# Jochen Backs

> Principal Industrial Designer at Studio Backs

Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/jochen

Award winning industrial designer with deep experience. German born and Asian inspired, one of only three designers in the world responsible for developing Samsung’s evolutionary corporate aesthetic.  Highly reputable, focusing on a collaborative approach to create meaningful products both rational and beautiful with passionate attention to detail.  Equipped with a world-class sense of design and a drive to make products real and production-ready.  Received the highest recognition at the 2015 International Design Award (IDA) as “Designer of the Year” in the product category for the “Vessel Kitchen”.

Areas of strength: 
-Providing creative direction and early visualization in the design process, while ensuring protection of the design intent and securing it from process to production. 
-Overseeing the appropriateness and quality of design on projects, which are innovative in technology, usage and application.
-Presenting concepts to gain buy-in from key stakeholders
-Partnering with engineering to overcome manufacturing constraints

## Work Experience
### Principal Industrial Design @ Studio Backs
Jan 2018 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area

### Adjunct Faculty, Data X: New Interactive Experiences @ California College of the Arts
Jan 2013 – Present | 1111 Eighth Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Data X: New Interactive Experiences.
Interdisciplinary class combining UX/Interaction Design/ID/Graphic Design/Architecture students.
Working with the City of San Francisco and Intel sponsored.
Co-teaching the graduate class including: Design Thinking, Storytelling with Data and Insights, Field and Data Research, Technology Research and Applications, Discovery & Synthesis, Ideation, Prototyping, Video, Presentations at Intel.

### Principal Industrial Designer @ CamelBak
Jan 2016 – Jan 2018 | Petaluma

### Founder and Principal Industrial Designer @ Studio Backs
Jan 2001 – Jan 2016 | San Francisco

### Principal Industrial Designer @ Continuum
Jan 1999 – Jan 2001

### Senior Product Designer @ IDEO
Jan 1991 – Jan 1999

### Industrial Designer @ TEAMS Design
Jan 1989 – Jan 1991


## Education
### Diploma in Industrial Design
Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd

### Undergraduate in Industrial Design
Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jochen-backs-4146805
- Website: http://www.studiobacks.com

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Source: https://flows.cv/jochen
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/jochen/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-05