Richard Watson, IDSA | Partner, Essential
As a founding partner at Essential, Richard Watson is a leading advisor to companies on product innovation and an authority in the field of design strategy. Richard drives innovation in organizations, helping them navigate complex design issues in rapidly changing environments. Watson believes that design strategy is about tangibility, delivering solutions an organization can understand, internalize and act upon. He strives to solve problems and envision solutions that enable organizations to get a clear vision about what’s next.
Richard is a firm believer in the power of collaborative thinking and engaging teams across disciplines, he speaks on design strategy, design vision and understanding consumer needs. He is an active and extremely accomplished designer of successful award winning products and services. He leads the design direction of many products and services for a variety of industries and clients, including Dell, iRobot, Philips Home Healthcare, P&G, Johnson and Johnson, EMC and Puma.
Prior to founding Essential, Watson was Vice President of Design at Fitch, where he led the product development team. Prior to Fitch he was part of an international design team at GE Plastics that envisioned products to express the company’s strategic marketing initiatives.
Watson is an expert blogger for Fast Company’s Co. Design blog. He holds a Master of Arts in Industrial Design from Manchester Metropolitan University in England and a Bachelor of Arts in Silversmithing from Montford University in England.
Learn more about Richard’s design consultancy Essential.
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