Yves Béhar / Fuseproject

By radically questioning the traditional form of the washbasin, Béhar has brought his innovative perspective to LAUFEN, marking his first foray into sanitary ceramics. A challenge he has approached with deep commitment, this project aligns with his belief that design should create experiences that are more physical, natural, and sensual. 

Yves Béhar is a global leader in design and the Founder and CEO of Fuseproject, a San Francisco-based design and innovation studio. Since its inception, Béhar has launched over 100 early-stage ventures, including August, SNOO, TELO Trucks, and Uber, as well as hundreds of products and services for major brands such as Samsung, Herman Miller, L’Oréal, SodaStream, and Nivea. His design philosophy is rooted in the belief that design accelerates the adoption of new ideas, shaping products and experiences that define categories and transform the way we live.

Béhar is known for creating iconic products that establish new categories. Notable examples include the SNOO smart sleeper, which enhances infant sleep and safety, and the Herman Miller Sayl task chair, renowned for its innovative design and ergonomics. His portfolio includes the Samsung Frame TV, which blends art and technology by transforming into a piece of art when not in use. 

Beyond consumer products, Béhar has directed Fuseproject toward humanitarian initiatives, including a partnership with the non-profit The Ocean Cleanup, and See Better to Learn Better, a program providing 500,000 free corrective eyeglasses to schoolchildren in Mexico and California annually. Béhar is the only designer to have received the prestigious INDEX Award for his contributions to designs that improve life globally. 

Béhar has increasingly focused on the integration of AI and robotics to create intelligent, human-centered solutions. His work in this field includes the design of Moxie, an emotionally intelligent robot companion developed by Embodied to support children's social, cognitive, and emotional development. He also collaborated with Intuition Robotics on ElliQ, an AI-powered robot designed to assist the elderly by providing companionship and helping with daily tasks, enhancing both independence and well-being. Additionally, Fuseproject partnered with AES to design Maximo, an AI-driven robot that installs solar panels in half the time at half the cost. Through these projects, Béhar is redefining how robotics and AI can seamlessly integrate into daily life to solve real-world challenges. 

Béhar’s work is included in the permanent collections of renowned museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Pompidou, and the Art Institute of Chicago. A frequent speaker on design, sustainability, technology, and entrepreneurship, Béhar has presented at TED, the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the Clinton Global Initiative. He also serves as the artist trustee on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. 

Throughout his career, Béhar has received over 300 awards, including the Design Miami/ 2015 Design Visionary Award, the London Design Museum’s Design of the Year, the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, and the IDSA Design of the Decade Award. TIME Magazine named Béhar one of its Top 25 Visionaries, and Forbes recently recognized him as the “Most Influential Industrial Designer in the World.” 

With his LAUFEN collaboration, Béhar continues to push boundaries, demonstrating how design can redefine everyday interactions - bringing a fresh, sensory and sustainable experience to the bathroom space.