BlackHägen mourns founder Sean Hägen

A portrait of Sean Hagen, the late founder of BlackHägen Design.

Sean Hägen was the founder, co-principal and director of research and synthesis at BlackHägen Design. [Photo courtesy of BlackHägen Design]

BlackHägen today announced the unexpected death of founder Sean Hägen.

Hägen died Feb. 25 after a brief illness, the user research and product design firm said.

“He was a brilliant yet humble leader and designer who cared deeply for his colleagues, his family, and his clients,” BlackHägen CFO, Principal and Director of Design Philip Remedios said in a statement. “Sean will be greatly missed, but his wisdom and legacy will certainly be carried on by those he inspired, led, and nurtured.”

Hägen served as co-principal and director of research and synthesis at Dunedin, Florida-based BlackHägen. Through the business he built over 28 years, Hägen shared his human factors and design expertise with medtech developers and other clients, through mentorship of young designers and engineers, and as a trusted expert and contributing author for Medical Design & Outsourcing.

Hägen was VP of Special Interest Sections for the Industrial Designers Society of America. He led the organization’s development of professional continuing education strategies and initiatives and helped form the IDSA Patient Safety Committee.

A portrait of Jeff Morang, director of human factors engineering at BlackHägen.

Jeff Morang is the director of human factors engineering at BlackHägen. [Photo courtesy of BlackHägen]

Following’s Hägen’s death, the firm promoted Jeff Morang to director of human factors engineering. Morang joined BlackHägen in September 2022 with nearly two decades of of human factors experience. Usability Engineering Test Manager Rich Newman will continue his role overseeing and conducting formal usability testing and other human factors activities, the firm said. They will lead the firm’s human factors engineering team under Remedios, who oversees the R&D team and corporate operations.

“Working closely with Sean throughout the years, I know our entire team is honored to continue carrying out his vision for BlackHӓgen Design,” said Remedios, Hägen’s business partner for 21 years. “His professional focus has always been to make a measurable difference by applying innovative user-centered design, informed through robust human-factors research, that improves the user experience for clinicians with better outcomes for patients.”