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Creating the icons of the next industrial era

Products, experiences, and brands that define the human story.

POV

In every economic era, certain products and brands become powerful symbols of their time.

Icons like the Model T offer a window into who we are and what we value. It signaled a shift from human craft to the rhythmic hum of assembly lines. Back then, all our cars were black simply because it was the shade of paint that dried quickest.

But as we entered the extravagant 1920s, it became too bland. We wanted a car that spoke to our status and style, not a lifeless tin box born from an efficient factory line.

We gathered around the transistor radio to hear national moments unfold, disrupted each other’s peace with the boombox, and disconnected from the world with the Sony Walkman. Nowadays, Big Tech brands like Apple and Meta are emblems of an age of innovation, but also, our constant pursuit of dopamine through a steady stream of alerts and viral stories.

NSMBL is a design firm dedicated to imagining, designing, and launching the icons of the next industrial era.

The next industrial era plays by a whole new set of rules.

You spend more time as your avatar than your real self. People no longer “use” machines; they “partner” with them. An independent YouTuber can disrupt an industry titan. Products aren’t thrown out like waste; they're traded and reused. And the idea that a Silicon Valley startup would “move fast and break things” is, well, terrifying.

Approach

To Win, you have to flip the script.

In this era, breaking through the noise requires a deeper understanding of culture.

consumer anthropology

To spot trends, you have to embed with consumers like an anthropologist.

The next big thing isn’t found in a consultant’s report. It’s on the frontlines of culture.

Human-Centric AI

Whether you're manufacturing shopping trolleys or developing software, every company is designing an internet-connected, intelligent agent.

AI is eating the world.

Cultural Branding

Iconic brands are defined by their cultural relevance, not their advertising budgets. A billion-dollar promotional budget will never beat a teenager on TikTok who better understands “the vibes.”

Continuous Iteration

Launch day is just the beginning.

If it doesn’t evolve, it will dissolve.

Culture

WE OPERATE FROM THE INSIGHT that cognitively diverse teams outperform their counterparts. When people are not stifled by orthodoxy, they combine approaches from different domains and discover new ideas.

For us, problem solving is jazz. And the best teams are ensembles. We adopt Thelonious Monk’s perspective that “the piano ain’t got no wrong notes.”

But we’re not just bashing the keys. Our projects strike a balance between creative ambition and practical execution. We are designing a city that runs on AI, launching financial services for the global unbanked, and working with the largest payment network to understand the youth movement behind Crypto.

Read: we get sh*t done inside the most complex environments.

Origin

Formed in 2022 by a machine learning scientist and an anthropologist, NSMBL is the culmination of over a decade of collaboration, delving into the intersections of technology and culture.

Alex Chung is a global innovation leader. He held the position of managing director at investment firm BlackRock, overseeing their digital platforms and brand practice. Alex served as a VP at the tech firm BuzzFeed and remains a trusted advisor to executives in finance, deep tech, and startups. An awarded people manager, designer, and machine learning scientist, he holds an MS in Data Science from UC, Berkeley.

Osei Kwakye is an anthropologist with a focus on youth movements and consumer behavior. His field research has inspired some of the most transformative tech initiatives, such as Nike’s NFT program and Google’s streaming service. Osei holds a BA in Sociology from Princeton University and started his career as a public school teacher.

Creating the icons of the next industrial era

Products, experiences, and brands that define the human story.

POV

NSMBL is a design firm dedicated to imagining, designing, and launching the icons of the next industrial era.