Whether developing a consumer product for Heineken or a high-tech machine for ASML, the underlying design process remains fundamentally the same. According to Oberdorf, designers are not autonomous artists but skilled professionals who use a structured methodology to bridge the gap between technology, market needs and business strategy.
Business First: Design Starts with a Spreadsheet
A collaboration with npk design rarely begins at the drawing board. More often, it starts with a spreadsheet. Before a single line is sketched, the economic proposition is analysed. Where is the value created? What investments are required for tooling and production lines? And crucially, what is the expected return on investment?
Validating the business case at the outset of a design process is essential. As Oberdorf explains, if the numbers do not add up, there is little point in starting a design project. A clear example is the development of the Beertender for Heineken. From the very beginning, the focus was not only on the product itself, but also on demonstrating how the substantial investment in new tooling and production facilities could be recouped through a viable business model.
Risk Management and Innovation
Managing innovation risk is a key element of npk design’s approach. Oberdorf works with a straightforward model: incremental improvements to existing products involve relatively little risk, but often generate limited added value and growth. Radical innovation, by contrast, offers the potential for greater returns while carrying significantly higher risks.
In this context, the role of the designer shifts towards that of strategic partner and organisational adviser. Together with senior leadership, decisions are made about where a company wants to position itself within this spectrum. What is feasible in terms of investment and capacity? Where is the competition heading? Based on these considerations, a roadmap is developed that connects the current situation to a desired future state through a series of achievable and carefully budgeted steps.
ASML: Building Trust Through Design
The value of design becomes particularly evident in complex high-tech environments such as ASML. Here, the challenge is not necessarily to understand every technical detail. The extraordinary complexity of ASML’s machines often exceeds what any single individual can fully grasp. Instead, the challenge lies in translating that complexity into a proposition that is meaningful and accessible.
At ASML, design serves as a bridge that helps create trust. The machines used to manufacture semiconductors are highly complex on the inside, yet their exterior must communicate calm, precision and reliability. While consumer products often rely on emotion and desire, the B2B and medical sectors focus on removing complexity for the user. Designers effectively package the technology in a way that allows the exterior to reflect the quality of what lies beneath. This not only creates a clearer and more intuitive user experience, but also gives customers confidence that their investment is justified.
From Vision to Realisation
At npk design, the design process is guided by what Oberdorf describes as “10% inspiration and 90% perspiration”. It is a cyclical process of generating ideas, validating them against business objectives and continuously refining them through iteration.
Imagination and storytelling play a crucial role in this process. Because designers are often working with products that do not yet exist, visualising possibilities becomes essential for aligning stakeholders, from investors to engineers, around a shared vision. Through renders, prototypes and narratives, abstract ideas are made tangible. In doing so, design helps bridge the gap between strategy and execution, ensuring that innovation does not remain a concept, but results in measurable outcomes.
