Designer Bio: 

 

Michael Forbes is a graduate of The College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, MI, where he majored in Industrial Design. Throughout his professional career, he has enjoyed the opportunity to work across a diverse range of industries, including consumer products, medical devices, sporting goods, toys, and vehicles.

Beginning as an intern and entrepreneur during college, Michael honed his skills by sketching concepts for the Marvel team at Hasbro while also founding his first company, Anymile Clothing.

After his internship at Henry Ford Health System, Michael joined the newly established Innovation's team, where he contributed to the design, patenting, and licensing of future medical products and services. Collaborating with Henry Ford employees and local partners in Detroit, he played a pivotal role in the development and licensing efforts of the Henry Ford Model G™ Patient Gown. Additionally, Michael was instrumental in implementing in-house 3D printing point-of-care services at Henry Ford Hospital, leading to patented methods for predicting Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction (LVOT-O) for Structural Heart patients undergoing Mitral valve interventions. He also optimized Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) device placement through the utilization of 3D modeling, which proved to be more efficient and safer during surgical procedures at Henry Ford Hospital. These achievements earned him a spot in Crain's Detroit Business' "40 under 40" class of 2015, recognizing his cutting-edge contributions.

After spending seven years with Henry Ford Health System Innovations, Michael redirected his focus towards the future of mobility. Joining the Hyundai/Kia R&D Product Planning team as their NA Patent and Technology Planner, he took on the responsibility of nurturing creativity and capturing engineer intellectual property. His expertise encompassed adaptive driver assistance systems (UX), last mile mobility, new powertrain concepts, and ride-share specific vehicle trims. Concurrently, Michael managed the 3D Printing lab for new product concept development.

Later on, Michael joined Materialise as a Cardiovascular Technical Consultant, entrusted with the successful launch of Mimics Enlight in the US market. His efforts were centered around optimizing the pre-procedural planning for trans-catheter heart valves and devices using cutting-edge technologies such as 4D Imaging, 3D Analysis, VR, and Additive Manufacturing. By enhancing the user experience workflow of Mimics Enlight for physicians, he made a significant impact in the field.

Michael's remarkable contributions have garnered him numerous accolades, including an Edison Award and several patents. His work has also been widely featured in esteemed media outlets such as The New York Times, NPR, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and The Washington Post, among others.