ABOUT STUDIO BACKS

STUDIO BACKS is a forward-thinking industrial design studio shaping the future of physical products. We bridge complex technologies with human-centered design to deliver visionary product solutions drawn from deep experience.

OUR BACKGROUND

STUDIO BACKS is built on founder and Creative Director Jochen Backs’ extensive experience at leading design consultancies. His career spans design leadership at IDEO in Silicon Valley, building and leading Design Continuum’s San Francisco industrial design team as Principal Industrial Designer, and formative work at TEAMS Design in Germany. Today, he brings this depth of expertise and a clear creative vision to every studio project.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Our design process is centered on questioning, innovation, and reimagining existing paradigms. Rooted in an aesthetic of European minimalism, we possess a unique ability to quickly understand and distill highly complex technical problems, translating them into elegant, functional forms.

By balancing harmony and innovation, we create meaningful solutions that are bold, iconic, and built with timeless integrity.

CLIENTS PAST & CURRENT

Ethicon Endo Surgery (subsidiary of J&J)

EverCase

Flow Neuroscience  flowneuroscience.us

f’real

frog design

Freewire Technologies (now owned by OptiGrid)

Gibson

Haier homecrux.com‍  cnet.com

Hanergy‍  hanergy.eu

HannSpree

Huati Lighting

IDEO

Imperative Care

Incase

Inpipe Energy  inpipeenergy.com

Landor

Logitech

Medtronic (designed the first Portable Pacemaker Programmer 9790) medtronic.com

PARC (Xerox donated Xerox Parc to SRI)  sri.com

ParkPod

Auris Health (now J&J).  jnjmedtech.com

Akura Medical. akuramedical.com

Aperia Technologies‍ ‍aperiatech.com

Avisa Pharma‍        ‍

AccuVein accuvein.com

bCode

Benvenue Medical (acquired by IZI Medical Products and Spinal Elements)

Berkeley Lights (now Bruker Cellular Analysis)

bioMérieux biomerieux.com

Bio-Techne bio-techne.com

Bittel bittelamericas.com

Boston Scientific

Caldo Restaurant Technologies

Camelbak camelbak.com

Ceiva Logic‍ ceiva.com

Cisco Systems cisco.com

Crest (owned by Procter & Gamble)

Digirad (now Catalyst MedTech)

D2M

Enphase Energy enphase.com

Pepsi

Prodeon Medical‍  prodeonmedical.com

PuraCath Medical

Puretergent

Outset Medical  outsetmedical.com

Owlcam (now owned by CallPass)

Rocky Talkie  rockytalkie.com

Samsung  samsung.com

Sano Curatio LLC

Scott Labs  scottlabs.us

Spurcycle  spurcycle.com

St Jude Medical (now part of Abbott)

StimScience (Somnee was created by StimScience)

Swivl

TiVo tivo.com

Think2Build

tomorrow partners

Vaska

Vestel  vestel.com

Virtuix Omni

Zyomed

DESIGN AWARDS

We measure success not by awards in and of themselves, but as validation of the clients and people we have helped through our work.

Jochen has earned numerous awards during his 30 year career, including iF Hanover, the "Red Dot" for the Highest Design Quality at Design Innovations, the Braun Prize, Design Champion at the Design Center Stuttgart, Best Design Of Europe at the International Biennial in Kortrijk Belgium, Design-Team of the Year, Appliance Manufacturer's Excellence in Design and several I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review awards and Business Week's IDEA Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. Communication Arts Interactive Annual 8 for the STUDIO BACKS website design.


GOOD DESIGN for Freewire Technology Boost Charger Pro Series
2024

GOOD DESIGN for InPipe Energy - HydroXS Recovery System 2024

SPARK Platinum Winner, Category: Clean Tech for FreeWire Technologies BoostCharger 2020

iF Design Award for Owl Car Cam 2019

GOOD DESIGN for Owl Car Cam 2018

GOOD DESIGN for Swivl 2018

IDA Gold for Swivl C Series 2017

GOOD DESIGN for Vessel Kitchen 2015

GOOD DESIGN for Benvenue Medical KIVA 2014

IDA Bronze for f’real Frozen Beverage Blender 2014

IDA Gold for Product Designer of the Year 2014

IDA Gold for Vessel Kitchen, Kitchen Furniture 2014

IDA Gold for Vessel Kitchen, Home Interior Product 2014

IDA Gold for Virtuix Omni Locomotion Device 2014

IDA Silver for Accuvein Wheeled Floor Stand 2014

SPARK Bronze for Benvenue Medical KIVA 2014

GOOD DESIGN for Samsung 3D HDTV 2013

GOOD DESIGN for Virtuix Omni Locomotion Device 2013

IDA Honorable Mention for bCODE MP300 2012

IDA Silver for Crest Toothbrushes 2012

IDA Silver for Swivl by Satarii 2012

IDA Silver for The North Face Packaging 2012

“Last Gadget Standing People’s Choice Award” @ CES and “CES Innovation of the Year for Laptop Magazine” 2012

