Intern - Industrial Designer

Human Computer Lab • San Francisco, CA

38d

About The Position

Human Computer Lab is a research lab building character robots that feel alive and responsive. Our first robot, LeLamp, explores a new category of consumer robotics where everyday objects become interactive and help us reshape our attachment to technology. Our goal is to push the frontier of human-robot interaction by making technology more legible, emotionally intuitive, and human-centered. We are building the foundation for a new generation of robots designed for everyday environments.

Requirements

• Have 3+ years in industrial or product design (consumer hardware or robotics).
• Have a strong portfolio showing proportion, detail, and emotional sensitivity.
• Have taken products from concept to production.
• Are fluent in Rhino, Alias, Fusion, or similar tools.
• Are comfortable designing without clear precedents.
• Have Class-A surfacing experience.
• Have worked with CMF specs and injection molding vendors.
• Understand DFM constraints (draft, parting lines, textures).
• Have a sharp eye for cosmetic quality and can articulate the difference between acceptable and not.
• Care how products feel in everyday life, not just how they render.
• Care deeply about how everyday objects fit into people's lives and homes.
• Can hold creative direction steady across a long, messy development process without losing the thread.
• Move quickly and can iterate through physical samples and vendor feedback without losing design direction.
• Take ownership over the aesthetic quality of the product, even in stages of the process they don't directly control.
• Work well in small, collaborative teams where the industrial designer and mechanical engineer are often the same conversation.
• Think about the full arc from concept to shipped unit and hold the thread throughout.

Responsibilities

• Lead the exterior design of LeLamp across product generations, and maintain consistency as the product platform evolves.
• Develop the product’s visual language, form, materials, and emotional presence.
• Sketch and present design directions that communicate personality, not just geometry.
• Translate concepts into production-ready 3D models with mechanical engineers.
• Define CMF specs (materials, colors, finishes) and maintain documentation.
• Review prototypes and cosmetic samples against design intent.
• Contribute to how the robot is presented visually, including packaging, photography art direction, and first-impression experience.
• Own Class-A surfacing for injection molded and fabricated exterior parts, and ensuring surfaces remain DFM-ready without compromising design quality.
• Prepare visual references, annotated models, and finish sample boards to support design reviews.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed