Great tech innovators: Claude Zellweger

Claude Zellweger
Claude Zellweger
  • Known for: HTC
  • Quote: "The Porsche 911 has evolved over a generation. It's incremental. Really, what we focused on, is making things that are already good about the One even better."

Born and raised in Switzerland, a country well known for the art of watch making, it's not a big surprise Claude Zellweger has dedicated his life to the intricacies of design.

Zellweger left Switzerland for the US and spent his younger years earning a degree in industrial design from the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena.

With that under his belt he went straight into the Silicon Valley working for a number of firms including IDEO and Pentagram Design before heading on to join One & Co and becoming Creative Director in 2001.

There he continues to work on brand and design development with clients such as Sony, Kodak, Nike and Microsoft. One & Co was later bought out by HTC in 2008 allowing the opportunity mould one of the best phone manufacturers around.

It's working for HTC that Zellweger has created some of his best work. He soon joined the creative team within HTC becoming Leader Designer on the HTC brand.

In 2013 he was an integral part of realising and releasing the HTC One brand – one of the most beautiful smartphones we've seen in years, before following it up a year later with the HTC One M8.

Team members Scott Croyle and Jonah Becker, who worked on the HTC One line as well have since left leaving Claude as the sole baton carrier for beautiful design in the HTC One line.

His ethos of simple, yet beautiful design has been an inspiring factor of the company and lead HTC to great success in its flagship line. We've got our fingers crossed he continues his great work at the company to ensure next year's HTC One 10 will be the best looking yet.

  • In partnership with Microsoft, powered by the HP Spectre x360
James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.