IDA Gold for Samsung 3D HDTV, Media and Home Electronics 2011

IDA Gold for Samsung 3D HDTV, Home Computers 2011

The Shaggies, Honorable Mention for Samsung 3D HDTV 2011

Winner of the “Innovation Design and Engineering” award @ CES for Samsung 3D HDTV 2011

Editor’s Choice “Best of Show” and “Best New Technology Product” for Bittel Telephony 2010

VASKA packaging selection at AIGA 365 Design Annual and exhibition at AIGA National Design Center in New York 2010

IDEA GOLD for Samsung 19” LCD Monitor SyncMaster 971P (IDEO) 2007

Red dot design for Samsung 19” LCD Monitor SyncMaster 971P (IDEO) 2007

iF Gold Award for Samsung 19” LCD Monitor SyncMaster 971P (IDEO) 2007

Appliance Manufacturer's "Excellence in Design" for Medtronic Portable Pacemaker Programmer 9790 (IDEO) 1997

Red dot design for Medtronic Portable Pacemaker Programmer 9790 (IDEO) 1997

iF Design for Medtronic Portable Pacemaker Programmer 9790 (IDEO) 1996

Annual Design Distinction from ID Magazine for NEC Versa 2000 Notebook Computer (IDEO) 1996

Business Week’s IDEA Gold for Samsung’s “TotalMedia” (IDEO) 1995

IDEA Silver for SEGA Game Controller (IDEO) 1995

IDEA Bronze for Diablo Research E-Lamp (IDEO) 1995

iF Design for SyncMaster 15Gli, 17Gli and 19Gli CRT monitor (IDEO) 1992

Design-Team of the Year (TEAMS DESIGN) 1990

Braun Prize winner 1989

PATENTS

Studio Backs holds 60 design and utility patents.

EverCase Inc - Method and Apparatus for Supercooling Perishables

Imperative Care - Systems and Methods For Multivariate Stroke Detection

Camelbak - Beverage Containers & Carrier Reign™ TeamSports

Camelbak - Container Cap Pivot™ Bottle

Camelbak - Beverage Container Eddy+Kids™

Camelbak - Beverage Container Eddy+™

PuraCath Medical Inc - Point of care ultraviolet disinfection system

Samsung Electronics Co - Printer

Samsung Electronics Co - Printer

Federal Express Corp - Drop Box

Benvenue Medical Inc - Handle for a medical delivery device

Samsung Electronics Co - Notebook Computer

Samsung Electronics Co - Tablet Computer

Samsung Electronics Co - Tablet Computer

Samsung Electronics Co - Tablet Computer

Samsung Electronics Co - Printer

Samsung Electronics Co - Printer

Samsung Electronics Co - Keyboard

Samsung Electronics Co - Monitor

Samsung Electronics Co - Monitor

Samsung Electronics Co – Notebook Computer

Samsung Electronics Co – Notebook Computer

Samsung Electronics Co – Notebook Computer

Federal Express Corp - Display Panel

Samsung Electronics Co - Notebook Computer

Samsung Electronics Co - Notebook Computer

Samsung Electronics Co - Notebook Computer

Samsung Electronics Co - Portable Computer

Samsung Electronics Co- Portable Computer

Samsung Electronics Co- Portable Computer

Samsung Electronics Co- Portable Computer

Samsung Electronics Co- Portable Computer

Bittel Americas - Telephone

Vaska Inc - Container

Thursday Innovations LLC - Computing Device case with integrated stand

Logitech Europe S.A. - Camera support having kinematically reconfigurable legs

Hannspree Inc - Television Set

Hannspree Inc - Television Set

Logitech Europe S.A. - Camera having recessed lens with generally rectangular cutout opening

Logitech Europe S.A. - Camera Base

Cisco Technology Inc - Telephone Indicator System and Method

Steelcase Inc - Furniture Storage Unit

Logitech Europe S.A. - Camera

Cisco Technology Inc - Adjustable Telephone System and Method

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Camera Support Device

Logitech Europe S.A. - Camera Support

Logitech Europe S.A. - Camera Base

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Camera

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Camera

Logitech Europe S.A. - Camera

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Camera

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Camera

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Camera

Logitech Europe S.A. – Camera

Logitech Europe S.A. – Camera

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Camera Support

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Receiver

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Receiver

Logitech Europe S.A. - Video Camera with adjustable legs

Tivo Inc - Remote Control

JUROR

2014 Spark Award Juror Product & Health Design

2015 K-Design International Juror (S. Korea)

2017 Spark Award Juror GUI UX/UI/Wearables Design

2019 Spark Award Juror June 14 in San Francisco Student Design Spring Semester

2019 Spark Award Juror November 18 in San Francisco Product Design, Health & Medical Design, Graphics, Experience, Digital & Transport Design