119th NY Hardware Meetup - Beyond the Screen: Designing Physical Products That Fit Kids' Bodies and Minds at Smart Design

The Hardware Meetup community is excited to announce the 119th meeting at Smart Design! Hardware Meetups happen across 35+ cities around the world, bringing together hardware professionals to network and learn from each other. You might not realize it, but NYC is a hotbed for this kind of innovation and tonight you'll meet two companies working at the cutting edge of this technology. ​THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR AND HOST This event is graciously sponsored by Smart Design. AGENDA 6:00 - Arrival 6:30 - Welcome and introduction 6:45 - Speakers 9:00 - Event concludes SPEAKERS Will Merrill is a Principal at Smart Design, where he leads the development of products and experiences that combine meaningful innovation, distinctive brand expression, and thoughtful execution. His work spans housewares, children’s products, outdoor products, CPG, soft goods, consumer electronics, and mobility. He has worked with clients including OXO, PepsiCo, Therabody, Dr Martens, Samsung, and Ford. His work has been recognized by iF, Core77, and Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards. Will holds a First Class degree in Product Design and Technology from Loughborough University Greg Rousos is Director of Strategic Partnerships at Sphero, the educational robotics company inspiring kids to learn to code and take an interest in STEM, which is now in over 20,000 schools across the U.S., Latin America, and Canada. His work puts Sphero's products in front of one of the most demanding user groups in hardware: K12 kids. Working with schools, districts, nonprofits, and global brands, he's watched thousands of students interact with, and stress-test, the millions of units they have in the field. He brings a practitioner's view of what survives contact with real users. That vantage point spans durability, usability, and the gap between how a product is designed to be used and how it actually gets used. Follow us on LinkedIn as we announce the rest of our speakers! WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Sponsorship: ​We offer exclusive access to our 10,000+ member community through sponsorships. Host an event at your space: We are always looking for host sponsors to provide access to unique spaces from cool hardware companies building interesting things. Want to open up your office? Speaker: Do you have something interesting to share with our community? We're on the lookout for fresh faces to talk about their journey and experiences. If you want to get involved, head here: https://linktr.ee/nyhardware