Hello

I'm Aron, a Korean American born in Los Angeles and currently residing in the Bay Area as a Sr. Lead Industrial Designer at NETGEAR. I've dedicated the past decade to crafting innovative products across various domains, leading projects from conception to mass production. My role leads design research, product ideation, user experience enhancement, hardware engineering, CMF development, managing manufacturer relationships, and overseeing projects to successful mass production. Additionally, I contribute to marketing through impactful 3D visuals.

Education

Before college, I had a love for dismantling electronics and a passion for drawing, which led me to major in undergraduate product design at Parsons School of Design. After graduation, I began my career as an industrial designer. While working with a UX team, I became fascinated by the user experience design process and sought deeper knowledge. This led me to complete the graduate interaction design program at ArtCenter College.

Experience

I started my career as a design intern at the R&D department of Victoria's Secret, which is a part of Limited Brand. I learned about the corporate system and the design development process during my time there. Later, I interned at Quirky Inc. to learn more about the startup system. After completing my internships, I began my professional journey as an industrial designer at iLuv. Here, I designed speakers, headphones, and accessories for smart devices. Following this, I started an independent design agency called HultDesign, where I provided industrial and graphic design services to my clients. Currently, I work at NETGEAR, designing security products and networking devices.

Clients

At my design agency, I undertook contract design projects for high-profile clients such as NETGEAR, Arlo, LG, Coway, GFK, Sherpa Electric Kart, KM Health, Telstra, and Foxtel. My work involved collaborating with cross-functional teams from product, engineering, sales, and design, which allowed me to gain diverse perspectives. The design projects I worked on covered a wide spectrum of areas, including home appliances, home security, healthcare, transportation, and network products.

30+ Design Awards

I have won over 30 prestigious design awards, showcasing excellence in product design and innovative solutions. Notable recognitions include the 2023 Good Design Awards for Orbi 970, NIGHTHAWK RS700, and the 2022 Red Dot Design Awards for NIGHTHAWK RAX30.

  • •2023 Good Design Award - Orbi 970

    •2023 Good Design Award - NIGHTHAWK RS700

    •2023 Good Design Award - NETGEAR WBE750

    •2023 Red Dot Design Award - OrbiPro SXK50

    •2023 Red Dot Design Award - NETGEAR WAX625

    •2022 IF Design Award - NIGHTHAWK MK8

    •2022 IF Design Award - Orbi Pro SXK80

    •2022 IF Design Award - Orbi Pro SXK30

    •2022 Red Dot Design Award - Orbi Pro SXK30

    •2022 Red Dot Design Award - Orbi Pro SXK80

    •2022 Red Dot Design Award -NETGEAR C6230

    •2022 Red Dot Design Award - Orbi RBK760

    •2022 Red Dot Design Award - NIGHTHAWK MK8

    •2022 Red Dot Design Award - NIGHTHAWK RAX30

    •2021 G-Mark Award - NIGHTHAWK MK83

    •2021 Good Design Award - NETGEAR WAX630

    •2021 Good Design Award - Orbi RBK760

    •2021 Good Design Award - NIGHTHAWK MK8

    •2021 Good Design Award - NIGHTHAWK RAX30

    •2021 Good Design Award - Orbi Pro SXK80

    •2021 IF Design Award - Orbi RBK350

    •2021 Red Dot Design Award - NIGHTHAWK CAX30

    •2021 Red Dot Design Award - Orbi RBK350

    •2021 Red Dot Design Award - Orbi CBR750

    •2021 Red Dot Design Award - NIGHTHAWK MK83

    •2021 Red Dot Design Award - NIGHTHAWK CM2050

    •2021 Red Dot Design Award - NIGHTHAWK CAX80

    •2021 Red Dot Design Award - Orbi RBK750

    •2021 Red Dot Design Award - Orbi RBK850

    •2020 Good Design Award - NIGHTHAWK CAX30

    •2020 Good Design Award - Orbi RBK350

    •2020 Good Design Award - NIGHTHAWK CM2000

    •2020 Good Design Award - Orbi RBK850

    •2020 IF Design Award - NETGEAR Nighthawk MK6 Mesh

    •2019 Good Design Award - NETGEAR Orbi Voice

    •2019 Red Dot Design Award - NETGEAR Orbi Voice

    •2019 Red Dot Design Award - NETGEAR Orbi Pro SRC60

4 Design and Utility Patents

I have been granted patents for a Wireless Router, Doorbell, Doorbell Chime (design patents), and a speaker-integrated electronic device with speaker-driven passive cooling (utility patent), showcasing innovative contributions to product design and technology.

  • •US Design Patent D892776 - Wireless Router

    •US Design Patent D892663 - Doorbell

    •US Design Patent D902063 - Doorbell Chime

    •U.S. Utility Patent 11,218,809 - Speaker integrated electronic device with speaker driven passive cooling

I was privileged to be featured on the renowned TV show 'California By Design'. I demonstrated the intricacies of the design process at NETGEAR. The episode highlighted our team's innovative approach to developing the world's first WiFi mesh system integrated with a smart speaker. It was an exciting opportunity to share our journey of technological ingenuity and design excellence with the audience.