# Industrial Design, AI & the Business of Design with Jordan Nollman | S3E02

- Show: [Designing in the Wild](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild)
- Published: 2026-10-07
- Length: 1h 01m
- Episode: 3
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02

## Summary

Jordan Nollman, founder and CEO of Sprout, a Boston-based multidisciplinary design consultancy, discusses the evolution of industrial design from a solo practice to a 60-person studio offering strategy, branding, UX, and engineering. He details the business realities of running a consultancy, including the critical importance of retainers, the pitfalls of all-equity deals, and the strategic use of AI tools like VizCom to accelerate storyboarding and visualization without replacing core design thinking. Nollman emphasizes that while AI speeds up execution, the value lies in solving real-world problems, citing projects like a microplastics sensor and a solar-powered milk trolley that balance aesthetics, function, and sustainability.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02#t=0) Introduction: Jordan Nollman and Sprout
- [3:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02#t=198) Nollman's Path to Industrial Design and RIT
- [7:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02#t=444) Networking Strategies and Portfolio Advice
- [16:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02#t=976) Scaling Sprout: From ID to Multidisciplinary Studio
- [29:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02#t=1765) Balancing Aesthetics, Engineering, and ROI
- [32:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02#t=1962) Business Lessons: Equity Deals and Retainers
- [43:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02#t=2585) AI in Design: Tools, Ethics, and Workflow
- [50:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02#t=3044) Wicked Good Design and Social Impact Projects
- [59:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02#t=3553) Final Advice: Do What You Love and Put in the Work

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Sprout (company)
- RIT (other)
- New Balance (company)
- Hasbro (company)
- Cranium (company)
- Xbox (product)
- IDSA (other)
- Keyshot (tool)
- VizCom (tool)
- HP (company)
- Pfizer (company)
- LG (company)
- Landor (company)
- Continuum Made (company)
- WorkPress Pro (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep 1: The hard truth about building design team](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-08-ep-1-the-hard-truth-about-building-design-team) (Build 2 Create: Hardware Founder Stories)
- [Hatch Duo: Industrial Design, Navigating AI, Branding, Hardware Innovation | Hard Tech Podcast #16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2024-03-20-hatch-duo-industrial-design-navigating-ai-branding-hardware-innovation-hard-tech) (Hard Tech Podcast)
- [S6E5 Keegan Schoch | Pro Tips on Creating an Engineering Consultancy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-01-31-s6e5-keegan-schoch-pro-tips-on-creating-an-engineering-consultancy) (Being an Engineer)
- [168: The Future of Hardware Product Design Thinking](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-23-168-the-future-of-hardware-product-design-thinking) (Product Startup)
- [How AI Is Transforming Product Design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-29-how-ai-is-transforming-product-design) (It's Only a Prototype)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2026-10-07-industrial-design-ai-the-business-of-design-with-jordan-nollman-s3e02. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Designing in the Wild.