Rochus Jacob

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Photos: Spencer Davis

»After graduating, I realised I wanted to go to San Francisco,« Rochus Jacob recalls. The HfG graduate is today Head of Industrial Design at Nestlabs, a start-up company belonging to Alphabet (Google) since 2014 and based in Palo Alto. He has worked there for about four years. »It's still a dream job,« says Jacob. He was the first industrial designer in the company, which is regarded as a pioneer of the smart home movement. Tony Fadell, who had previously developed the iPod for Apple, founded Nestlabs in 2010. The company now employs more than 1,000 people.

Rochus Jacob moved to San Francisco and Silicon Valley because »radical concepts are being tackled there.« »Design is given a very high priority.« Fortunately he had benefited from the fact that HfG Offenbach was very much oriented towards the future. Jacob did not think this was so in German industry. He completed an internship in San Francisco while still in his studies. It was not his only concern: »I was looking for proximity to the industry.« After that, he worked for several years in consumer electronics projects. Among his customers were Microsoft, Nike, Dell and the mobile phone manufacturer HTC.

The first Nestlabs product that Rochus Jacob developed is a smart thermostat that leads to more efficient energy use in the house, through automating processes. In addition, the company has launched a smart smoke detector on the market. »A product that has not been given any thought for a long time,« he says. With his Diplom thesis from 2009, Sustainability in the Design of Household Items, he was able to anticipate his work at Nestlabs. »In my Diplom, I established a design that had a long-term effect on my career as a designer.« That is how Jacob presented the Diplom project in the talks at Nestlabs.

The studies in the Design department (formerly known as Product Design) at HfG gave him a basic framework. The HfG does not train specialists. Instead, the students were asked to think holistically and to keep the social component in mind. Jacob considers the relationship with the professors as very familiar. He owes a large part of what he learnt during his studies to fellow students. One aspect is important to remember too: »At the HfG I have found friends for life.«

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Works

  • Rethinking the radiator hero shot

    Rethinking The Radiator

    German Design Award 2011,
    I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review Winner 2010, 
    Raymond Loewy foundation 2009, 
    ​IIDA designboom green life 2009

  • Rochus jacob murakami chair

    Murakami chair

    Siegerentwurf,
    „Green Life“ Wettbewerbs des
    Online-Designmagazin designboom,
    ​2009

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized14

    Nest Learning Thermostat

    Remote control
    ​Connect your thermostat to Wi‑Fi to control the temperature from your phone, tablet or laptop.

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized4

    Nest Learning Thermostat

    Thermostat,
    ​Programs itself.
    Then pays for itself.
    ​2011

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized5

    Nest Learning Thermostat

    Thermostat,
    ​Programs itself.
    Then pays for itself.
    ​2011

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized6

    Nest Learning Thermostat

    Thermostat,
    ​Programs itself.
    Then pays for itself.
    ​2011

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized7

    Nest Learning Thermostat

    Thermostat,
    ​Programs itself.
    Then pays for itself.
    ​2011

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized8

    Nest Protect

    The smoke alarm that thinks, speaks, and alerts your phone.

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized9

    Nest Protect

    The smoke alarm that thinks, speaks, and alerts your phone.

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized11

    Nest Protect

    The smoke alarm that thinks, speaks, and alerts your phone.

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized15

    Nest Protect

    The smoke alarm that thinks, speaks, and alerts your phone.

  • Thermodynamic cooler final design

    thermodynamic cooler

    2009

  • Bodysensor close up

    Body Sensor

    For Ident Technolgy,
    IDSA Award 2007,
    ​Well - Tech Award 2008

  • Rocky jacob nest v a slide deck 160923 screen optimized16

    Nest Messestand

    Design

Rethinking The Radiator

German Design Award 2011,
I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review Winner 2010, 
Raymond Loewy foundation 2009, 
​IIDA designboom green life 2009

...