Walter Herbst will be the first non-UK, external advisor to the University of Bristol’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. With a distinguished 60 year design career, Walter founded the Masters in Product Development programs at Northwestern, the first Master’s program dedicated to the management of Design and Innovation, and he received his PhD in design at Coventry University in the UK.
Introducing The 15 Collection, commemorating our enduring partnership with Slice. Together, we have designed over 40 innovative tools, building a portfolio around Slice ceramic blades that are safer and stay sharper longer. Small but mighty, these new additions solve everyday needs and demonstrate the power of timeless design... and true partnership.
Herbst partnered with Vannheim to help develop their new platform of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for commercial and defense applications. Herbst created a holistic ID, visual strategy and brand language for the new scalable modular platform which is currently in Beta. Large partnership announcements in late 2025.
After filtering through the competition, New York Time’s Wirecutter highlighted Brita as having “the best water filter pitcher and dispenser” on the market. Herbst has been working with Brita, the world's leading and largest water filter brand, for over a decade to design their award-winning spectrum of filtered pitchers, dispensers and on-the-go bottles.
As drone usage grows, the US military's ability to identify trusted Unmanned Aerial System operations in our airspace becomes more important. Somewear Labs' Node satellite device, designed by Herbst, provided the communications backbone for a 3 day flight test in partnership with the US Defense Innovation Unit, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense AS, and the Air Force Research Lab. Node successfully connected each ground-control station to create a mesh network ensuring safe and efficient warfighting drone performance.
Checking all the boxes as an elegant fan and white noise machine for the bedroom, the Snooz Breez fan is the perfect sleep assistant. Wirecutter's initially skeptical New York Times columnist writes "right as I took it out of the box, I was struck by its thoughtful design."
Each stage of a carwash - presoak, soap, rinse, seal, polish and dry - requires a complicated array of brush motors, water systems, chemistry, filters and pressure working in concert to achieve a sparkling result. Herbst designed a new innovative "command center:" the Lens Hub device for National Carwash Solutions. From the challenging environment of the back room, the Lens Hub aggregates data from sensors and software to monitor all of the components, delivering real time alerts to business owners for best performance.
Herbst's accessible female urinal design for Boom Home Medical was listed in TIME magazine's list of "innovations that are changing how we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible." The Loona bottle was evaluated for the key characteristics of originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.
Using next generation DNA fluorosequencing technology, the Erisyon device runs billions of protein identification tests in parallel to deduce which cancer treatment will be the most effective for a specific patient. The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has awarded this grant, partnering with Erisyon to target a biomarker associated with lung cancer.
Listen to our COO Walter Herbst describe a proven methodology for successful design and development at your leisure via his newly released audiobook: Mastering Product Innovation. Walter will take you through numerous case studies, several of them being award winning products designed by Herbst Produkt, which act as a roadmap from napkin sketch to commercial success.
Our best selling, RedDot Award winning, ceramic cutting tools are for sale in a spectrum of flashy hues! In addition to the mini box cutter, SLICE also unveiled new colors for its iconic J-hook knife.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic are conducting a clinical study of SandboxAQ's quantum technology powered CardiAQ device for faster, radiation-free heart diagnostics. Herbst designed the ID, brand application, and screen user interface of the CardiAQ device which uses AI to interpret detailed magnetic field maps of a patient's heart to quickly identify cardiovascular disease states.
Herbst worked with Sunflow to design their lightest and simplest beach chair yet. Featuring three reclining options and up to UPF50+ sun protection, this lounger has everything you need for a stress-free day on the water.
Congrats to Walter on his new book! The Herbst founder and partner shares his 55 years of experience as one of the "Fathers of Product Design" (Business Week) for his contribution to the design landscape.
The Loona portable urinal for women is an honoree in the Accessible Design category of the 2024 Innovation by Design Awards. Boom Home Medical takes its place among businesses that, according to Fast Company, are "creating products, reimagining spaces, and working to design a better world."
Herbst continues our work with Slice to reinvent the experience of cutting—from craft knives and scissors to box cutters and electrical tools. With a major acquisition Slice is now the industry leader in ceramic blade technology. Congrats to the team on winning the iF Design Award, one of the most historic and prestigious international design recognitions since 1953.
A first-of-its-kind multi-network device, the Somewear Node combines the efficiency of mesh radios and the resilience of satellite technology. Node is designed to reliably communicate with large teams such as military, enterprise, and outdoor adventurers in all kinds of terrain.
The CardiAQ system by Google's quantum technology focused offshoot Sandbox AQ received an honorable mention from Fast Company. Herbst created the Industrial design and UI design of this world-changing magnetocardiography device that uses radiation-free imaging to deliver faster, more accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.
Herbst Produkt's very own founder, partner, and COO Walter Herbst has published his passion for design in his new book: No Excuses Innovation. Drawing from Walter's extensive experience in entrepreneurship, small business ventures, and the Research and Design sector, the book serves as a strategy guide for mature small and medium-sized businesses to thrive through reinvention and renewal. The point is: the real risk is to not innovate.
A perfect brew! Herbst is excited to announce that the Brewbird coffee machine is on its way to win the trifecta of esteemed design awards this year. Recognized for its innovative mix of sustainability, precision brewing and craft roasting, Brewbird just served up an impressive suite of well deserved awards. Congrats to the team!
Design is a game of firsts, and we’re pretty sure the WSJ praising a urinal as cool is a big first. Congrats to the Boom Home Medical team for taking women’s health to another level. Learn more about our RedDot Award winning Loona.
