GRO design was founded in 1999 by three British designers, Roland Bird, Graham Hinde and Roger Swales. After working together as senior design consultants at Philips Design, latterly on the award-winning Vision of the Future project, it was time to seek new challenges.
The primary motivation for starting GRO was a desire to speak with their own voice, to work within a small, close-knit, highly skilled team, and to shape their own creative development.
For over a decade GRO has worked for industry leaders and ‘A-brand’ clients across a broad spectrum of markets from consumer electronics to bathroom fittings and even chocolate.
first client
GRO’s first commission was for a design-led portfolio of household goods under a new Hong Kong-based brand, WPW. The collaboration lasted for more than five years. During this time GRO explored high-quality production capabilities in China and fused these with innovative modern design, resulting in 25 products developed for production.
strategic design
During the early years GRO established a strong relationship with Samsung Design Europe – its first truly strategic collaboration. The Home Appliance Innovation project explored new archetypes for existing white goods and was based on insights gathered from a large Europe-wide research study into changing cultural habits in the home.
nokia
2003 saw the start of a long and fruitful collaboration with Nokia. Over the following five years GRO carried out over twenty projects for Nokia balanced between longer-term strategic explorations and designs for production.
microsoft
GRO first worked with Microsoft in 2007, for the company’s entertainment and gaming group. Microsoft was looking for a design partner who could help translate brand qualities into tangible design DNA for their Zune product portfolio. The high level of synergy between GRO and the Zune team led to a number of exploratory exercises for the Zune sub-brand.
east meets west
GRO has worked with Panasonic for a number of years on a wide range of projects, from domestic appliances to video cameras. In each case we have been joined by a Panasonic designer who has brought a rich wealth of category knowledge and taken away experience of working with the GRO team and living in Europe.
self-initiated projects
Since the very beginning, GRO has attached great importance to exploring projects that are outside the scope of its normal commissions. These projects have proved extremely valuable on many different levels. Scoot (2005) and 11 the beautiful game (2007) generated widespread publicity for GRO when presented at the Milan design fair, and received recognition from design peers and clients alike.
In addition to GRO’s project work, the partners have also been involved in judging the prestigious IF design awards, lecturing at design conferences, curating Dutch Design week, and as an external examiner for the Design Academy Eindhoven.
roland bird
Born in Hertfordshire, England, in 1967
Degree in Design for Industry from Newcastle Polytechnic (1991)
Joined Philips Design
Television at the Crossroads, with Alessandro Mendini
New Media, New Objects, Old Walls
Vision of the Future
Ceramic Audio (for Alessi)
Culinary Art
City, People, Light
New Nomads (technology & clothing)
Co-founded GRO (1999)
Curator Dutch Design Week (2010)
“I appreciate simplicity, not because it looks cool, but because it makes an object easier to understand and use. I tend to look for an underlying logic in the designs I create, but I always leave room for an expression that helps to create a bond with the user; ‘form follows function with a face’. For me a design works if it functions effortlessly, fulfills its business goals and brings some magic into user’s lives.”
“The thing I like most about working at GRO is that it has allowed me to remain a working designer. I still sketch with the team, struggle with details, and do my time building things in CAD. This hands-on approach has allowed me to use all my experience and learning and apply it to what I do every day.”
roger swales
Born in Shropshire, England, in 1966
Studied 3D design at Bristol Polytechnic
Royal Society of Arts Design Bursary (1988)
Joined Pentagram, London
Joined Philips Design
Philips Alessi kettle and concept for citrus press
Vision of the Future
Ceramic Audio for Alessi
Domestic Media
Co-founded GRO (1999)
IF awards judging panel (2010)
“Simple, iconic sketches continue to fascinate me. Sketching is powerful, as it allows a designer to visually think and freely explore. The way a line is drawn contains a spirit, energy, balance, personality and soul.”
“Peers recognize our design signature. Our work is said to have a ‘red thread’. I believe it is our ability and experience to concentrate on the relevant essentials, to cut out the waste, and amplify the spirit behind each of our designs that defines us as a creative studio.”
graham hinde
Born in London, England, in 1960
Degree in furniture and related product design from Kingston Polytechnic (1983)
Joined Philips Electronics UK
Joined Philips Design
Roller radio
Projects with Andrea Branzi, Michele De Luchi and Ross Lovegrove
Vision of the Future
Co-founded GRO (1999)
“The increasingly complex nature of projects, and higher demands and expectations of clients, requires a breadth of creative thinking and insights that can only be provided by a strong creative and focused team. Our interactive process of teamwork, sharing and building on each other’s ideas, gives our clients the best possible results.”
“I believe it is important to start each project with a clean sheet of paper, putting to one side what you believe you already know. It is necessary to approach creativity with a certain naivety in order to uncover the most interesting start points’’
