Luke Michas

About Luke Michas

I\'m an industrial designer by training who spent 20+ years building and leading hardware development teams across the full product lifecycle. I\'ve managed mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers, industrial designers, and product managers while working with EE and firmware teams to ship products from concept through production and sustaining support.I\'ve shipped consumer electronics at Griffin Technology (grew category from $120M to $280M), industrial IoT products for Amazon, medical devices, and payment hardware for restaurants. I\'ve managed contract manufacturers in Asia through evening calls and quarterly factory visits, led mechanical engineering teams through EVT/DVT/PVT, and built NPD processes that guide cross-functional teams from customer research through launch.I\'m strongest when bringing design, engineering, and manufacturing together to solve problems without wasting time or money. I understand how each discipline thinks, what they need to be successful, and how to make tradeoffs when requirements conflict. I can step into specialized leadership roles—manufacturing operations, mechanical engineering, industrial design, product management—or lead the entire new product development function.What I bring to hardware development:• Direct management experience with ME teams (3 people), manufacturing engineers (5-7 people), and CM operations in China• Industrial design background (RISD) with hands-on CAD skills (SolidWorks Advanced certified, Onshape)• Product management discipline: writing PRDs, managing roadmaps, tracking post-launch KPIs, using field data to drive next-generation requirements• Manufacturing partnership experience: DFM/DFA, production readiness, quality systems, vendor negotiations• Cross-functional coordination across ID, ME, EE, firmware, manufacturing, and qualityI\'ve built products that shipped millions of units (FrostGuard windshield cover: 1M+ units, QVC sales record), launched the first MIL-STD certified phone cases (Griffin Survivor series), and managed hardware for Fortune 500 clients who demand flawless execution.Currently at Ovyl leading hardware development for clients including Amazon, Tesla, and medical device companies. Based in Nashville. RISD Industrial Design \'96.

Experience

1. Head of Product Development & Manufacturing

   Ovyl

   Aug 2019 — Present · Nashville, TN, US

   Ovyl designs and manufacturers tech-enabled physical products that merge elegant design with precision engineering. As a strategic product development studio, we tackle complex challenges—crafting scalable, manufacturable solutions that are holistic by design.Our multidisciplinary team integrates strategy, design, engineering, and manufacturing expertise from day one, ensuring every product is functional, high-performing, and built for impact. We partner with visionary founders, fast-growing startups, and industry leaders to create products that don\'t just look great—they work flawlessly and scale seamlessly.Trusted by Amazon, DeRoyal, Tesla, and Smile Direct Club, we\'re redefining what\'s possible in product development. Follow us to see how we bring world-class products to life.• Lead end-to-end hardware product development for Amazon, AllyGPO, FiveStars, and FDA-regulated medical device clients from customer research through production launch and sustaining support• Manage manufacturing engineers and quality assurance specialists coordinating production with 10+ contract manufacturers across China through evening calls and quarterly on-site visits• Lead mechanical engineering team through design, prototyping, and EVT/DVT/PVT validation phasesDirect industrial design strategy and execution for Amazon warehouse hardware, medical device cabinets, and payment kiosk projects• Built Ovyl\'s NPD process framework covering voice-of-customer research through EVT/DVT/PVT, production ramp, and sustaining support• Develop customer research plans for Amazon warehouse projects, translating field observations and user interviews into prioritized product requirements• Track post-launch KPIs including failure rates, customer complaints, warranty issues, and field data to inform Gen 2 product requirements• Build AI automations for PRD capture and regulatory compliance using agentic workflows to extract requirements from meeting transcripts

Education

• Rhode Island School of Design

  Bachelor of Fine Arts, Industrial Design; Business Administration studies

• Rhode Island School of Design

  BFA-ID, Industrial Design

Skills

• Product Design
• Product Launch
• Brand Development
• Adobe Illustrator
• Strategic Partnerships
• Management
• Web Design
• Integra
• Strategic Planning
• Solidworks
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Marketing
• Product Management
• Concept Development
• Adobe Photoshop
• Animation
• Sales
• Keyshot
• Product Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Manufacturing
• New Business Development
• Rapid Prototyping
• Industrial Design
• Consumer Electronics
• Market Research
• Strategy
• Graphic Design
• Brand Management
• Packaging
• Marketing Strategy
• Mobile Devices
• Concept Generation
• Digital
• Creative Direction
• Leadership
• Product Development
• Advertising