Photograph: Jagoda Wisniewska

Design for the Bay

Join us for an exciting networking evening with design and innovation enthusiasts and meet the three selected Swiss design studios participating in the Swiss Design Accelerator at Pier 17.

Join Us

Discover how three Swiss designers bring innovative processes to design meaningful products.

The design studios selected for this year’s Swiss Design Accelerator feature innovative creations from plant-based circular and sustainable solutions to fashion design.

Join us and meet them in a casual networking setting on Wednesday, November 9, 2022. The evening will start with a keynote, followed by a presentation by each design studio to learn more about their product.

Program

  • 5:30pm – Doors open
  • 6:00pm – Event starts: Keynote & Presentation by Designers
  • 7:00pm – Networking and light refreshments
  • 8:00pm – Event ends

Event start time

Keynote

Claude Zellweger, Director of Design at Google

Claude is an industrial designer and currently works at Google, where he leads Industrial Design for Pixel and the AR/VR space, most recently launching the Pixel 7 line of products.

 

Previously Claude held a position as VP of design at HTC, where he oversaw the design of their smartphones as well as the industry defining VR system, HTC Vive. Claude joined the organization in 2008 after his design agency One & Co was acquired by HTC. As creative director Claude played a central role in turning HTC into a brand recognized for its design. Claude joined One & Co as a Partner in 2001, and helped to grow the firm to become one of the Bay Area’s dominant design forces. Industry leaders like Nike, Burton, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft turned to him to lead the development of their design.

 

Claude, who was born in Switzerland, started his design career working for Silicon Valley firms IDEO and Pentagram Design. Claude has a degree in industrial design from Art Center College of Design. He is a regular lecturer and design spokesperson for HTC and currently lives in San Francisco.

More about the Swiss Design Accelerator

 

The Studios

The program presents an eclectic selection of studios who bring innovative processes to design meaningful products:

  • Mikafi develops an intelligent coffee roasting machine
  • Paula Cermeño León works on sustainable and circular projects related to plant-based wellbeing and skincare
  • YVY creates leather statement pieces

Partners