (2)
What Tocco loves: His bravery in stripping away — exposing internals, showcasing LED glyphs, and making honesty a visual principle. This is tech as storytelling, with every screw and seam considered.
Tony Fadell – Founder, Nest Labs (USA)
Known as the “father of the iPod,” Fadell led product development at Apple before founding Nest Labs. Trained as an engineer, he’s always seen design and technology as intertwined. At Nest, he applied premium materials and intuitive UI to reimagine everyday devices — elevating the thermostat into an icon.
Highlight Projects: iPod, iPhone (v1), Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Protect
Awards: National Design Award, Time 100, multiple IDEA & Red Dot wins
What Tocco loves: Fadell designs with vision and edge — stripping away complexity and wrapping power in elegant, high-touch surfaces that feel instantly familiar.
Yves Béhar – Founder, fuseproject (USA/Switzerland)
Trained at ArtCenter College of Design, Béhar blends Swiss modernism with Californian innovation. He founded fuseproject in 1999 and has since led design efforts for brands like Jawbone, Herman Miller, Samsung, and nonprofit ventures like One Laptop per Child. He’s received over 300 design awards, including INDEX and Design Museum’s Designer of the Year.
Highlight Projects: SNOO Smart Crib, OLPC XO Laptop, August Smart Lock
What Tocco loves: Béhar’s talent lies in merging purpose and product — making sustainability, empathy, and accessibility integral to consumer tech.
Yujin Morisawa – Senior Art Director, Sony (Japan)
Morisawa studied industrial design in Japan and made headlines when he led the visual development of Sony’s PlayStation 5 — a daring departure from minimalist consoles. His designs tend to break conventions, evoking motion and sculptural character.
Highlight Projects: PlayStation 5, Sony Rolly MP3 player, Aibo robot dog (revamp)
Awards: Good Design Award (Japan), iF Design Award
What Tocco loves: His PS5 work showed that industrial design can provoke. It’s bold, architectural, and expressive — a rare feat in a category dominated by black boxes.
Yao Yingjia – Former Chief Designer, Lenovo (China)
A graduate of Tsinghua University and one of China’s first internationally recognised industrial designers, Yao Yingjia shaped Lenovo’s design DNA from within. He led major consumer and business device lines and brought cultural symbolism into modern tech. He also designed the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch, combining innovation with heritage.
Highlight Projects: Lenovo Yoga laptop series, ThinkPad X1 refinements, Olympic “Cloud of Promise” torch
Awards: Red Dot Design Team of the Year (2013), iF Awards, China Red Star Award
What Tocco loves: His approach bridges form, function, and cultural meaning — infusing devices with narrative and nuance in an industry often ruled by sameness
These 25 designers and design leaders have profoundly shaped consumer electronics – making gadgets more beautiful, more functional, and more meaningful. They come from all corners of the globe, yet share a common trait: an unyielding curiosity and commitment to great design. By selecting better materials, pushing creative boundaries, and keeping users front-and-center, they “get inspired faster, reduce waste, and discover future-proof materials,” just as today’s makers aspire to do.
Join the League.
What’s driving material decisions behind the scenes? Beyond the showrooms and strategy decks, Tocco believes the future is being shaped by those who touch the materials themselves—and those who dare to rethink them.
That’s why we created UNBOX: the world’s first portable material library for these pioneers. It’s our tactile research tool disguised as a product—a curated selection of next-gen materials from the world’s most promising innovators, packed into a portable format for designers, educators, and creators.
Check out UNBOX project here
