LARA HENDERSON of MAKE BOOKS

1. Tell us about your company! 

Make Books teach people how to organize their thoughts and document stories, both with physical materials & code. We teach students how to develop in a platform-agnostic way by introducing them to design principles as well as providing demonstrations in visual and auditory tools 

Our instruction helps students work fluidly between a variety of media until they find the heartbeat of their story. Currently, the project exists as a series of tutorials posted on my website. I will also be offering two virtual opportunities this coming September, Code Club and Introduction to Web Development at AS220. You can sign up for Code Club here.

2. Why did you apply to the Catalyst program? 

I attended the graduation of last year’s cohort and was so impressed with their businesses and growth. I really like cohort experiences where a group of people is hyper-focused on similar things and working alongside one another. The community that comes from that is pretty far-reaching.

3. How has the Catalyst program impacted your business? 

Creating our product development flow chart was an important early class exercise. It is something I begin with as I plan new content. In the development of a new business, time management is crucial. I have a deeper appreciation for early user testing and revision because of the time it saves. 

In the last six months, I have produced and tested educational content. My audience has grown by starting Code Club. I am developing a membership model and planning an interaction festival. To layout timelines for the next year under the guidance of my teachers and mentor, Coryndon Luxmoore, was immensely helpful. 

4. Why did you start your business? 

I started my business to share my passion for books with others and to help shape what it is becoming. Books record things and perform a function. I got to see this when I was a conservation intern at the American Philosophical Society. I saw books with moving parts that computed oceanic travel and told you what the night sky would look like in different areas of the world. I realized that books are the predecessors of mobile applications. I am engaged in shaping what the book is becoming as objects continue to dematerialize and become hyper-connected and interactive documents. 

5. What’s been your career highlight to date? 

Among my art and design students at UMass Dartmouth, five of them declared minors in computer science this year. Getting artists passionate about technology is core to the mission of Make Books, so it is nice to see a community grow around shared skills and interests.

Developing Code Club has been a highlight as well. I used to run an in-person coding club, so this felt like the next natural step to make things virtual. Interestingly this decision was made pre Covid-19. In Code Club, students are learning what web development is and learning new skills alongside a community. I am taking content I previously taught over twelve weeks and instead presenting it in one month.

No one learns how to code in 3 weeks, it is a lifetime of gaining her It has been fun to deliver content in new ways and pre-recorded content and video technology. I am doing a second run of the course this August at AS220 and I am excited to bring it to a new group of people. 

6. What tips would you give to those who are looking to start their own business/studio?

The more you can hone your mission and vision, the more clarity you will have on your path. There are always going to be factors that you can’t control, for example, I can’t teach in person right now due to COVID-19. But because I have a mission and vision, I can shift while still staying focused on what is important.

Living in a time of significant shift makes me think about how my business can be of service to Black Lives Matter and Covid-19 response. The book is really good at archiving, and recently I have taken on an archivist role with Black Lives Matter Mural Project in Providence, organized by AS220 members. Around twenty murals are up now at 1 Eddy Street in Providence, but only until the end of the summer. I am really interested in how we document and tell the story of those murals long after they come are no longer publicly viewable. 

7. Why do you have your business in Providence? What draws you to the city? What resources and opportunities are here for creatives?

Providence has been my favorite city since I was fourteen. A big part of that has to do with AS220. They really got me to question what art is and why it is important at a formative age. 

Providence citizens are very resourceful and multi-talented. Most of the people I work alongside have four or five things they do as part of their artistic practice and a lot of people are educators too. The support network of AS220 has made me braver as an artist and entrepreneur. I feel like everything is within reach like I can do almost anything as long as I come up with a plan and can explain it to people. I have only seen one thing move mountains in my life and that is a group of people with a shared vision. I have been fortunate to have AS220 in my life because that is where I have seen it happen the most and to the largest scale. I hope to make big things move with my business and I am excited to see where it is in five years.

RUE SAKAYAMA PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Tell us about your company! 

My name is Rue Sakayama and I am an image-maker, a storyteller, and an art director. I work with people who are looking to document and share their own stories, as well as artists, designers, construction companies, and architects.

