René Linssen

PRODUCT DESIGN JUROR

René Linssen is a South African-born Australian industrial designer based in Canberra. He believes industrial design carries a responsibility to positively shape the world we live in. For René, designers are communicators and problem solvers – grounded in understanding people, context, and the systems they operate within.

He is currently an industrial designer at Formswell Design, working across industries including sports, outdoor, homewares, and government, with experience leading projects from concept through to production.

René has received multiple national design accolades, including the Vogue Living / Alessi Emerging Designer Award (2015) and the Belle / Alessi Design Award (2017), and was a finalist in the Mercedes-Benz Design Award (2018). He has also contributed to projects at Formswell recognised with five Good Design Awards.

Alongside his professional practice, René contributes to design education as a sessional lecturer at the University of Canberra, where he completed his Bachelor of Industrial Design in 2016.