Leon Potgieter

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Robotics Visual Systems Designer

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"I put humans in control of machines — through interface design, 3D animation, and motion."

Local Time

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cAPE tOWN - sOUTH aFRICA

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SEE MY WORK

LET'S CHAT

HMI / Motion / 3D / Robotics

\\2026

Showreel 2026

HMI UX/UI Satellite

Operator-Facing Robotics HMI

Figma Design System Architecture Frontend Implementation Orbiter API Integration

YR/

HMI UX/UI Satellite

Operator-Facing Robotics HMI

Figma Design System Architecture Frontend Implementation Orbiter API Integration

YR/

HMI UX/UI Satellite

Operator-Facing Robotics HMI

Figma Design System Architecture Frontend Implementation Orbiter API Integration

YR/

HMI UX/UI Orbiter

Engineer-Facing Robotics HMI

Figma Design System Architecture React - Frontend Implementation Artemis API Integration Python Scripting Support Real-time Component Dashboards

YR/

HMI UX/UI Orbiter

Engineer-Facing Robotics HMI

Figma Design System Architecture React - Frontend Implementation Artemis API Integration Python Scripting Support Real-time Component Dashboards

YR/

HMI UX/UI Orbiter

Engineer-Facing Robotics HMI

Figma Design System Architecture React - Frontend Implementation Artemis API Integration Python Scripting Support Real-time Component Dashboards

YR/

HMI UX/UI - Artemis

Back-end Robotics Engineering Interface

Figma Design System Architecture Node-RED framework Python scripting environment Multi-brand API integration Signal and hardware node system

YR/

Close-up of black road bike with orange frame detail in low light.

HMI UX/UI - Artemis

Back-end Robotics Engineering Interface

Figma Design System Architecture Node-RED framework Python scripting environment Multi-brand API integration Signal and hardware node system

YR/

HMI UX/UI - Artemis

Back-end Robotics Engineering Interface

Figma Design System Architecture Node-RED framework Python scripting environment Multi-brand API integration Signal and hardware node system

YR/

2017-2026

More Projects

2017-2026

More Projects

2017-2026

More Projects

PERFORMANCE

The proof behind my work

—— From first launches to lasting collaborations, I am trusted to deliver on time and at quality.

PERFORMANCE

The proof behind my work

—— From first launches to lasting collaborations, I am trusted to deliver on time and at quality.

PERFORMANCE

The proof behind my work

—— From first launches to lasting collaborations, I am trusted to deliver on time and at quality.

200+

86+

200+

PROJECTS SHIPPED

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73%

80%

73%

REPEAT COLLABORATIONS

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84%

89%

84%

CLIENT RETENTION RATE

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Some brands/companies I had the pleasure to work with

Visit Behance for all my projects

What I do best, and what your next project needs most.

HMI - UX / UI

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HMI - UX

I design the interfaces that put humans in control of machines, from the software engineers who program cobots to the dashboards operators rely on in real time on the factory floor.

Control room and operator interface design

Cobot and robot programming software UX

Safety-critical interaction design

Dashboard and data visualisation for industrial systems

User research conducted on live factory floors

HMI - UX / UI

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1 HMI - UX

I design the interfaces that put humans in control of machines, from the software engineers who program cobots to the dashboards operators rely on in real time on the factory floor.

Control room and operator interface design

Cobot and robot programming software UX

Safety-critical interaction design

Dashboard and data visualisation for industrial systems

User research conducted on live factory floors

HMI - UX / UI

/0

1

HMI - UX

I design the interfaces that put humans in control of machines, from the software engineers who program cobots to the dashboards operators rely on in real time on the factory floor.

Control room and operator interface design

Cobot and robot programming software UX

Safety-critical interaction design

Dashboard and data visualisation for industrial systems

User research conducted on live factory floors

Print & Large Format

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2

Print & Large Format

Two designers working at a modern desk arranging colour swatches, samples, and tech devices in a creative workspace.

From technical data sheets to large-scale expo stands. I design print that performs in the environments where automation brands make their biggest impressions.

Large format expo stand design and production

Trade show and exhibition graphics

Technical data sheets and product brochures mapping

Campaign flyers and promotional print

Print-ready artwork to production standards

Print & Large Format

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2 Print & Large Format

From technical data sheets to large-scale expo stands. I design print that performs in the environments where automation brands make their biggest impressions.

