Industrial Design & Product Leadership
Design that moves
from idea to impact
Hi, my name is Samuel Coendet, with 15+ years of design experience, I have had the opportunity to work on a broad range of design disciplines from branding to service design with a focus on industrial design and lately in product management.
I am particularly interested in the point where physical and digital products meet and new experiences come alive.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of collaborating with leading brands in consumer electronics, medical and furniture design to multiple products released on the market and several recognitions (e.g. red dot, IF design award).
Currently I am working in the field of prefabricated and sustainable housing at Gropyus. How I think about design
01
Beautiful experiences
Great design earns its place through craft. The aesthetic dimension of a product isn't decoration. It signals quality, builds trust, and makes people want to pick it up again. Delight is a design requirement, not a bonus.
02
User-driven design
The best outcomes come from keeping real users in the room from day one. I don't design for a brief. I design for the person who'll live with the result. Research, testing, and iteration aren't phases; they're the practice itself.
03
Intelligent solutions
Strategy and creativity aren't opposites. The most disruptive outcomes come from rigorous thinking about what a product needs to be in the future. Vision first, then execution, always with an eye on what's feasible.
Work · Healthcare
Designing for high-stakes environments
Healthcare is where the cost of a bad design decision is highest. I've led ID and UX work across medical devices, diagnostic tools, and digital health platforms, translating clinical complexity into products that feel simple to use, trustworthy, and human.
UX VisionUser ResearchDesign SprintsHuman FactorsSystems ThinkingIF Award 2022
Kolibri — E-health platform for airway disease
Translating a complex product vision, treating respiratory diseases, into a tangible product system that could be validated quickly. We had to surface the right value propositions before committing to full development.
Led a design sprint that compressed months of uncertainty into a validated direction in weeks. Outcome: a physical nebulizer device and companion app ecosystem and a clarified product roadmap, that won the iF Design Award 2022.
Client: Pulmotree, 2020, developed at Fluid Design
COBAS Pulse — System Professional glucometer system
Professional diagnostic tools sit at the intersection of clinical precision and human usability. The design needed to meet exacting technical requirements while remaining intuitive under the pressure of real clinical workflows.
Defined the hardware UX and product vision, running structured user testing with healthcare professionals to validate interaction assumptions before engineering investment.
Client: Roche Diagnostics 2016-2019, developed at Fluid Design
Work · Healthcare
Products people want to live with
Successful consumer products balance user needs, business goals, engineering constraints, and aesthetics. I've led projects that repositioned brands, developed new product lines from the ground up, and brought products successfully to market.
Design LanguageProduct StrategyBrand DevelopmentConcept to MarketRed Dot 2020 & 2021
EPOS — Rethinking the coffee machine
Melitta, a leading mass-market coffee brand, set out to expand its customer base and elevate brand perception with a new flagship product.
The challenge was to create a distinctive product architecture and design language that could credibly compete in the specialty coffee segment while navigating a three-year development process that included significant engineering pivots.
I led the project from early strategy through industrial design and CMF specification, shaping a product that established a new visual direction for the brand. Launched under Melitta's new premium sub-brand, Momentum, EPOS received the Red Dot Design Award 2020 and remains in production today.
Client: Melitta, 2017-2020, developed at Fluid Design
Gropyus — Smart home design language
Gropyus set out to create an integrated ecosystem of smart home devices while building its hardware organization from the ground up. The challenge was to define a cohesive design language, establish product positioning, and develop scalable design processes—all within the fast-paced environment of a growing startup.
I led the development of the industrial design language, established design operations and cross-functional hardware workflows, and helped shape the product portfolio as it evolved. The resulting design system now scales across multiple device categories while maintaining a consistent identity, with products installed in homes today.
Client: Gropyus, 2020-2025, developed at Gropyus
Uffici — "The soft office"
Mattiazzi set out to enter the home office market with a collection that translated its expertise in solid wood furniture into products for contemporary workspaces.
The collection—comprising a table, chair, and room divider—bridges home and office through a cohesive design language rooted in craftsmanship and functionality.
I contributed to the industrial design, helping shape a product family that extends Mattiazzi's sculptural approach to solid wood into a new product category.
Client: Mattiazzi, 2015, developed at Studio Nitzan Cohen
Work — Design and team leadership
A designer's lens on team leadership and getting things done
My approach to design leadership goes beyond creating great products. I focus on building the systems, culture, and vision that enable teams and myself to consistently deliver meaningful outcomes.
By combining operational excellence, people development, strategic thinking, and a strong commitment to craft, I help the design team to work more effectively, collaborate confidently, and create lasting impact inside the organisation.
01
Design Leadership
I believe design creates value for both people and businesses, and I enjoy helping others recognise that value. I advocate for a user-centred approach that keeps customer needs at the heart of every decision. As a design leader, I focus on creating a clear vision that inspires teams, aligns stakeholders, and gives people the confidence to work towards a shared goal.
02
Design Operations
I believe great design starts with creating the right environment for designers to do their best work. I focus on removing unnecessary friction by introducing clear processes, practical tools, and efficient ways of working that reduce repetitive tasks and allow teams to spend more time solving meaningful design challenges.
03
Tools and Team Culture
I believe great teams are built on trust, curiosity, and continuous learning, especially in the age of AI. I aim to create an environment where people can grow, share knowledge, and learn from one another beyond core design skills. By encouraging reflection and supporting development, I help build teams that are confident, collaborative, and motivated to do their best work.
Personal practice — Ceramics
Getting lost in clay
Pottery didn't come easily. It's one of those crafts where every step matters—one wrong pull, too much water, or trimming a little too deep, and you're back at the beginning. Success can't be forced; it emerges when the process is right.
Working with clay teaches you to read the material—to know when it's too wet or too dry, when to push and when to wait. That sensitivity comes through experience, and over time you learn to work with the material instead of against it.
Unlike my professional work, pottery for me doesn't need to solve a problem or pass a design review. I come to the wheel to experiment, explore forms and glazes, and make something with my hands. It's a space to slow down, get into a state of flow, and create for the sake of the process.
For me, pottery is as much about the process as it is about the finished piece.
To explore different approaches to the craft, I created a few collections, each with its own focus and character. Here some examples:
Classic Collection
Timeless, functional forms brought to life through expressive glazes that take center stage. Everyday ceramics where craftsmanship and vibrant surfaces meet.
Rock Collection
Unglazed and untamed, each piece reveals the raw character of the clay. A tactile, haptic experience that invites to touch as much as to use.
Clients & collaborators