# Justin Porcano > Principal Industrial Designer | UX Researcher Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/justinporcano Seasoned Industrial designer and UX researcher creating human-centered products across healthcare, consumer electronics, AR/VR, and furniture. I’ve led multidisciplinary teams, integrated into fast-moving startups, and consulted for world-renowned brands (Meta, Auris, Google, Bernhardt) on projects ranging from robotic surgical platforms to smart wearables and public transit systems. ## Work Experience ### Industrial Design Consultant @ jporcano Jan 2025 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Design consultant bringing 15+ years of industrial design expertise to startups, global brands, and design studios. I provide fractional leadership, guide multi-disciplinary teams, or lead as a senior industrial designer — combining broad skills, deep experience, and a love for hands-on making. User research and human factors are integral to my process, from formative studies to usability testing, shaping strategy and informing design and engineering decisions from concept through production. I’m currently consulting across medtech, consumer electronics, and smart wearables, and open to working with thoughtful people on meaningful projects that improve lives and strengthen brands. ### Co-Founder & Advisor @ Save Sight Now Jan 2019 – Present | San Rafael CA Co-founded and continue to advise Save Sight Now, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing research for Usher Syndrome Type 1B. In this part-time role, I focus on strategy, fundraising, and partnerships — work that complements my design career by strengthening leadership, collaboration, and advocacy skills. ### Senior Industrial Design Manager @ Accenture Jan 2021 – Jan 2024 | United States Directed industrial design programs across consumer electronics, medtech, and transportation, integrating user research into design strategy. Led formative and summative studies, usability testing, and observational research to guide product direction and design and engineering decisions. Led external R&D teams for a global tech company, prototyping, validating, and delivering next-generation VR concepts. Contributed to the hardware and interaction design of a flagship VR headset, from early concept through launch, saving the client a year in development time. Guided hardware and interaction design for a novel robotic surgery platform, driving user research and development that supported its $3.4B acquisition. Designed Canada’s first accessible, contactless fare reader system, integrating usability and manufacturability at scale. ### Principal Industrial Designer @ Fjord Jan 2018 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco Bay Area Led multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated physical and digital design solutions, while helping expand Fjord’s Industrial Design capability. Collaborated with service designers, UX/UI teams, and business strategists to align vision-setting with execution across blended projects. Work spanned healthcare (partnering with major providers on patient and clinical experiences), quick-service restaurants (reimagining end-to-end customer journeys), and consumer tech (interactive installations and connected products). Also managed client relationships, vendors, and team schedules — growing project management experience alongside design leadership. ### Principal Industrial Designer @ Matter™ Jan 2016 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco Bay Area Led industrial design programs across consumer electronics, wearables, and IoT, managing teams of mid-level designers while collaborating with clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Balanced design strategy with hands-on execution, guiding projects from concept through production. Branded and designed a new American watch line for Seiko Epson, defining strategy and designing its first three-piece collection. Created an autonomous sports camera for live event tracking, integrating advanced hardware with user experience. Directed design for multiple connected wearables for Carnival Cruises, supporting DFM and leading FAI reviews to ensure quality and manufacturability at scale. Designed and built a sustainable IoT water conservation system (UX/UI/ID), generating new IP. ### Industrial Design Consultant & Founder @ Upwell Design Jan 2009 – Jan 2016 | San Francisco Bay Area Independent consultant delivering furniture, packaging, and consumer products for global brands, startups, and design studios. Partnered directly with clients and manufacturing teams to bring ideas from sketch to production — balancing material exploration, brand values, and manufacturability. I founded and launched Walhub, a patented modern wall storage system, and designed, engineered, and manufactured it with a U.S. injection molder; oversaw cycle refinements on the factory floor and developed both retail and bulk packaging strategies. Designed high-end modern seating for Bernhardt Design, translating luxury brand values into contract furniture built for scale. Created and shipped consumer audio products and packaging for SOL REPUBLIC, working at the intersection of product and brand experience. Developed packaging systems for Medtronic, aligning usability, compliance, and manufacturability in the medical space. Contracted with Lunar, Belkin, Teague, and Matter on projects ranging from consumer electronics to branded environments. ### Senior Industrial Designer @ New Deal Design Jan 2007 – Jan 2009 | San Francisco Bay Area Managed design teams and external partners, setting project vision, building schedules, and guiding programs from kickoff through final appearance models. Led design ideation and refinement while overseeing DFM to ensure manufacturable solutions. Directed projects for clients ranging from startups to global tech companies, including the pioneering EV charging system for Better Place. ### Industrial Designer @ Pentagram Design, Inc. Jan 2006 – Jan 2007 | San Francisco Bay Area Redefined design language systems for Dell’s Latitude and Precision notebook lines, improving usability, aesthetics, and brand alignment. Contributed across all phases of design, from trend research and concept development to sketching, 3D modeling, prototyping, rendering, and client presentations ### Furniture Designer @ Target Jan 2005 – Jan 2005 | Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area Designed furniture, storage systems, and housewares for Target’s in-house team, blending aesthetics with functionality at scale. Conducted CMF research to track emerging trends and collaborated with buyers to align design decisions with cost and retail strategy. ## Education ### Bachelor of Science (BS) in Industrial Design ArtCenter College of Design ### Barch in Architecture Philadelphia University ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/justinporcano - Portfolio: http://www.upwelldesign.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/justinporcano JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/justinporcano/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13