Large format expo stand design and production

Trade show and exhibition graphics

Technical data sheets and product brochures mapping

Campaign flyers and promotional print

Print-ready artwork to production standards

Print & Large Format

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2

Print & Large Format

From technical data sheets to large-scale expo stands. I design print that performs in the environments where automation brands make their biggest impressions.

Large format expo stand design and production

Trade show and exhibition graphics

Technical data sheets and product brochures mapping

Campaign flyers and promotional print

Print-ready artwork to production standards

Graphic & Visual Design

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Graphic & Visual Design

Minimalist arrangement of geometric product mockups in white, black, grey, and orange on a clean white background.

The visual language that runs through everything; from the typography animating across a product reel to the layout of a technical brochure handed to an engineers and CEO's at trade fairs.

Campaign and social content design

Typography and layout for print and digital

Brand application across multiple formats

Infographics and technical visual communication

Motion graphics and animated visual identity

Graphic & Visual Design

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3 Graphic & Visual Design

The visual language that runs through everything; from the typography animating across a product reel to the layout of a technical brochure handed to an engineers and CEO's at trade fairs.

Campaign and social content design

Typography and layout for print and digital

Brand application across multiple formats

Infographics and technical visual communication

Motion graphics and animated visual identity

Graphic & Visual Design

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3

Graphic & Visual Design

The visual language that runs through everything; from the typography animating across a product reel to the layout of a technical brochure handed to an engineers and CEO's at trade fairs.

Campaign and social content design

Typography and layout for print and digital

Brand application across multiple formats

Infographics and technical visual communication

Motion graphics and animated visual identity

AI-Assisted Design

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AI-Assisted Design

Woman wearing transparent futuristic visor with iridescent light reflections.

AI doesn't replace the thinking — it accelerates it. I integrate AI tools across the entire creative pipeline to move faster, explore wider, and deliver more without compromising the specialist quality this industry demands.

AI-assisted concept development and visual exploration

Generative tools integrated into motion and 3D workflows

AI-powered UX research and interface testing

Automated content generation for campaign scaling

Prompt design and AI direction for robotics visualisation

AI-Assisted Design

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4 AI-Assisted Design

AI-assisted concept development and visual exploration

Generative tools integrated into motion and 3D workflows

AI-powered UX research and interface testing

Automated content generation for campaign scaling

Prompt design and AI direction for robotics visualisation

AI-Assisted Design

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4

AI-Assisted Design

AI-assisted concept development and visual exploration

Generative tools integrated into motion and 3D workflows

AI-powered UX research and interface testing

Automated content generation for campaign scaling

Prompt design and AI direction for robotics visualisation

Motion Design

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Motion Design

From countdown sequences that build tension at expo launches to product animations that make complex robotics instantly understood — I create motion work that moves people as much as it moves.

Product and campaign animation for robotics and automation

Expo and event motion graphics and countdown sequences

3D integrated motion — Cinema 4D rendered into After Effects

Typography animation and kinetic type campaigns

LinkedIn and social motion content for technical brands

AI-Assisted Design

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4 AI-Assisted Design

AI-assisted concept development and visual exploration

Generative tools integrated into motion and 3D workflows

AI-powered UX research and interface testing

Automated content generation for campaign scaling

Prompt design and AI direction for robotics visualisation

AI-Assisted Design

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4

AI-Assisted Design

AI-assisted concept development and visual exploration

Generative tools integrated into motion and 3D workflows

AI-powered UX research and interface testing

Automated content generation for campaign scaling

Prompt design and AI direction for robotics visualisation

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6

3D

Close-up of a modern mechanical keyboard with a grey control knob and an orange accent key.

Hand me your product file. I'll turn it into something that stops people at an expo, closes a pitch, and makes your engineering team proud.

Robot rigging and animation from CAD and STEP files

Photorealistic materials, lighting, and environment setup

Full product visualisation for campaigns and launches

Expo and trade show 3D animation and renders

Integrated 3D and motion pipeline — Cinema 4D to After Effects

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6 3D

Hand me your product file. I'll turn it into something that stops people at an expo, closes a pitch, and makes your engineering team proud.

Robot rigging and animation from CAD and STEP files

Photorealistic materials, lighting, and environment setup

Full product visualisation for campaigns and launches

Expo and trade show 3D animation and renders

Integrated 3D and motion pipeline — Cinema 4D to After Effects

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6

3D

Hand me your product file. I'll turn it into something that stops people at an expo, closes a pitch, and makes your engineering team proud.

