Lyse Martel, a Berlin-based “Color, Materials, and Finish” (CMF) designer and strategist in the mobility and consumer electronics industries, was featured in a Fast Company interview with Doreen Lorenzo. Their conversation explored the emotional dimension of circular design and how combining craftsmanship and emerging technology can shape design strategy, drive material innovation, and create new sensory experiences.

Martel has spent the majority of her career in the automotive and consumer electronic sectors, working with brands like Bang & Olufsen, Hopium, and NIO. Most recently, she directed a circular design project at Volkswagen Group, where she was tasked with introducing longevity, adaptability, and recyclability across all design touch points for the automaker brand. Circular design, according to Martel, is about designing products to stay in use longer and with easier repair and reuse. She acknowledges the business challenges of circularity but sees growing industry momentum driven by regulation and consumer demand.

Martel shared how she draws inspiration from neuroaesthetics, the science of how aesthetics affect the brain and emotions, to create more intuitive and emotionally engaging environments, such as calming car interiors or tactile surfaces that make sustainable materials more appealing. “It’s really about how shapes, colors and textures support the digital experience; all the micro-details working together to help the user feel at ease,” she explained.

AI also plays a growing role in her work, helping her visualize concepts and identify local materials for sustainable use. “As the digital world increasingly shapes the physical one, I think there’s real potential in using these new, hyper-sensory AI-generated visuals to inspire physical experiences. Neuroaesthetics helps us design for emotion, and AI can help translate those emotional cues into visual concepts that, when made real, feel meaningful and multi-sensory,” Martel said as she reiterated her belief that CMF invites designers to gently shift the visual language and open up new emotional possibilities.