The Ultimate Ears Fits headphones, which brought custom-moldable earbuds into the home for everyday listeners, have been re-imagined specifically for gaming as the UE G-Fits. Featuring bold new colors and their innovative LIGHTFORM technology, G-Fits use passive noise cancellation to immerse the user in pure sound.
Herbst helped incubate the award-winning Slice brand of ceramic cutting tools and we’re thrilled to join Bertram Capital as the newest addition to their Safety Products Global portfolio. This officially makes SPG + Slice the world’s largest brand of safe cutting tools = more R&D horsepower + broader global reach.
Congrats to Bedrock for an amazing round of Series A funding. With the help of their new partner Exail, the team plans to continue using their autonomous sub and cloud-based data to improve offshore wind infrastructure, with longer term goals of exploring and mapping the entire ocean floor.
We’ve been hard at work on a broad range of programs with longtime partner Logitech, and they just launched our Bluetooth Sound System. Z407 is an immersive dual speaker + subwoofer setup that includes our Dial remote, a powerful controller in an elegantly simple form.
Our LISN system was awarded the rights to broadcast and manage the entire team radio communications at this year's College Bowl Championship game between Michigan and Georgia. LISN (Low Interference Secure Network) has proven to be paradigm shifting for critical operations including sports and military comms.
Our newest partnership with Coral Gardeners will allow remote monitoring of sensitive reef restoration around the world. Herbst worked with Fathom Ocean to rebrand and design a suite of underwater self-cleaning cameras that use AI to monitor and characterize aquatic health.
Congrats to Cue Health (Nasdaq: HLTH) just awarded a $28 million contract by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), to develop a Flu A/B, RSV, and COVID-19 molecular multiplex--viruses responsible for hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations annually, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization among children less than one year of age in the U.S. and 7,000 people are still admitted to the hospital per week due to COVID-19 in the U.S.
It’s often said that we know less about our oceans here on Earth than we know of the Solar System. Bedrock was founded by oceanographers and SpaceX engineers to create an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) that will create a high-resolution map of the seafloor which will help renewable energy infrastructure with the construction of offshore wind farms.
By far the most award winning urinal on the market today, Loona made a big splash in the design award scene this year by solving a real need - for women and girls who find themselves unable to use a restroom for whatever reason throughout any life stage - in the most discreet and elegant way possible.
Congrats to Pattern for winning the 2023 Disruptive Technology Award, our first test can detect pneumonia and identify the antibiotic course of treatment in just four hours vs the current three dangerously long days. Pattern’s speed and accuracy is unmatched and will save the lives of critically ill patients around the world.
With a successful pilot at Google and Meta HQ our whole-bean coffee brewer has officially launched. Brewbird was designed with our fully compostable coffee pods to encourage conscious consumption and eliminates coffee waste and wasted coffee.
Cue designed by Herbst is officially the first to offer molecular diagnostic Covid-19 testing to consumers in the U.S. without a prescription. “This is the first test available without a prescription that allows consumers to access laboratory-grade testing at home. A major milestone in the advancement of COVID-19 testing,” said Ayub Khattak, Co-Founder and CEO of Cue.
Walter Herbst was made a full Fellow of the NAI and inducted into the National Academy of Inventors in a ceremony in Washington DC presided by Andrew Hirshfeld, the Commissioner of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The NAI Fellows Program was established to highlight inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. Way to go Walt, you're an inspiration to us all!
Cue teamed up with award-winning actor and producer Gal Gadot to bring Cue to life in its inaugural Super Bowl commercial. In the new spot, Cue showcases her differentiated capabilities as the newcomer in a smart home whose job is to protect the family’s most valuable asset: their health.
Pattern has been granted Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA for its Pneumonia Action Panel, a test that uses machine learning and single cell analysis in Pattern’s Digital CultureTM technology to provide a diagnosis in a fraction of the time for patients hospitalized with severe pneumonia.
Huge congrats to the entire team for taking home a Gold Edison Award for the Somewear off-grid satellite enabled communication and tracking device. It’s been a breakout year for Somewear Labs with a host of government and military partnerships.
Molekule merged with AeroClean Technologies giving the Molekule Group the largest range of proprietary and patented FDA-cleared air purification devices to address the estimated $15 billion rapidly growing global air purification market.
Self-incubated Herbst startup Slice Inc. recently signed a partnership with Space X to supply their production facility with our ceramic bladed tools. SpaceX, headquartered in LA, will add Slice tools across their facilities helping them innovate and manufacture safely and efficiently.
Herbst has been designing products since the '60's, when design icon Walter Herbst founded his consultancy in Chicago. Walter and Scot were honored to be considered for this year's National Design Award hosted by the Smithsonian National Design Museum in Washington D.C.
Learn more about Herbst and our design history here.
Wired Magazine generously selected us for their magazine cover and a full feature titled "Cyberspace Station." Norton Core had a great launch, congrats to the Symantec team for supporting innovation and making this thing real!
Starsky Robotics is officially the world’s first operator of a driverless fleet truck, a feat managed with a remote driver over 500 miles away in the Starsky operations center. Congrats to Starsky for achieving this technological leap, ahead of Tesla and Google’s Waymo unit.
Big congrats to our team and partners for being recognized in this year's Top 25 Best Inventions list in the December issue of Time Magazine. Norton Core and Molekule were both selected as must-own appliances for their ability to keep “homeowners safe, secure and healthy.”
Honeywell smart-home division Resideo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: REZI) has acquired Santa Cruz based Buoy Labs. Our innovative Wi-Fi enabled solution tracks home water use and uses AI to detect leaks and automatically shutoff water at the source.