Robot rigging and animation from CAD and STEP files

Photorealistic materials, lighting, and environment setup

Full product visualisation for campaigns and launches

Expo and trade show 3D animation and renders

Integrated 3D and motion pipeline — Cinema 4D to After Effects

HOW I WORK

My process to solutions

—— Clear thinking. Precise execution. Progress you can trust.

HOW I WORK

My process to solutions

—— Clear thinking. Precise execution. Progress you can trust.

HOW I WORK

My process to solutions

—— Clear thinking. Precise execution. Progress you can trust.

Designed for machines. Built for humans.

Automation companies build world-changing machines. I make sure the world actually sees them.

Speak to me

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DISCOVERY

Before one pixel moves, I learn your machine, your market, and your operator.

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STRATEGY

I map the gap between how your technology works and how your market understands it. Then I close it.

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DESIGN & BUILD

Interfaces that control machines. Animations that explain them. Campaigns that sell them. All built by one person who understands all three.

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LAUNCH & GROW

Every campaign I've built has outlived its launch — refined, repurposed, and deployed across markets, expos, and platforms.

Designed for machines. Built for humans.

Automation companies build world-changing machines. I make sure the world actually sees them.

Speak to me

//01

DISCOVERY

Before one pixel moves, I learn your machine, your market, and your operator.

//02

STRATEGY

I map the gap between how your technology works and how your market understands it. Then I close it.

//03

DESIGN & BUILD

Interfaces that control machines. Animations that explain them. Campaigns that sell them. All built by one person who understands all three.

//04

LAUNCH & GROW

Every campaign I've built has outlived its launch — refined, repurposed, and deployed across markets, expos, and platforms.

Designed for machines. Built for humans.

Automation companies build world-changing machines. I make sure the world actually sees them.

Speak to me

//01

DISCOVERY

Before one pixel moves, I learn your machine, your market, and your operator.

//02

STRATEGY

I map the gap between how your technology works and how your market understands it. Then I close it.

//03

DESIGN & BUILD

Interfaces that control machines. Animations that explain them. Campaigns that sell them. All built by one person who understands all three.

//04

LAUNCH & GROW

Every campaign I've built has outlived its launch — refined, repurposed, and deployed across markets, expos, and platforms.

HMI UX/UI Orbiter

This is the work. This is how it got made. Judge for yourself.

My process in motion

One client. Multiple platforms. 100+ pieces of work. This is what a full creative partnership looks like in the robotics industry.

Explore Case Studies

HMI UX/UI Orbiter

This is the work. This is how it got made. Judge for yourself.

My process in motion

One client. Multiple platforms. 100+ pieces of work. This is what a full creative partnership looks like in the robotics industry.

Explore Case Studies

FAQ

Clearing doubts and concerns

—— Explore the most common questions about working with me, all in one place.

FAQ

Clearing doubts and concerns

—— Explore the most common questions about working with me, all in one place.

FAQ

Clearing doubts and concerns

—— Explore the most common questions about working with me, all in one place.

Book a 30 minute call. No pitch. Just an honest conversation about your project and whether I'm the right person for it.

Leon Potgieter

Robotics Visual System Designer

BOOK A CALL

What kind of projects do you take on?

Companies building serious technology that the market doesn't yet understand visually. If your product is complex, technical, and undersold creatively — that's exactly where I work best.

How do you approach new projects?

I don't start with mood boards. I start with your engineering team. Discovery comes before everything — I need to understand your product, your audience, and the environment the work will live in before a single file is opened.

What’s a realistic project timeline?

Single deliverables run 1-3 weeks. Campaign packages run 4-8 weeks. Full creative partnerships covering HMI design, motion, 3D, and brand are scoped individually. Deadlines are always agreed before work begins.

Who actually does the work?

You work with me directly. Always. No handoffs, no juniors, no agency telephone game — just one senior specialist who understands your industry working alongside your team from brief to delivery.

How do we communicate during the process?

You talk to me directly — not an account manager, not a project coordinator. I keep you updated consistently and respond fast because your deadlines are my deadlines.

What happens after launch?

