Helping innovation-driven companies turn early ideas into meaningful products
Welcome
Oosterwelder Innovation & Design (OID) is the design and innovation practice of Marnix Oosterwelder, industrial designer and innovation consultant. Because personal involvement is central to the way I work, OID is presented in the first person throughout this website.
For organisations facing complex product or innovation challenges, the key is often to bring technology, business and user needs together in a clear and workable direction.
More than thirty years of experience in industrial design and product development are combined with a practical, collaborative approach: from early exploration and concept development to design, visualisation and realisation.
The result is greater clarity at an early stage, better-informed choices and a stronger basis for development. Complex challenges are translated into products and propositions that are relevant to users, distinctive in the market and feasible to realise.
Way of working
I work closely with the client and, wherever possible, with the people who know the subject best: founders, engineers, users, marketers and other stakeholders.
By researching, sketching, visualising and validating early, assumptions become visible, choices can be discussed and risks can be identified sooner. This creates a shared direction before costly decisions are made.
My role can change with the project: from strategic sparring partner and facilitator to concept developer, industrial designer or temporary senior design capacity within a team.
Vision
I believe strong innovation emerges when desirability, feasibility and viability are considered together from the outset.
A product must be meaningful to the people who use it, technically and organisationally feasible, and create value for the organisation behind it.
Design is not a final layer added to a product. Good design makes an organisation’s ambition, quality and identity visible and tangible in the product itself.
What clients say
“Marnix combines strategic thinking with attention to detail and is able to move effectively between the two”
Ian Ellison
Former Design Director
at Philips Experience Design
“Marnix succeeded in converting the overwhelming amount of competing requirements to various viable solution directions, enabling WPS management to make optimal choices”
Toine Meesters
Former R&D Manager
at WPS Parking Systems
“I know Marnix as a very motivated senior designer, with a keen insight into design and market trends. He is very able to communicate design and concepts to different stakeholders”
Vincent Hofstee
Head of Design for ASKO / ATAG
Frequently
asked
questions
What does Oosterwelder Innovation & Design do?
Oosterwelder Innovation & Design helps companies develop, sharpen and realise new products and product propositions. The focus is on industrial design, design strategy, concept development, visualisation and innovation consultancy.
I connect user value, business value and technical reality, so ideas become not only attractive, but also relevant, distinctive and feasible.
What types of companies does Oosterwelder Innovation & Design work with?
Oosterwelder Innovation & Design works with technology companies, start-ups, scale-ups, medtech companies, industrial manufacturers, consumer product companies, packaging companies and organisations facing product development or innovation challenges.
Most collaborations start with companies that want to develop a new product, improve an existing product or add senior design expertise to an ongoing project.
When should I involve Oosterwelder Innovation & Design?
You can involve Oosterwelder Innovation & Design when you want to make a product idea, innovation challenge or development process more concrete, better substantiated or more compelling.
This can be at the very start of a project, for example when exploring opportunities, target groups and product directions. It can also be later in the process, when there is a need for concept development, visualisation, user-centred design, design direction, detailing or support towards realisation.
What role do you play within a product development process?
My role depends on the phase of the project and the specific need. I can act as a strategic sparring partner, concept developer, industrial designer, visualiser, facilitator or temporary senior design capacity within an existing team.
I bring structure to early ideas, translate insights into concrete product scenarios and make choices visible through sketches, models, visualisations and design proposals. In doing so, I always take the user, market, technology and manufacturability into account.
Do you work strategically, hands-on, or both?
I work both strategically and hands-on. The combination of thinking and making is an essential part of my approach.
I can support positioning, product strategy, portfolio thinking and innovation choices, and translate these into tangible concepts, sketches, visualisations, product directions and design details. This ensures that advice does not remain abstract, but becomes useful within the actual development process.
How does a collaboration with Oosterwelder Innovation & Design work?
A collaboration usually starts with an introduction and an exploration of the question. This is followed by a clear briefing, defining the objective, context, scope, planning and desired output.
Depending on the assignment, I then work on analysis, concept development, visualisation, design development or guidance throughout the product development process. Regular alignment is part of the collaboration, so decisions can be discussed in time and the project remains focused.
A collaboration can be structured as a project, on an hourly basis or as temporary support within an existing team.
Is Marnix Oosterwelder also available for freelance support?
Yes, absolutely. Freelance design support is an important part of how I work, ranging from a single workshop or a few days of project support to longer-term involvement within a client’s team.
Rates depend on the scope, duration and nature of the assignment. A short workshop or a few days of support naturally requires a different approach than working on-site for a longer period.
Freelance collaborations have led to many successful projects and long-term client relationships in the past. I’m always happy to discuss what type of support would fit your project best.
Can you temporarily join an existing design or development team?
Yes. Oosterwelder Innovation & Design can temporarily join existing design, innovation or product development teams.
This is relevant during peak workload, complex product development projects, when senior design experience is needed or when an external perspective helps the team make sharper decisions more quickly. I am used to working with engineers, marketers, product managers, entrepreneurs, researchers and other designers.
What distinguishes you from a regular design agency?
Oosterwelder Innovation & Design combines almost thirty years of experience in industrial design with a broad strategic view on innovation and product development.
I do not work from one fixed agency format, but align with what an organisation actually needs: from sharp analysis and strategic advice to hands-on concept development and visualisation. This makes me flexible, quick to integrate and focused on creating concrete value for the project.
The strength lies in the combination of seniority, design skills, technical affinity, visual thinking and experience with a wide range of product categories and development teams.
How do you handle confidentiality, NDAs and intellectual property?
Confidentiality is a natural part of every collaboration. Ideas, product information, drawings, strategies and other business-sensitive information are handled with care.
If desired, an NDA can be signed before any substantive information is shared. Agreements about intellectual property, usage rights and the transfer of design results are preferably defined in advance in the quotation or collaboration agreement, so both parties know what will be delivered and how the results may be used.
What does a collaboration with Oosterwelder Innovation & Design cost?
The costs depend on the nature, scope, duration and context of the assignment. That is why I do not provide a standard hourly rate before I understand the question, desired output and my role within the project.
For clearly defined projects, I preferably work with a fixed price quotation, using an internal hourly rate as a calculation basis. For workshops, sparring sessions or intensive consultancy on demand, different rates apply, aligned with the preparation, responsibility and value of the contribution.
After a short exploration, you receive a clear proposal with scope, approach, deliverables and investment.
“Marnix has a rare talent for taking a rough, half-formed brief and coming back with ideas that are not only beautifully executed, but also genuinely unexpected. Creative directions I would never have arrived at otherwise. He listens properly, asks the questions that actually matter, and then consistently delivers more than was asked of him.”