#22 | Dan Harden | Driving positive impact for people and business
“When you convey your point of view, sometimes that allows you to have much more impact. (…) You have to make the links between the business goals and the design goals. (…) Use all the market evidence to proof how impactful design can be. There is so much evidence of good design making an impact to businesses.”
Dan Harden on communicating the importance of design when it comes to business success
A special episode: I was honoured with the amazing opportunity to talk to Dan Harden, one of the most recognised global design leaders grated over 500 patents and over 300 design awards. Fast Company magazine featured Dan as a Master of Design and called him “design’s secret weapon”. After designing with Steve Jobs as the VP and President of Frog, Dan founded Whipsaw in California over 20 years ago - a highly acclaimed design firm driving innovation for Intel, Google, Samsung, Sony, Uber and more. We dive into:
why design drives innovation and business, especially when it comes to new startups, products and ventures
how design drives brands by transporting meaning and value to the end-user and how he helped to reinvent industries or rescue brands and businesses
20 years of Whipsaw design: how good design can save lives, pushing innovation in the healthcare space and create positive outcomes for people
how to communicate the impact design can bring to an organisation and why investments are key for the company success
how to design robots, what are key product and interaction challenges
the future of Industrial Design
Quite a highlight of the podcast series so far. Again this is a collaboration with the Industrial Design Society of America. Thanks a lot for your time and interest Dan!
Some of the projects of Whipsaw we reference:
Koniku | Kore Bio-Electric Sensor
Bear Robotics Food Service Robot
About Dan Harden:
Dan is CEO, Founder & Principal Designer of Whipsaw Inc., a highly acclaimed design firm in San Francisco and San Jose California. Dan is the highly active creative force of Whipsaw, where he directs the strategic and conceptual direction of most client accounts. His passion and experience combined with his personal philosophies about art, culture, psychology and technology permeate the work and the brand.
Throughout his prolific career Dan has designed hundreds of successful products ranging from baby bottles to supercomputers for clients including AT&T, Braun, Brita, Cisco, Dell, Google, Haier, Intel, Logitech, Merck, Motorola, Olympus, Samsung, Sony, Tile, Tonal and Uber.
Dan has won over 300 design awards in his career including many IDEA, Red Dot, iF and G-Mark awards, and granted over 500 patents. Fast Company magazine featured Dan as a Master of Design and called him “design’s secret weapon”. Dan's views and work have also been featured in Abitare, Axis, Business Week, CNN, Domus, Form, Fortune, Newsweek, Time, Wired, and several design books. He was awarded the prestigious IDSA Personal Recognition Award in 2019.
Prior to founding Whipsaw in 1999, Dan was VP and President of Frogdesign where he designed many notable products for luminaries including Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison and Rupert Murdoch. Before joining Frog in 1989 he was a lead designer at Henry Dreyfuss Associates and interned with design master George Nelson. Dan graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture and Art in 1982.
About Whipsaw:
Whipsaw is an Industrial Design, UX and Engineering consulting firm located in San Francisco and San Jose, California. Whipsaw designs consumer electronics, housewares, business equipment, medical, scientific, robotics and industrial products for clients such as Alza, Brita, Cisco, Dell, Ford, GE, Google, Haier, Harrys’, Intel, Leitz, Livescribe, Merck, Nike, Olympus, Peloton, Tonal, Samsung, Sony, TP-Link and Uber. They are known for creating smart, unique and intuitive products that profoundly connect with end users on both a rational and emotional level. They’re also known for getting their solutions to market and consistently creating hit products. Whipsaw has won over 280 design awards, is widely published, and has work in several museums. Founded 1999.
About IDSA:
“For over fifty years, IDSA has worked to advance the practice of industrial design through education, information, community and advocacy. Our roots stretch to the beginning of the profession and our members are, and have been, some the most celebrated industrial designers of all time. However, being a part of this community means you are joining something bigger than any one individual. Your participation helps strengthen the industrial design profession as a whole and contributes to the boundless impact of design within business, culture and society.”
Learn more at https://www.idsa.org