Launch is rarely the end. Automation brands have product updates, new partnerships, expo seasons, and LinkedIn campaigns running year round. I offer ongoing retainer partnerships for clients who need consistent creative output beyond the initial project.

Do you work with startups as well as big companies?

Yes. I helped Unchained Robotics grow from an early stage robotics startup into a brand operating across Germany, Denmark, Poland, Finland, the UK, and the USA — designing everything from their first campaigns to their global expo presence. I understand what both stages demand and how to deliver at both.

How do you measure success for a project?

Did the interface reduce operator error? Did the campaign fill the expo stand? Did the product animation close the investor conversation? Those are the outcomes that matter in this industry — and they're what I design toward from day one.

Can we start small and scale later?

Always. I'd rather earn a long term partnership through one exceptional deliverable than oversell a retainer upfront. Start small, see the standard, then decide.

What kind of projects do you take on?

Companies building serious technology that the market doesn't yet understand visually. If your product is complex, technical, and undersold creatively — that's exactly where I work best.

How do you approach new projects?

What’s a realistic project timeline?

Who actually does the work?

You work with me directly. Always. No handoffs, no juniors, no agency telephone game — just one senior specialist who understands your industry working alongside your team from brief to delivery.

How do we communicate during the process?

You talk to me directly — not an account manager, not a project coordinator. I keep you updated consistently and respond fast because your deadlines are my deadlines.

What happens after launch?

Do you work with startups as well as big companies?

How do you measure success for a project?

Can we start small and scale later?

Always. I'd rather earn a long term partnership through one exceptional deliverable than oversell a retainer upfront. Start small, see the standard, then decide.

What kind of projects do you take on?

Companies building serious technology that the market doesn't yet understand visually. If your product is complex, technical, and undersold creatively — that's exactly where I work best.

How do you approach new projects?

What’s a realistic project timeline?

Who actually does the work?

You work with me directly. Always. No handoffs, no juniors, no agency telephone game — just one senior specialist who understands your industry working alongside your team from brief to delivery.

How do we communicate during the process?

You talk to me directly — not an account manager, not a project coordinator. I keep you updated consistently and respond fast because your deadlines are my deadlines.

What happens after launch?

Do you work with startups as well as big companies?

How do you measure success for a project?

Can we start small and scale later?

Always. I'd rather earn a long term partnership through one exceptional deliverable than oversell a retainer upfront. Start small, see the standard, then decide.

Do you still have questions?

Book a quick chat and we’ll walk you through how we do things.

Lynn Bergmann

Project Manager

BOOK A CALL

Lynn Bergmann

Project Manager

BOOK A CALL

WHISPERS-BLOG

What bubbles up needs to be shared

—— From new launches to design explorations and team experiments, this is where ideas take shape and stories unfold.

WHISPERS-BLOG

What bubbles up needs to be shared

—— From new launches to design explorations and team experiments, this is where ideas take shape and stories unfold.

WHISPERS-BLOG

What bubbles up needs to be shared

—— From new launches to design explorations and team experiments, this is where ideas take shape and stories unfold.

Whispers - Blog

From small sparks to big ideas.

Articles, notes on creativity, strategy and making things work.

Studio projects and case studies

Notes on design and process

Ideas, insights, and inspiration

More Whispers

let's create

let's create

Robotics Visual Systems Designer

Robotics Visual Systems Designer

Leon\Potgieter

Leon\Potgieter

Leon\Potgieter

"I put humans in control of machines — through interface design, 3D animation, and motion."

"I put humans in control of machines — through interface design, 3D animation, and motion."

HMI UX/UI Satellite

HMI UX/UI Satellite

HMI UX/UI Satellite

HMI UX/UI Orbiter

HMI UX/UI Orbiter

HMI UX/UI Orbiter

HMI UX/UI - Artemis

HMI UX/UI - Artemis

HMI UX/UI - Artemis

The proof behind my work

The proof behind my work

The proof behind my work

services

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HMI - UX

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HMI - UX

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HMI - UX

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Print & Large Format

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2

Print & Large Format

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2

Print & Large Format

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Graphic & Visual Design

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Graphic & Visual Design

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Graphic & Visual Design

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AI-Assisted Design

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AI-Assisted Design

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AI-Assisted Design

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Motion Design

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AI-Assisted Design

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AI-Assisted Design

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3D

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3D

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3D

My process to solutions

My process to solutions

My process to solutions

Designed for machines. Built for humans.