When you pick up a Stoov product, you feel the softness of the fabric, the gentle warmth on your body, the satisfying click of the controller. What you probably don't think about is the hundreds of decisions that got it there. It is International Women in Engineering Day so we are taking this opportunity to introduce you to two of the women who make it all happen.
Lisa van Steenbergen, Head of Product Development
Lisa came to Stoov via fashion, making a deliberate move into product, textiles and production. She loves travelling, discovering and overseeing how our products are made and produced. Lisa has a true understanding of what quality means at the source.
Her philosophy is simple: design with intention first. Everything else follows. For Lisa, the best products are the ones where the thinking happens before the making, where purpose leads and production follows.
You came from fashion and textiles - how does that shape the way you approach product development?
I studied fashion design, worked for several brands as a designer, then made a deliberate move into textiles, knitting and production. That gave me a completely different layer of knowledge. I got to travel, understand how things are actually made, where materials come from, what quality really means at the source. When I joined Stoov, I could bring all of that together. I wanted to work on products where the design decision comes first, where you create with purpose and intention before you design for production.
Is there a project you're particularly proud of?
The portfolio redesign we did last year. We took a close look at everything Stoov makes and asked: does this feel like one family? We made smart choices around design, fabric and colour to bring real coherence to the range. On brand, recognisable, timeless. And on top of that, the full fabric portfolio is now GRS or GOTS certified. It felt like the design vision and the design, function and sustainability vision landed at the same time.
What would surprise people about how a Stoov product is developed?
How simple it looks, and how much thought goes into keeping it that way. Our products are designed to feel intuitive, warm, almost low-tech in your hands. But underneath that, the engineering is serious. The goal is exactly that tension: tech heavy on the inside, super safe for the user and warm and personal on the outside. If someone picks up a Stoov and doesn't think twice about the technology, we've done our job.
Julia van den Heuvel, Product Developer and Project Manager
Julia studied Industrial Design Engineering at the University of Twente, with a master track in Human Technology Relations which specialises in the art and science of creating products that come as close as possible to what people actually need and want.
She was drawn to product development because it sits right at the intersection of engineering and design. Julia is the kind of person who likes to keep track of everything, a natural organiser and it turns out that's exactly what you need when you're bringing something new into the world.
Every choice has a knock-on effect, every decision matters. That's product development and Julia loves it, understands it and thrives doing it.
What does a typical day look like for you at Stoov?
Every day is different. One day we are brainstorming on the future roadmap, the next we are following up on all the details for mass production. It really depends on the moment in the year - right now we are finishing off all the little details for the upcoming high season.
What are you most proud of?
The Kokoon line. A few years back we decided we wanted to elongate the season and get people outdoors more. Our answer was the wearable Kokoon line. It was my first product that was completely new - it went from rough sketches to a completely new category. We learned a lot from the first launch and due to its success, it is still proudly part of our portfolio.
What do people not realise goes into developing a warmable?
How many things you need to take into consideration before a product comes to life. Every action or decision has an impact, big or small. We ran a focus group during the Kokoon development and the overall comment from participants was that they were genuinely surprised by the amount of things to think about in order to reach a solution. Hearing this from people without a product development background actually made me realise we are constantly connecting all the dots and details.
The detail is the point
Warmth that feels personal doesn't happen by accident. It happens because the team behind it cares deeply about the details, the safety, the fabric, the engineering and the decisions that nobody sees but everybody feels. That's Lisa and Julia. And we think that's worth celebrating.
Happy International Women in Engineering Day to every woman building, designing and creating things that matter.
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