Native Design
Native Design is a London-based independent design and innovation consultancy working across strategy, industrial design, digital products, engineering and emerging technology.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Native Design is an independent design and innovation consultancy founded in London in 1997 by Morten Villiers Warren, a former Manager of Design at Bowers & Wilkins. The company operates from the United Kingdom and the United States and works with clients across consumer electronics, automotive, telecommunications, life sciences, healthcare and connected-home technology. Rather than functioning as a conventional product-design studio, Native combines strategic definition, industrial design, digital product and user-experience design, systems engineering and technology development. Its projects often extend from early concept work through detailed engineering and preparation for commercial launch. The consultancy established an early reputation through its relationship with Bowers & Wilkins. Native contributed to products including earphones, the Zeppelin iPod dock and loudspeaker, and the PM1 loudspeaker. These engagements helped position the firm in premium consumer electronics, where physical form, acoustics, interaction and brand expression needed to be developed as one integrated experience. The firm's founder also had an earlier connection to music and industrial design: he designed the Emphasis Speakers associated with the cover of Art of Noise's album Below the Waste. Native subsequently broadened its portfolio beyond audio. In collaboration with HP's design team, it created the Sprout computer, a system combining vertical and horizontal display surfaces, and later supported HP's wider design-language and concept-visioning work. In 2015, Native was commissioned to create a new user experience and homepage for the BBC. Its healthcare and life-sciences work includes the Design DNA developed for Coloplast and the design and development of genomic sequencing instruments for Illumina, including the NextSeq 1000 and 2000, NovaSeq X and MiSeq i100. The consultancy has also worked on future mobility. For Ford, it developed the Autonomous Vehicle Simulator, a demonstration platform focused on the future in-car experience. The project received an International Design Excellence Award Gold recognition in 2018. In connected-home technology, Native announced the creation of Zuma in 2018. Zuma's Lumisonic system integrated a compact loudspeaker into an LED ceiling fixture, together with wireless multi-room audio, processing, voice-control integration and home-automation functionality. Native acted as design authority and systems-engineering lead from concept through market launch. The programme reportedly generated 22 patents, some of which were later licensed internationally. In 2023, Native was approached by iFIT to design and develop the NordicTrack Ultra 1 treadmill. The product represents the consultancy's continued movement into high-end connected fitness and illustrates its emphasis on combining mechanical engineering, digital interaction and premium product presentation. The treadmill was later recognised by Time as a Best Invention of 2025. Native's work has received more than 170 international design and innovation awards according to the supplied reference material. Recognitions include Gold and Best in Show at the IDSA International Design Excellence Awards for Coloplast's Design DNA, Gold awards for Bowers & Wilkins and Ford projects, Cannes Lions recognition for Coloplast, Red Dot awards for HP and Illumina work, and an iF Design Award for Zuma Lumisonic. The company is presented as an independent, multidisciplinary partner for organisations seeking to turn complex technologies into coherent, manufacturable and user-centred products and services.
History
Native Design was established in London in 1997 by Morten Villiers Warren, who had previously been Manager of Design at Bowers & Wilkins. Warren's background connected the new consultancy to premium audio and to the relationship between industrial design, acoustics and cultural identity. He had also designed the Emphasis Speakers associated with the cover of Art of Noise's Below the Waste album. Native's early growth was supported by a continuing collaboration with Bowers & Wilkins. The consultancy worked on earphones, the Zeppelin iPod dock and loudspeaker, and the PM1 loudspeaker. These projects demonstrated Native's ability to combine visual form, user interaction and technical performance in consumer electronics. The firm's reputation subsequently expanded into broader technology and communications work. In 2014, Native worked with HP's design team on Sprout, a computer incorporating both vertical and horizontal screens. The following year, HP CEO Meg Whitman's call for greater unity across HP's business groups prompted concept-visioning work with Native around a more coherent design direction. Also in 2015, the BBC commissioned Native to create a new user experience and homepage. These engagements reflected the consultancy's move from individual objects toward design systems, digital services and organisational design language. Native's healthcare work became particularly visible through its 2016 collaboration with Coloplast. The resulting Design DNA programme sought to articulate a coherent design approach for the healthcare company and received major recognition, including Gold at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity and Gold and Best in Show at the IDSA International Design Excellence Awards. Forbes subsequently included Native among its Top 25 Most Innovative Companies of 2016. The company continued to apply design and engineering to future mobility. Its work with Ford produced the Autonomous Vehicle Simulator, a demonstration platform for exploring future automotive experiences. The project received an International Design Excellence Awards Gold in 2018. In the same year, Native announced Zuma and its Lumisonic system. The platform combined a small loudspeaker with an LED ceiling fixture, wireless multi-room synchronisation, an ARM-based quad-core processor, voice-control capability and home-automation integration. Native managed the programme as both design authority and systems-engineering lead, and the development reportedly produced 22 patents, some later licensed internationally. Native also developed a substantial life-sciences relationship with Illumina. Its work covered the physical and digital experience of the NextSeq 1000 and 2000, NovaSeq X and MiSeq i100 genomic sequencers. The NextSeq instruments incorporated numerous patented innovations and received recognition from design organisations including IDSA and Red Dot in 2021. In 2023, iFIT engaged Native to design and develop the NordicTrack Ultra 1, a premium treadmill. The product extended Native's portfolio into connected fitness and was later named a Time Best Invention of 2025. Across these projects, Native has operated as a multidisciplinary consultancy spanning strategy, industrial design, digital experience, engineering and AI-related innovation. The supplied reference material credits the company with more than 170 international design and innovation awards, including IDEA, Cannes Lions, Red Dot and iF recognitions.
