Products by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin
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OE1 Mobile Easel Herman Miller -
OE1 Marker Cup Herman Miller -
OE1 Workbox Herman Miller -
OE1 Storage Trolleys Herman Miller -
OE1 Personal Hoodie Herman Miller -
OE1 Boundary Screen Herman Miller -
OE1 Movable Screen Herman Miller -
OE1 Micro Packs Herman Miller -
OE1 Wall Rail and Board Herman Miller -
OE1 Agile Wall Herman Miller -
OE1 Nook Herman Miller -
Wireframe Sofa Group Herman Miller -
Plex Lounge Furniture Herman Miller -
Formwork Herman Miller -
Formwork Pencil Cup Herman Miller -
Formwork Tray, Large and Small Herman Miller -
Formwork Box, Large and Small Herman Miller -
Formwork Tissue Box Herman Miller -
Formwork Media Stand Herman Miller -
Formwork Paper Tray Herman Miller
Contrasts, and holding them in creative tension, define the work of Sam Hecht and Kim Colin. Their designs reflect both a meticulous attention to an object’s details and a thoughtful consideration of its context. Thus, they measure the success of their designs, “not only in sales or notoriety but also in the contribution to the greater good of the industry (and we hope, the planet)”.
Designers Sam Hecht and Kim Colin of London-based Industrial Facility create work that balances the complexities of living a full life with the desire to keep things simple. British-born Hecht’s contemplative approach and attention to detail complements California-born Colin’s architectural and contextual sensibility; together they design furniture, products and technology that relate to the landscapes where they are used.
Colin says, “We strive for simplicity that enriches use”. Hecht adds, “What comes out of it is a kind of equilibrium where products are relevant and lasting”.
Their studio, Industrial Facility, is located in central London’s Clerkenwell neighbourhood, itself a place of opposites, hip and professional, home to thinkers and entertainers. The studio is small in number, eclectic in talent.
“Each of us is from a different part of the world, with its respective history”, notes Colin, “and we collaborate constantly about ideas, methods and opinions. Our work is never created in cultural isolation, and therefore our office behaves like a good, condensed international neighbourhood, which is efficient, energetic and pleasurable”.
Hecht adds: “When we are working through the design process, it is very much a series of conversations. What comes out of it is a sense of equilibrium because the process, the result, is essentially holding those two points of view”.
Since founding their studio in 2002, Hecht and Colin have used their international experience to design objects that range in scale from the diminutive to the architectural. In addition to their work with Herman Miller, they have designed products and technology for Mattiazzi (Italy), Google and Emeco (US), Issey Miyake, MUJI and Ishinomaki (Japan), Santa & Cole (Spain), AndTradition (Denmark) and Louis Vuitton (France). Originally, in 2008, Herman Miller asked both Kim and Sam to become retained creative advisers. As of 2026, they are Creative Directors for Herman Miller.
Many of their designs are held in museum permanent collections, including those of MoMA in New York City, The Art Institute in Chicago, The Finlandia Museum, Helsinki, The San Francisco MoMA, The Pompidou Centre in Paris, the State Museum of Applied Arts in Munich and the V&A Museum and Design Museum in London.
Both Colin and Hecht are dedicated teachers and have been named to the prestigious Royal Designers for Industry (RDI), the highest honour for designers working in the United Kingdom. Colin received her RDI in 2015, becoming the first female product designer included; Hecht received his in 2008. Their monograph entitled Industrial Facility (published by Phaidon Press, 2018) catalogues their portfolio.
