Early Life and Education
Born in Shropshire, England, in 1966, Roger Swales studied Industrial Design at Bristol Polytechnic, earning the 1987 Royal Society of Arts Design Bursary for Small Electrical Goods. His career began as a Junior Designer at Pentagram (London) from 1988 to 1989.
Career and Achievements
For a decade, Roger was part of Philips Design in the Netherlands - He contributed to groundbreaking projects such as Philips Alessi (1994), designing the water kettle and citrus press concept that earned the Kho Liang Design Award, and Philips Vision of the Future (1995), where he was a core team member for this strategic project, which won IDSA Gold.
In 1999, Roger co-founded GRO design with fellow British designers Roland Bird and Graham Hinde. For 25 years, GRO collaborated with global industry leaders across consumer, Healthcare, and B2B markets, working with brands including: Siemens, Nespresso, Sonos, Stanley Black & Decker, Microsoft, Grohe, Toto, Novo Nordisk, Philips Healthcare, Shark Ninja, HP, Beats by Dr. Dre, Haier, Unilever, Vodafone, Nokia, LGE, Samsung, Panasonic, Denon, Heineken, Masterfoods, Ultimaker, Gillette, Dell, Axion Biosystems, and many more.
In 1999, Roger co-founded GRO design with fellow British designers Roland Bird and Graham Hinde. For 25 years, GRO collaborated with global industry leaders across consumer, Healthcare, and B2B markets, working with brands including: Siemens, Nespresso, Sonos, Stanley Black & Decker, Microsoft, Grohe, Toto, Novo Nordisk, Philips Healthcare, Shark Ninja, HP, Beats by Dr. Dre, Haier, Unilever, Vodafone, Nokia, LGE, Samsung, Panasonic, Denon, Heineken, Masterfoods, Ultimaker, Gillette, Dell, Axion Biosystems, and many more.
Recognition & Design Jury Roles
Roger’s design expertise has been recognized globally through numerous prestigious design awards. He has served as a juror for: iF Product Design Awards (2010); International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA 2013) – Hosted by IDSA, promoting innovation, best practices, and industry growth; Hong Kong Exporters’ Association Adjudication & Forum (2012, 2013, 2021)
Recognized for a distinct design signature, I pursue a ‘red thread’—a design philosophy centered on distilling each concept to its purest form while amplifying its impact. By cutting through complexity and distraction, I craft focused, meaningful solutions that deeply resonate with users.
Through a blend of design expertise and strategic insight, I go beyond aesthetics to shape experiences that drive meaningful change, strengthen brand identity, and fuel long-term growth for your business. Blending design expertise with strategic insight, I drive meaningful change by delivering compelling user solutions, fit for context and a life time of use.
My focus - Clarity with purpose. The discipline to remove anything that does not add value - stripping away the excess to reveal a solution that truly matters.
Recognized for a distinct design signature, I pursue a ‘red thread’—a design philosophy centered on distilling each concept to its purest form while amplifying its impact. By cutting through complexity and distraction, I craft focused, meaningful solutions that deeply resonate with users.
Through a blend of design expertise and strategic insight, I go beyond aesthetics to shape experiences that drive meaningful change, strengthen brand identity, and fuel long-term growth for your business. Blending design expertise with strategic insight, I drive meaningful change by delivering compelling user solutions, fit for context and a life time of use.
My focus - Clarity with purpose. The discipline to remove anything that does not add value - stripping away the excess to reveal a solution that truly matters.