2. What is it about this profession that you find the most rewarding?

Every job I take presents new challenges. Whether I’m working with a new or a repeating client, the job is always going to present new ways of approaching a situation and constantly pushes me creatively. 

3. Finish this sentence! When I’m not designing I’m…

When I’m not working behind a camera or editing on a computer, I am learning about plants, making textiles, roller skating, and singing while playing the piano when no one is home. I grew up in NYC with working artist parents who encouraged me to develop my eye and dabble in all kinds of craft, arts, and music. I chase new experiences and being a business owner and a freelance photographer gives me exactly that. 

4. How has the Catalyst program impacted your business?

The Design Catalyst grant program gave me the opportunity to acquire some new gear, shore up some long term business goals, and connect me to a mentor who helped push me to sharpen my ideas throughout the program. 

Midway through the program, all in-person programming shifted to an online platform in light of COVID-19. After much discussion about how to do so most authentically, the cohort landed on these very articles along with images to support those business stories which I would photograph. In order to best capture each business and designer, I spent time with each grantee getting to know them and their businesses individually. 

The Catalyst Story & Photo Series highlights one thing that I love about being a photographer, which is getting to know my subjects and to be inspired by them. 

5. Why do you have your business in Providence? What drew you to the City? 

I like the big town/small city feel of Providence. I like feeling closely connected to my community. Almost everyone in my close community here is not from Providence, but they’ve anchored here. There’s something to that. I want to continue to build connections here, and I want to photograph everything. I want to continue to work with more artists and designers to help tell their stories. I want to be involved in shaping how spaces and products that are made here are seen from places that are not here.

EUGENIO FERNANDEZ of ASTHENIS

1. Tell us about your company!  

Asthenis is an innovative design concept that re-imagines the health care experience in Rhode Island. Our mission is to help build a health-conscious community by promoting public health guidance and health education. 

2. Where did the name of your company come from?

Asthenis (Astheneis) is Greek for the word “patient”. In medicine, the people are referred to as the “patient”. We believe that some of the issues we face in the US healthcare system stem from putting too much of the focus towards administration while too little of the focus on the patient. We believe that by focusing healthcare back on the people (or “patients”) this will help dig us out of some of the healthcare troubles we experience as a nation. We named our company Asthenis (patient) to be a constant reminder to focus on people and not administration. 

3. Why did you start your business? 

During graduate school, I observed that many of the physicians in my classes would complain about the shortened amount of time they had to spend with a patient. They would argue that they often felt rushed and did not have enough time to effectively diagnose, select a therapy, and explain treatment plans to their patients. Their concerns about rushed medical sessions turned out to be accurate. The average length of a doctor’s office visit is only 15 minutes. Yet, your doctor’s office is usually your most reliable source for health information. 

This made me wonder what the experience was like for the patient. If you visit your doctor’s office and within that 15-minute session you forget to ask a question, where else can you turn to as a reliable source for health information? There are WebMD and other internet sources, but these channels are generally not patient-specific because what may be OK for one patient may not be the case for another. Consequently, I decided to form an entity called Asthenis in the community that becomes the community’s resource for reliable health information.  

Our mission at Asthenis is to help build a health-conscious community by promoting public health guidance and health education.

4. Why do you have your business in Providence? 

I am the son and sibling of Cuban refugees and was born in Providence. I grew up poor on Hanover Street in Providence and attended Classical High School. I have close ties to Providence’s low-income neighborhoods and am intimately familiar with some of the challenges to better health outcomes.

I was the only URI quadruple degree undergraduate to concomitantly earn a Doctor of Pharmacy, Master of Business, Bachelors in Psychology, and Bachelors in Biology. I completed my graduate studies in public health from Harvard University. I am a RI Wavemaker fellow and looking forward to bringing innovative ideas that will improve the healthy living of our state’s most vulnerable populations. 

5. How has the Catalyst program impacted your business?  

The Catalyst program has been impactful to Asthenis' health design experience. The Catalyst program provided mentorship and resulted in changes to our branding and operational efficiency.

