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What happens when the tools designed for everyday life stop working for the people who actually need them?
Douglas Katz is a West Point graduate, disabled Army veteran, inventor, and lifelong problem solver who has made it his mission to answer that question. After experiencing upper-extremity limitations himself and caring for his father, Doug became frustrated with how poorly traditional products served people dealing with disability, aging, injury, or reduced strength.
That frustration led to NULU, a patented adaptive kitchen knife that rethinks traditional cutting geometry. Rather than relying heavily on grip strength, force, and awkward wrist positions, NULU is designed around circular cutting motion and centralized force transfer to give users greater control with less strain.
But Doug’s work goes far beyond one kitchen tool.
In this episode of CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED, Darlington sits down with Doug to explore what it means to redesign your life when your physical capabilities change—and why adaptive products should restore independence without making people feel like patients.
Doug shares the mindset behind his approach to innovation, his experience as a disabled veteran, and why the best products aren’t necessarily the flashiest ones. They’re the ones that quietly solve real problems and allow people to keep doing the things that matter to them.
We also discuss his work developing a hyperconfigurable arm sling, his Golfresco outdoor gathering system, the challenges of designing and manufacturing practical products, and the deeper philosophy driving all of his work: function over flash, dignity over pity, and capability over limitation.
Because sometimes taking control of your life doesn’t mean eliminating every limitation. It means finding better ways to live, adapt, and keep moving forward despite them.
In this episode, we explore:
- How disability and physical limitations can change the way you experience everyday life
- The personal story that inspired Doug to create NULU
- Why traditional kitchen knives can be difficult for people with limited strength or mobility
- The engineering philosophy behind NULU’s circular cutting geometry
- Designing products around real human needs rather than assumptions
- Why adaptive products shouldn’t have to look or feel like medical devices
- The connection between independence, dignity, and good design
- What Doug learned from caring for his father
- How military experience shaped his approach to resilience and problem-solving
- The challenges of building practical products in a market dominated by inexpensive imports
- His vision for a more ability-inclusive approach to product design
- The hyperconfigurable arm sling he’s developing for people managing injuries or chronic conditions
- Why the 50+ population, veterans, caregivers, and people in recovery deserve better-designed everyday tools
- How limitations can become a catalyst for innovation rather than the end of independence
Connect With Douglas Katz
🌐 Personal Website: https://dougkatz8.wixsite.com/douglasmkatz
🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dougkatz
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gnulou
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d.m.katz/
