There's a version of design that makes things look better. And there's a version that makes businesses work better. They require very different expertise, and they lead to very different outcomes.
Most companies experience the first version. A product is developed, decisions are made, and then a designer is brought in to refine what already exists. The result might look good. But it rarely changes anything fundamental — because the strategic choices were made before design entered the room.
I work the other way around.
I call it context-based design. Before anything is sketched or modeled, I work with leadership teams to understand the full ecosystem a business operates within — competitive dynamics, organizational alignment, product-market fit, cultural relevance, and where the real leverage points are. Every design decision that follows is grounded in that understanding. Not in trend. Not in taste. In strategic reality.
This is what separates design that wins awards from design that moves a business forward. Sometimes they overlap. Often they don't. Knowing the difference is what 25 years of practice has taught me.
I also work at the intersection of science and design — embedding design thinking into research and development from day one, not after a solution already exists. When designers collaborate with scientists and engineers from the earliest stages, the result isn't just a better-looking product. It's a product that's more viable, more adoptable, and more likely to matter in the market. I've seen this approach transform outcomes in medical devices, materials science, and consumer technology.
I've served as Creative Director for Georg Jensen, Humanscale, and HBF. I've brought more than 200 products to market and hold over two dozen patents. Phaidon published my monograph — the first for an American designer. I've been nominated for the National Design Award seven times.
I work with CEOs, founders, operating partners, and boards — not marketing departments. The engagement starts with understanding where you are and what's at stake. It's structured to create standalone value whether or not we continue working together. That's not a sales tactic. It's a principle. Every engagement should leave you in a stronger position than where you started.
If you're at a moment where design could change the trajectory of your business, I'd welcome a conversation.
studio@toddbracher.com
— Todd Bracher