Through the Catalyst program, Asthenis worked with creative and talented people who helped us fine-tune our brand and better communicate our messaging. The interior of our physical space was adjusted by adding new artwork to our plastic panels. This is impactful to our branding because visitors at Asthenis are now able to learn about our design experience and mission through the new artwork. Our messaging was captured with updates to our website and in two 30-second videos, one in English and a second version in Spanish. The videos were professionally edited and helped demonstrate Asthenis’ public health and community focus. To view the videos and website updates please visit AsthenisUSA.com.  

The Catalyst program helped us improve our operational efficiency. We were able to use funds by the Catalyst program to update our existing systems and changed some of our operating procedures. With the restructured operational workflow, we can now meet our growing demand and leverage technological advancement to work more efficiently.

Our mentorship provided exceptional value to our Catalyst program experience. Under guidance from my Catalyst mentor, I was able to work with more confidence and stick with our community mission. Moreover, my mentor allowed me to learn more about myself and continue with our mission of building a health-conscious community.

6. What aspects of the program did you find most valuable? 

The Catalyst program’s cohort and mentorship were the most valuable aspects of the Catalyst program. The comradeship that was established with our cohort was also valuable because it provided us a venue to share and learn from each other’s experiences. When social distancing measures were imposed, we were able to innovate as a group and work closely together. The Catalyst program has had a great impact on our business model. We are very grateful for the impact the Catalyst grant has had in helping us improve access to public health guidance and health education to our community members.

7. What’s the most important aspect of being a business owner?

An important part of being a business owner is that you enjoy what you are doing. Most business owners wear multiple hats. Typically you will find that one or fewer individuals will have multiple responsibilities (i.e. marketing, budgeting and pricing, business development, etc.). These responsibilities can become tedious and cumbersome if you don’t enjoy what you are doing.

JULIE JOO and WESTEN JOHNSON of SOILLESS

1. Tell us about your company!

We are Soilless. We are creating an indoor garden that empowers people to grow fresh, healthy greens right in their own homes. 

2. How did you start the business? What’s the story behind Soilless?

We started Soilless during our senior year of college. Westen fell in love with living systems, first inspired by his aquaponics class. Both of us saw so much potential in our idea and product so we made it official last October.

Food is very important to both of us, and we felt compelled to create a way for healthy food to be accessible to everyone, regardless of space or location. We also wanted to work on making our system more affordable than others on the market. Our process started from simple sketches to numerous physical prototypes made in-studio at RISD to now—a much more refined, beta-test-ready design. The other day, we found a few of the initial sketch ideas from a few years back and are proud of how far we’ve come. We want our brand to be playful, inviting, and lively. 

3. Why did you apply to the Catalyst program? 

We felt that this program was very design-focused and saw a huge opportunity to get plugged into a community outside of RISD, as well as the funding to help us move forward with our start-up. Many of the local designers we look up to and our first mentor had previously gone through the program, so we’ve been hoping to be a part of it for a long time! 

4. How has the Catalyst program impacted your business? 

The Catalyst program has impacted our business in numerous ways. When we applied for the Catalyst program, we were recent graduates with very little funding and were struggling to create our prototypes without the proper equipment. With the funding, we were able to purchase machines and tools to help us work faster and build everything in-house. This allowed us to do almost everything ourselves, which has helped us work much more efficiently and quickly. In this current time which can be so difficult to work closely with others, we’ve been able to push forward with the funding and guidance provided by the program. 

We have learned so many valuable tips and lessons from the workshops and clinics. We also learned so much from other cohort members and enjoyed going through this process together with an awesome community. With the pandemic, we had to edit our plan throughout the program a few times, but the guidance from our mentor and cohort members helped us stay in the right direction. We have more confidence in our business because the Catalyst program community had faith in us! We are incredibly grateful that we got the opportunity to be a part of this program. 

6. What business skills have you learned and refined through the program? 

We still have a lot to learn, especially because we are so new to running a business, but we learned a lot of useful tips on areas we were not very familiar with, such as business development, legal, marketing, and budgeting. We were in an accelerator before the Catalyst program and while we learned a lot, the accelerator didn’t focus too much on design companies. The Catalyst program helped us put all of the information into a context more relevant to our field, which was very insightful. We hope to refine our marketing and business development skills moving forward and the Catalyst program has given us the resources and connections to do so.