- 2025
NordicTrack Ultra 1 named a Best Invention
[1]Time recognised the NordicTrack Ultra 1 as a Best Invention of 2025.
- 2023
NordicTrack Ultra 1 development began
[1]iFIT approached Native to design and develop the NordicTrack Ultra 1 premium treadmill.
- 2021
Illumina sequencing work received design recognition
[1]The NextSeq 1000 and 2000 instruments developed with Native received recognition including Red Dot and IDSA-related awards.
- 2018
Ford autonomous-vehicle simulator and Zuma announced
[1]Native received IDEA Gold for its Ford Autonomous Vehicle Simulator work and announced Zuma's Lumisonic connected-home system.
- 2016
Coloplast Design DNA recognised internationally
[1]Native's Design DNA work for Coloplast received major design and creativity awards, including recognition at Cannes Lions and the IDEA awards.
- 2015
HP design-language and BBC experience projects
[1]Native undertook concept-visioning work for HP and was commissioned to create a new BBC user experience and homepage.
- 2014
HP Sprout collaboration
[1]Native worked with HP's design team to create Sprout, a computer using vertical and horizontal display surfaces.
- 1997
Native Design founded in London
[1]Morten Villiers Warren founded Native Design after working as Manager of Design at Bowers & Wilkins.
Products and positioning
An independent, end-to-end design and innovation consultancy positioned between strategic design practice, industrial-design studio and technology-development partner. Native emphasises the integration of brand strategy, physical product design, digital experience, engineering and emerging technologies.
Consumer audio
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin iPod dock and loudspeaker
Native collaborated with Bowers & Wilkins on the Zeppelin iPod dock and loudspeaker, an integrated premium audio product that combined a distinctive enclosure with dock-based digital music playback. The project formed part of Native's long-running work for Bowers & Wilkins and received Gold recognition at the IDSA International Design Excellence Awards.
Consumer audio
Bowers & Wilkins PM1
The PM1 loudspeaker was another result of Native's collaboration with Bowers & Wilkins. The engagement illustrates Native's work at the intersection of premium industrial design, acoustic engineering and product-brand expression.
Computing · 2014
HP Sprout
Sprout was a computer developed with HP's design team around an unusual dual-surface interaction concept, combining a conventional vertical display with a horizontal work surface. Native contributed to the product's industrial and interaction-design development.
Healthcare design system · 2016
Coloplast Design DNA
Design DNA was a design-system and brand-experience programme created for healthcare company Coloplast. It was intended to establish a coherent design approach across the company's products and experiences and received Gold recognition at Cannes Lions and the IDEA awards.
Automotive experience platform · 2018
Ford Autonomous Vehicle Simulator
The Autonomous Vehicle Simulator was a demonstration platform developed with Ford to explore the experience of future autonomous vehicles. Native's work addressed the vehicle environment and its human-facing interactions rather than representing a production vehicle.
Connected home · 2018
Zuma Lumisonic
Lumisonic was Zuma's integrated wireless multi-room lighting and audio ecosystem. It placed a compact loudspeaker inside an LED ceiling fixture and combined a quad-core ARM processor, custom wireless infrastructure, voice-control capability and home-automation integration. Native led the programme from concept through launch as design authority and systems-engineering lead.
Genomic sequencing equipment
Illumina NextSeq 1000 and 2000
Native partnered with Illumina on the physical and digital experience of the NextSeq 1000 and 2000 genomic sequencers. The instruments incorporated numerous patented innovations and received recognition from IDSA and Red Dot, including a Red Dot award.
Connected fitness equipment · 2025
NordicTrack Ultra 1
The NordicTrack Ultra 1 is a high-end treadmill designed and developed with iFIT. Native's involvement covered the product's integrated physical and digital experience. The treadmill was later described in critical coverage as a premium, technology-led fitness product and was named a Time Best Invention of 2025.
Brand decisions
2023
Native entered premium connected fitness through NordicTrack Ultra 1Product launchBackground
iFIT approached Native to develop a premium treadmill requiring coordination of industrial design, engineering and digital interaction.
Action taken
Native designed and developed the NordicTrack Ultra 1 in collaboration with iFIT.
Aftermath
The product received critical acclaim and was later named a Time Best Invention of 2025.
2018
Native established Zuma and brought Lumisonic toward marketProduct launchBackground
Native identified an opportunity to combine architectural lighting, premium audio and connected-home controls in a single ceiling-mounted system.
Action taken
It announced Zuma and took responsibility for Lumisonic from concept development through market launch as design authority and systems-engineering lead.
Aftermath
The programme reportedly generated 22 patents, with several later licensed internationally, and received an iF Design Award.
Recent events
- 2025
NordicTrack Ultra 1 named a Time Best Invention[1]
Other
The NordicTrack Ultra 1, developed with Native Design, was named by Time as one of its Best Inventions of 2025.
- 2023
Native worked with iFIT on the NordicTrack Ultra 1[1]
Product launch
iFIT approached Native to design and develop the NordicTrack Ultra 1 high-end treadmill, extending Native's work into connected fitness equipment.
- 2021
Native expanded its Illumina genomic-sequencing design programme[1]
Product launch · Other
Native's work on Illumina's NextSeq 1000 and 2000 sequencing instruments received design recognition, including a Red Dot award and recognition from IDSA.
- 2018
Native Design founded Zuma and introduced the Lumisonic connected-home system[1]
Product launch · Other
Native announced the creation of Zuma and the Lumisonic system, an integrated wireless multi-room audio and lighting platform developed with Native serving as design authority and systems-engineering lead.
- 2018
Native received an IDEA Gold award for Ford autonomous-vehicle experience work[1]
Other
Native's Autonomous Vehicle Simulator project for Ford was recognised with Gold at the International Design Excellence Awards.
Sources1 sources
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