Rhys Newman MA RCA BA(Hons)
Hello.
I’m Rhys. I’m a designer, artist, and cyclist; I’m a patriotic Welshman but have lived in Los Angeles for 20 years.
As a Design Leader, I have a reputation for building happy and motivated studios where designers want to work, creativity is the priority, and innovation happens. I think big but make ideas tangible, beautiful, and meaningful to people. I obsess about cultures of creativity, optimism, and bringing the value of Design and Designing to any team or organization.
As a designer, I’m drawn to create products that appear to have as little design as possible. I’d prefer people to see my work as tools or instruments for life.
I have a Master’s Degree in Product Design from the Royal College of Art in London, and a First Class Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Wales, Cardiff, UK. I have been a part-time lecturer at Art Centre, Pasadena; Goldsmiths University, London; Denmark Design School, Copenhagen; and the Royal College of Art, London. I have served on the jury of competitions, been Chair of the IDSA IDEA Awards, and have multiple patents.
I have freelanced, worked as a consultant, led global Design teams in global blue-chip companies, co-founded my entrepreneurial venture, and led Design for a unicorn start-up. I am currently Global Head of Design & User Experience at ABB E-Mobility.
“In a world where everything is constantly changing and complexity is everywhere, it is a rare person who is able to cut through to the essential, the elemental and ultimately the meaningful.
Rhys is that person.
He brings a pursuit of simplicity married with practicality to the discipline of design. Yet, his superpower is not just his own ability to cut through the noise, but rather to bring together a diverse set of people and voices to build teams and organizations that can scale his own focus and discipline.”
Hans Peter Brondmo / Vice President / Everyday Robots / Google X
“Rhys' deep experience running design and brand teams was clear from the get-go but what struck me most about his way of working was his no-ego approach to leadership.
He created a culture rooted in deliberate relationship-building, collaboration, and experimentation. He balanced his executive presence with humility, and his design expertise with hands-on doing and making. He was a very present, in-the-weeds design leader, partnering with his team vs. just commanding or instructing.
Denise Gamboa / Head of Marketing / Everyday Robots / Google X