7. What is the most important aspect of being a business owner? 

To us, being good business owners means staying on top of everything and always being one step ahead of where we need to be. It’s hard to find motivation 24/7, so it is great to work as a team because you have someone to keep you accountable. Also, clear communication and honesty with each other and everyone is the two “must”s.

8. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Julie: I would tell younger Julie to not worry so much and be patient. Also to get out of her comfort zone more and make as many connections as possible.

Westen: I would tell myself to not be so hard on myself and that every step, whether it seems like it was forward or backward, is a step in the right direction!

9. What do you still dream to achieve? 

Julie: My dream is for Soilless to be in numerous homes in the next 2 years. About the next 5 years… Hopefully even more in people’s homes! All over the world? That would be amazing.

Westen: I can’t wait to get more people growing their own food, and hope we can make even more products that help people live happier and healthier lives.

10. Why do you have your business in Providence? 

We didn’t have to make a huge transition, especially because we went to school here. We were also able to save some money on living expenses as well. There are so many wonderful opportunities and resources here and we are also close to some of our mentors.

11. How has the current global health pandemic and the social, political, and cultural unrest impacted your business? What is a lesson you’ve learned so far while adapting and changing?

We learned that the world is and always will be changing and transforming and that nothing is certain. So we need to think quickly and try to stay positive during uncertainty and instability. 

The social, political, and cultural unrest has brought to light many important questions for us as individuals and as people. We want to make sure that our business stands on a good foundation with strong values and inclusivity. We also hope that our product can bring positive change to the world.

12. In your opinion, what does the future of design look like?

We hope that the future of design focuses on making the world accessible to everyone. We also hope that the future of design brings less waste and more sustainability to help our planet.

13. What is it about this profession that you find most rewarding?

Julie: I am so proud to be an artist and designer because I can dream and design the world I want to live in. And that world is a place where everyone has access to resources and life necessities to thrive and achieve their own dreams.

Westen: While what we do is challenging and it’s inevitable that sometimes you’ll feel like giving up, nothing is more rewarding than taking a step back and seeing everything you’ve worked so hard on coming to life. 

MARGE HINGE of HINGE DESIGNS

1. Tell us about your company!

Hinge Designs creates evocative jewels that capture the wonders of the earth’s materials into empowering adornments. I wanted to find a way to take the beauty of a piece of stone and make it wearable without the barriers of metal. My pieces, beyond being art, serve as wearable talismans. People often find themselves drawn to certain stones and feel they benefit from wearing them.

2. What’s the story of your jewelry? What’s your philosophy?

I create one of a kind jewelry made directly from pieces of the earth. I strive to create work that evokes a feeling in the wearer. People are often drawn to certain colors, textures, and patterns in each of the stones. I believe that every piece is made for a specific person and I love seeing them find their homes. I believe in fewer better things. 

3. Why did you start your business? 

I have always made jewelry. Ever since I was a child, I would adorn myself with whatever I could get my hands on. Even at a young age I wanted to share my creations and started selling them early on. I love the freedom of working for myself. After graduating from RISD in Jewelry + Metalsmithing, I worked for various artists and shops and learned all I could about running a business. As I continued to build my own brand, I finally took the leap to work on it full-time. 

4. Why did you apply to the Catalyst program? 

My friend Heather Guidero (Catalyst ‘16 Cohort) had been through the program before and encouraged me to apply. I had left my full-time job to focus on my brand six months before I applied, and I was really building momentum with my work. I was excited for the opportunity to not only have funding but to also have a mentor, classes, and other artists and designers to go through the program with. 

5. How has the Catalyst program impacted your business? 

Through the Catalyst program, I was able to travel to the Tucson gem show to build relationships with miners and purchase materials directly from them. I acquired equipment to streamline both my studio production and website. This has allowed me to create more specialized collections and expand my business. I am extremely grateful for all of the connections I’ve made with my cohort, my mentors, and the teachers from both the workshops and clinics. 

