We bring cross-industry design expertise with a faster, more efficient approach than traditional firms.
Mike Strasser
Mike has over 30 years of experience in product design and development, with roles at Apple, IDEO, NASA, and BMW. He founded Think2Build, a San Francisco consultancy, and co-founded Motiv, creators of the smallest wearable fitness and health tracker in the form of a ring.
Named on 87+ patents, Mike’s work spans medical devices, consumer electronics, and packaging. His projects include the first Apple optical mouse, BACtrack alcohol tester, HP printer technology, the Tracker avalanche beacon, implantable medical devices, FedEx’s smart drop box, and Miller-Coors packaging.
He has been a regular guest lecturer at Stanford’s d.school and UC Berkeley’s Bioengineering program for over 20 years. Mike holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and an MSE in Product Design Engineering from Stanford.
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User research and synthesis: personas, interviews, insights, and market/competitor analysis
Product requirements and roadmapping: defining must-haves, portfolio direction, and business strategy
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Experience modeling: storyboards, user journeys, and concept ideation
Product design and engineering: mechanical design, manufacturability considerations, material selection, and industrial design oversight
Design reviews and detail engineering: ensuring manufacturability, catching issues early
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Leading teams through the full design process and guiding implementation to preserve the product vision, while supporting development processes and tools that promote organization, efficiency, and cross-functional collaboration.
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Inventor on 87+ utility and design patents in consumer products and medical devices
Jochen Backs
Jochen is an award-winning industrial designer with global experience shaping products that balance innovation, functionality, and beauty. German-born and Asian-inspired, he was one of only three designers worldwide to define Samsung’s corporate aesthetic, helping set the tone for its evolutionary design language. Recognized for a collaborative approach and passionate attention to detail, he creates products that are both rational and emotionally resonant, while ensuring they are production-ready. His work on the Vessel Kitchen earned the highest honor at the 2015 International Design Award, where he was named “Designer of the Year” in the product category.
He brings strength in creative direction and early visualization, protecting design intent from concept through production. He oversees the quality and appropriateness of design on projects involving new technologies and applications, presents compelling concepts to gain alignment from key stakeholders, and partners with engineering teams to overcome manufacturing challenges and deliver high-quality outcomes.
Jochen holds 60 design and utility patents and 39 international design awards.
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Shape products where form and function align, blending rational utility with emotional appeal into distinctive, user-centered designs.
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Create iconic, ownable systems that express brand identity.
Ensure adaptability across products, markets, and future growth.
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Design products that are functional, manufacturable, and detail-refined.
Document Colors, Materials, and Finishes (CMF).
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Deliver compelling renderings and imagery.
Visualize future explorations and roadmaps.
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Develop names and logos as part of a cohesive brand.
Ted Bender is a senior mechanical engineer with a strong background in medical devices. He has led the development of complex technologies for most of his career and understands the full process from early prototyping through scaled manufacturing. His expertise spans design control, quality systems, and the documentation required to bring regulated products to market.
Ted has managed engineering documentation, supplier quality controls, and verification and validation studies, including bench, lab, cadaver, and preclinical animal testing. He has deep experience in manufacturing scale-up, from supplier evaluation to specialized processes such as injection molding, micro stamping, CNC machining, laser cutting, EDM, and Controlled Environment Room assembly. He has also worked extensively with regulators—including FDA, CE, and the Australian TGA—presenting to the FDA in Silver Spring, MD, to negotiate clinical trial design and product validation.
In addition to technical leadership, Ted has driven cost reduction strategies for both low- and high-volume production. He has supported startups transitioning from SolidWorks to OnShape, developed patent strategies, and is named on 66 issued U.S. patents and 19 international patents covering medical devices and consumer products. His combination of engineering, regulatory, and intellectual property expertise makes him a trusted leader in advancing innovative technologies from concept to commercialization.
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Document design processes from concept to market release.
Provide engineering drawings, inspection records, and supplier quality controls.
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Conduct bench, lab, cadaver, and preclinical studies.
Perform user validations and regulatory trial preparations.
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Support supplier evaluation, inspection, and assembly fixturing.
Guide high-volume processes: injection molding, micro stamping, extrusions, CNC, laser cutting, EDM, nitinol, silicone, and CER manufacturing.
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Navigate FDA, CE, and TGA requirements for R&D and clinical trials.
Present to regulators and plan trials for surgical and implantable products.
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Drive cost reduction for both low- and high-volume products.
Transition teams from SolidWorks to OnShape.
Develop patent strategy and draft filings, with 85+ issued patents worldwide.
Leo Kopelow
Leo has spent more than 25 years working at the intersection of design, technology, and human experience, helping organizations create products and services that are good for both business and the world. Before co-founding the design firm Daylight, he led multidisciplinary teams at IDEO and helped oversee IDEO’s flagship Palo Alto location. Over the years, he has collaborated with companies and organizations such as Logitech, Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Boston Scientific, and UNICEF.
His work spans consumer products, transportation, healthcare, education, financial services, and enterprise software, with a recent focus on pediatric healthcare. Leo’s approach combines human-centered research with service and product design, design systems, and visual communication, grounded in a lifelong interest in how design can improve everyday life. He also brings a hands-on creative background in photography and video production to much of his work.
Leo studied design at the University of Manitoba, with continuing education at California College of the Arts and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has coached student teams at CCA and guest lectured in Stanford’s product design program. His work has been recognized with numerous international awards, including Graphis, Good Design, ID Magazine, IDSA/BusinessWeek, iF, Red Dot, Time’s 50 Best Websites, and the Webby Awards, and he is a named inventor on multiple US and international patents.
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Understanding how people actually live, work, and interact with products and systems. This involves close consideration of context, trade-offs, and the motivations behind behavior—the subtleties that often shape decisions in meaningful ways.
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UX Design — The practice of shaping how people interact with a product or system, focusing on usability, clarity, and emotional impact to create intuitive, satisfying experiences.
Service Design — The holistic design of end-to-end services, aligning people, processes, technologies, and touchpoints so that the overall experience feels seamless and effective.
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Storytelling — Communicating user needs and experiences through narrative to build empathy and alignment.
Journey Mapping — Visualizing the steps, emotions, and pain points of a user’s interaction to identify opportunities.
Service Blueprinting — Mapping both the customer experience and supporting processes to design seamless services.
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Guiding the implementation process from a design perspective to ensure the original vision is preserved, while collaborating seamlessly with agile development teams, including offshore partners.
