Strategists, designers, and engineers on a mission to solve critical challenges

A new Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering consulting firm called Whipsaw was founded on July 21, 1999, by Dan Harden and Bob Riccomini in San Jose, California. Acer, Cisco Systems, and Creative Labs are Whipsaw's first clients. Dan was previously President of Frog Design and Bob was Director at Silicon Graphics.

Whipsaw-designed Leapfrog Quantum Pad wins the Educational Toy of the Year Award, Toy Wishes Hot Dozen, and Toy Wishes All-Star Education & Learning. Rio launches an all-new line of personal MP3 players that go on to place Rio in second place in the market behind only the Apple iPod.

Whipsaw grows from consumer electronics to include biotech and medical device experience with the launch of Dynatherm post-surgery recovery device, Dionex Chromatography system, and Optovue Retina Scanner. A partnership with Stanford and Reuters leads to the design and development of a digital dirt bike that delivers internet access and medical services for communities in developing countries. Whipsaw founder, Dan Harden, is featured as a “Master of Design” by Fast Company.

Whipsaw came into its own with a multitude of exceptional products and a new brand identity. The Adiri Baby Bottle achieved an unprecedented feat by sweeping every international design award, collecting five Gold awards. Known for an audacious approach, Whipsaw secured its position among the “Top 5 Most Innovative Design Firms” by Fast Company. Whipsaw engineers travel to China more than 30 times in the development of the Nike FuelBand.

Whipsaw's partnership with founders, early-stage companies, and international corporations is showcased through projects like the Google Chromecast, Google OnHub router, Dropcam home security cameras, TP-Link networking devices, and the Dell Precision line of computers. In 2014, Dan Harden was named one of Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People in Business.” During this time, TP-Link became the world's #1 networking company with sales of over 100 million Whipsaw-designed products. Whipsaw’s service offering organically evolves to include more dedicated research and digital design capabilities.

Whipsaw embarked on an exceptional journey by opening its new studio in San Francisco in 2017, bookending Silicon Valley. The year brought a series of remarkable achievements, starting with Dan's well-deserved recognition through IDSA's Personal Recognition Award. Brita's instant success with the Brita Stream water purifier line and Ceribell's prestigious accolades in the Medical Design Excellence Award further solidified Whipsaw's reputation for innovation. The Tonal strength training system and Tile's bestselling tracker product further highlighted the company's impact on the market. Amidst these triumphs, the world faced the challenges of a pandemic, prompting remote work and adaptation. Nevertheless, Whipsaw's research practice engages in multiple national and international projects.

Emerging from the pandemic, Whipsaw consolidates studios to a new single location in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. This move offers the full team a single location to connect and collaborate under one roof. Whipsaw launches the Whipsaw Design Lab (WDL) to push the boundaries of design innovation and celebrates 25 years of innovation, pushing for design harmony across physical, digital, and brand touchpoints.