6. What do you still dream to achieve? 

My dream is to be able to travel to a mine or two each year, find materials directly from the source, and create a limited collection around each trip. Documenting the experience and sharing my adventures as I go. I think it’s important to know where each material comes from and showing how it is formed. 

7. What tips would you give to those who are looking to start their own business?

I would say to always keep working towards goals, even if they are small, as small things add up and every opportunity makes room for another one. Don’t be afraid to seek out help when you need it and remember that you and your business are constantly evolving and learning. Don’t get stuck on one thing, and be open to change. I think it was really important for me through this program to hear different ways of doing things that I thought I already knew how to do. 

8. Finish this sentence! When I’m not designing I’m…

At the beach. The fresh air and the crash of the waves remind me to slow down and remember that there are bigger things out there.

9. What do you love about working in Rhode Island? 

I love the community of artists that I have here in Providence. There are so many amazing people doing incredible things everywhere you turn. Between RISD and living in the city for 12 years, I love that Providence is a small city with a big heart. There are wonderful opportunities like the Design Catalyst and you never know when or where you will meet another interesting designer or maker. Plus I am in love with my studio at Ajay Land. It is the dreamiest old mill building with tall ceilings and huge windows—I can’t imagine working anywhere else. 

10. What has it been like creating and designing during the current global health pandemic? 

I have been incredibly fortunate to still be able to make work at this time. While my creativity and drive comes in waves, I have been in awe of the support that my friends, other artists, and customers have given me during this crazy time. I have shifted from focusing on wholesale to creating more collections and custom pieces. It has been really fun working with people on special pieces. 

While it has been a tough year with the pandemic and things constantly up in the air, I am so grateful to have gone through the Catalyst program. I was working hard to grow my outreach to stores and wholesale when the pandemic hit. I was able to remain focused and had the support and people to talk to that were experiencing the same things as I was. I now have the equipment and tools to continue my business through large challenges and I am excited to see how much I can grow as we settle into the new normal. 

AMY WALSH of THE BUREAU OF TACTICAL IMAGINATION

1. Tell us about your business! 

The Bureau of Tactical Imagination helps small, digital business owners harness the skills and powers of visual storytelling and creative branding so they can build vibrant audiences and make an impact with their work. I do this through online education: courses, workshops, and now a membership community and resource library called The Visionary Syndicate, which hosts a comprehensive brand training program for small business owners called Build Your Visionary Brand.

2. What’s the story you are telling through your business? What’s your process, brand, and philosophy?

The story I am telling is that when you create a brand–which is really the language and voice of your work and the way it becomes tangible to your audience–you are doing something that contributes to the culture around us.

So then the question is: with your brand, are you creating a culture that reproduces the conditions of our current world or breathes life into a vision we want to make more possible? 

Whether you are selling your accounting services, your furniture design work, or your massage services, the way you operate and present your business to the world can be a kind of prototype of the future of work in that business. It can part ways with the things about your industry that no longer serve you, your people, or the world, and propose new alternatives. Taking that kind of creative leadership is both an opportunity to create a better culture, and to differentiate yourself in the market in a really powerful way, which helps grow your business.

Additionally, people think branding is a “set it and forget it” investment in your work, but branding is a continually evolving thing, especially in the social media environment. So it’s important for every small business owner to have branding skills and a strong grasp of their own creative vision as a brand-builder. They may hire someone to help them with a web site design for example, but the business owner needs to hold the vision.

I think it’s important to remember that everyone has inherent branding skills. Branding, when you strip it down to its elements, is about images, words, actions, experiences–the basic building blocks of communication. We all have those and we are all inherently creative. Everyone has the potential to be a visionary brand builder.

3. Why did you start your business? What’s your background in design, design-related, or non-design fields?

I started my business in 2016 out of a desire to integrate the different parts of my life, work, and practice, in a way that was financially sustainable. After teaching art and design part-time at over 10 universities, while running a non-profit part-time and upholding an art practice while raising a young child, I was ready for more financial and creative control over my life. 

