Afshin Mehin

Afshin Mehin is a San Francisco-based industrial designer and founder of Card79, a product design and innovation agency specializing in the development of advanced technology products. Card79 focuses on transforming complex, emerging technologies into first-generation products that establish new categories in the industrial design and technology sectors. Mehin’s approach integrates user insights, thoughtful interactions, and distinctive forms to create designs that balance emotional resonance with functionality.

Mehin’s background combines engineering and the arts. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of British Columbia, followed by a master’s degree in human-computer interaction and industrial design engineering from the Royal College of Art in London. He also completed an internship at MIT Media Lab Europe in Dublin. This blend of technical expertise and design sensibility has shaped his career. Before founding Card79, Mehin gained experience at design institutions including IDEO, Whipsaw, BarberOsgerby, and Terence Conran, working across traditional furniture design and advanced technology projects.

Card79’s portfolio includes collaborations at the forefront of technology and industrial design. Notably, the studio partnered with Neuralink to design the first brain-computer interface wearable, contributing to the design of the Link wearable device and the R1 Neuralink Surgical Robot. The industrial design of the Neuralink Surgical Robot received an iF Design Award. Card79 has also developed products and experiences for companies such as Amazon, Lululemon, LG, Renault, Postmates, and Hyundai, and contributed design work to the London Olympics.

Mehin’s influence in product design and technology extends beyond client projects. Card79 has received multiple Core77 Design Awards, including recognition in the Robotics category for the Rapid Machine Operator, a robotic automation system for U.S. manufacturing. Mehin served as jury captain for the Commercial Equipment and Robotics categories at the Core77 Awards. Card79 has also earned San Francisco Design Week Awards in categories such as User Experience, Industrial Design, and Communications Design. Mehin is a frequent speaker on technology and human experience, presenting at events including SXSW, where he has led discussions on brain-computer interfaces, neuroethics, and the intersection of artificial intelligence and neurotechnology, consistently advocating for human-centered design in emerging technologies.