After a long life of making art–from painting to sculpture, to installation work to public experiments and interdisciplinary projects–I’m surprised to discover how very deeply entrepreneurship and branding have scratched my creative itches. I love nurturing communities of learners, designing curricula, doing my own branding art projects, and generally being a big visual culture nerd for the business space.

4. What are some things you have achieved through the Catalyst grant?

There are three things the Design Catalyst grant gave me. The first was money–what this really means, is TIME. The funding gave me the time I needed to make the next leap, which was to prepare my business, in structure and programs, to scale - which for me means inviting triple to quadruple the number of students into my courses and training.

The second was mentorship. My Catalyst mentor Rachel Burnett was laser-focused on helping me achieve clarity in my products and messaging, which has been something I struggled to do on my own, being as close to the work as I am.

And the third, related to the funding and mentorship, was the space for a new offer to be born. With COVID-19 in full swing this spring, I created, marketed, sold, and delivered a new course to 30 students in a short time frame. 

The course taught small business owners how to use design thinking and creative processes to be nimble and adaptable in changing conditions, such as a changing economy. That course, called NIMBLE, is now an important part of my program structure.

5. What do you love about working in Rhode Island?

I love working in Rhode Island because of the land and ocean. Whether I am at my studio or working from home, I feel connected to the sea, and I know I’m just a short drive or even bike ride away from water and woods. And the local art, design, and activist communities are so full of brilliant minds and good hearts.

6. What is a lesson you’ve learned so far while adapting and changing during this time?

One thing I have learned is that it’s easy to assume that because the economy is under stress, there will be fewer clients and customers for our work but that’s not necessarily true. The market is changing, not going away. And that presents us with a great opportunity to be creative, and find new ways to reach the folks who are looking for what we do.

Also, the changing economy and market give us a chance to take risks we might not have been comfortable taking when things seemed “normal.” This is a time of change in the world around us, so we get to make big changes to the way we work too - for the better, and in service of the world we want.

Another lesson I’m always learning, and now with the challenge of Black Lives Matter, is that I’ve got to keep looking at all of the systems and structures of my business, and elements of the communities I create in my programs, through the lens of racial justice and the automatic dominance of white culture when it’s not actively resisted. I’ve learned that my own good intentions and previous work on racism and oppression have become too stale, and that it’s time to reconnect and recommit to my values in this regard. So, my programs are changing in some core ways as a result, and I’m looking at all parts of my business freshly again.

ALAINA MAHONEY of A.M. DESIGN AND FABRICATION LLC

1. Tell us about your company! 

A.M. Design and Fabrication LLC is a Providence-based ornamental metal shop that specializes in restoration, new custom work, and functional sculpture.

2. How has the Catalyst program impacted your business? What aspects of the program did you find most valuable? 

The Design Catalyst program has, over the 5 months, completely changed my perspective on what my business can achieve. With funding provided by the Catalyst program, I was able to transform A.M. Design’s blacksmithing area by purchasing a new, self-contained air hammer that has greatly expanded the capabilities of the shop. Using this hammer, we are creating a product line that showcases our sculptural abilities which will be released in 2021. 

In workshops and clinics, I learned about marketing and the importance of promoting myself so that my customers know and trust who they’ll be dealing with before they make contact. We are now armed with a plethora of marketing, communication, and planning tools to take A.M. Design to the next level. 

With the help from my mentor, Layne Mayer, I have been able to rethink the way I pursue custom work, and I am better equipped to choose my customers based on how we can best work together and how my specific skills meet their needs. She was also a constant force encouraging me to keep going. Additionally, I had some extremely transformative discussions with workshop leaders. Armed with this new toolbox, I plan to move forward with A.M. Design pursuing connections with the type of clients that will achieve the most impactful results for our design growth.

I can’t wait to look back next January and see how far A.M. Design has come, despite the difficulties of the pandemic. 

3. Why did you start your business? 

I started this business as a means to an end. I graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2010 with a degree in painting, and I had every intention to find my way as a professional artist. I took a job at a metal fabrication company so that I could learn how to make gates for my paintings as part of an art series. Flash forward 10 years--while I still paint, I am discovering more and more ways to be an artist within the realm of A.M. Design. This pursuit of creativity is the idea behind my decision to release a product line. I want each release to represent a series where I explore a type of form or mark-making that interests me. I will use the techniques I learn while producing these series to reflect back into my art work, and vice versa. My hope is that my artistic pursuits become an important and integral part of A.M. Design and Fabrication’s revenue stream.

4. What advice would you give to your younger self?  

Don’t take every job. At many points throughout these past five years, I have said “yes” to lower-paying work out of fear for the future. In custom metalwork in New England, the looming winter is always a fear-factor because most customers don’t think about a new railing, gate, etc. What happens, time and time again is that the lower-paying jobs get in your way. You have less energy to put into better jobs when they come, and that’s how you burn out. This program has helped me to value my skills and stick to my shop rate when bidding jobs.

5. What do you still dream to achieve? What are your goals for the upcoming year?

A.M. Design will release a line of products in 2021 that celebrates a type of radiating, explosive, severe mark-making, and texture that I have been working with under our new power hammer. This line will be a cohesive series of functional sculptures for the home. I plan to continue to release future lines this way, focusing on a particular style of sculpture that I want to explore using items such as mirrors, napkin rings, curtain holders, and shelf brackets as my canvases.  

6. Finish this sentence! When I’m not designing I’m…

Growing a jungle out of the tiny dirt patch behind my house, spending time with my partner, or petting an exceptionally fluffy kitten who lives with us. I used to take time for martial arts and I hope that with my new time-management skills acquired through the cohort, I can return when gyms are open again.

7. When are you most creative?

I am the most creative when clients allow me full control over the design process–when they have faith in my abilities and want something that reflects my style and sensibilities.

8. What do you love about working in Rhode Island?

My favorite part about working in Rhode Island is the celebratory and supportive environment. Creative individuals are treasured here and considered a great economic and social asset to the state! Programs like the Design Catalyst program, which is partially funded by the state of Rhode Island, are examples of this desire to support and keep design-driven businesses here, working and succeeding.  

9. Why do you have your business in Providence? What draws you to the City?

I was drawn to Providence initially because of its reputation for supporting the arts. Its sales tax exemption for art sales was a clear indication that Providence was dedicated to keeping artists happy and working. When I made the decision to move from Boston in 2014, I was happy to find that this was a place where my type of business–that is blacksmithing, casting, and welding–would be welcomed into any one of its abundant heavy-industrial appropriate spaces. I was even more pleased to find a building managed by an artist who supports my vision for my business and the space we occupy. Providence has an extremely supportive art and design community, and the Design Catalyst program led by DESIGNxRI is yet another example of this.

10. How has the current global health pandemic and the social, political, and cultural unrest impacted your business?

I think business owners have a great responsibility to step up as leaders at this time. We have the power to hire others, pay vendors, and lead change. In an effort to buy black and use my economic power for social improvement, I have realized how much of construction-related trade in this area is white-owned. When I list a job opportunity online, almost all responses are from white members of the public. Moving forward, I am committed to learning about racial disparity in the trades and working to combat it.  

ANTHER KILEY of CARDKITS TOYS

1. Tell us about Cardkits!


Cardkits are a line of beautiful, sustainable paper toys that combine hands-on making with creative world-building. Each kit comes as a set of beautifully printed paper parts that assemble into 
one element of a miniature cityscape. The kits are carefully designed, ethically produced, and engage children in creative, screen-free play.

2. Why did you start your business?

Cardkits are directly inspired by paper toy creations I made for myself as a kid. I grew up in an artistic family, with a strict quota on commercial toys, and started making things out of 
paper when I was around 9. I eventually constructed an entire, elaborate miniature world with cities, railways, a political structure, and even a currency! I learned a tremendous amount—about design, and about all of the interconnected systems that make the world work—from making and playing in this world; Cardkits is an effort to inspire other kids to learn in a similar way.

During my MFA degree in graphic design at RISD, I explored some related interests—utopian spaces, play, and abstraction—that helped me frame my childhood experiences. I’ve continued to develop these interests through my practice as a graphic designer and design educator (also at RISD). Cardkits really brings all of these things together; there’s a lot of me in it!

3. How has the Catalyst program impacted your business?


When I entered the Catalyst program, I’d just finished a Kickstarter campaign to fund the first production run of Cardkits, and I needed to figure out how to manufacture and market the kits. The program helped me with 
all of this.

The funds from the grant allowed me to invest in some expensive production equipment—
like an industrial digital cutting plotter—that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. I now do some parts of Cardkits production ‘in house,’ which allows me to avoid the huge tooling costs and 
economies-of-scale of traditional production methods. I can develop a wider range of products more quickly this way, and adjust the line-up in response to demand.

I also used funds and assistance from the Catalyst program to build out my website, cardkitstoys.com. It went from a simple online store to a full website that really tells the story of the toys.

Maybe most importantly, I developed a great relationship with my program mentor, Susan Mocarski of Cleverhood. Susan has been hugely helpful in guiding and encouraging me as I figure out how to grow my business.

4. What aspects of the program did you find most valuable?


The funding from the grant was really enabling. It allowed me to make some up-front investments in production equipment that unlocked a whole new business model for me. The workshops were also really helpful in giving me some basic business and marketing skills.

Probably the most valuable aspect of the program is the community it creates. It was really nice to be part of a cohort of smart, creative, like-minded people, similarly bewildered by some of the practical challenges of small business ownership. My cohort was a great resource 
and support network, and I came to deeply trust their opinions and advice. My connections with them, and with my mentor Susan, will continue to support Cardkits in the future.

5. What parts of your business do you find most rewarding?

I’m a graphic designer and educator, and Cardkits brings together both of these aspects of my practice. Developing and marketing the kits involves pretty much every area of design—production, packaging, branding, web—and also a lot of work refining the experience children have with the toys, and shaping them to function in healthy and stimulating ways. I really enjoy every part of this process! 

The highest highs for me come from interactions with kids: It’s incredibly rewarding to see children engage with the toys and give them life through play.

6. What do you still dream to achieve?

The Cardkits vision has always been to create a complete, living world: one that can be entered into and shaped by kit-building kids. The kits are designed to go together and interact with one another in ways that inspire play and story-telling; there are colorful fish figures that fit inside vehicles and houses, furniture that goes inside buildings, trains that move along tracks…. There’s a sense that the kits are a part of a bigger world and I’m really excited to develop that aspect of the project.

Building the ‘Cardkits world’ will involve developing more kits! It will also involve making the world real through photos, videos, and maybe future physical installations. Most importantly, it will involve facilitating collective world-building and story-telling by Cardkits builders 
through platforms like forums and workshops. I’ll really consider the project successful when the Cardkits world takes on a life of its own, beyond what I imagine for it.

7. Why do you have your business in Providence? What draws you to the City?

I went to grad school at RISD, taught full time in California for a few years, and then moved back to Providence two years ago, specifically to launch Cardkits, because I knew Providence would be the perfect place for it. I wanted to root my business in a community that supports and values design, so that I could build my entire operation—production, retail, programming—on a local scale. And so far, I’ve been able to do that.

I think Providence is pretty unique in having a design scene that feels really connected and influential even though it’s a small city – this is thanks to the presence of RISD, organizations like DESIGNxRI, and commitment from local leadership. At the same time, Providence has the warmth and accessibility of a small city. It’s easy to learn about the design and production landscape, make connections, and generally make things happen. It’s the perfect place to launch a project like Cardkits.

SAVANNAH BARKLEY of SIR MILKY QUARTZ

1. Tell us about your company! 

Sir Milky Quartz is a curated boutique inspired by a sweet as can be, peachy-nosed rabbit named Sir Milky Quartz. Our vintage finds and handmade sentiments feel like watching clouds in a field brimming with new blooms, sunshine, and romance. We are focused on creative reuse of materials, quirky vintage looks, and handmade goods to transport you into a world that is one of a kind, just like you.  

2. Where did the name of your company come from?

Sir Milky Quartz is named after a bunny rabbit, more precisely our bunny rabbit! He is the absolute best little guy and the most wonderful companion - he was adopted when I was in school at RISD and has come with me to studio ever since. I named him Milky Quartz for love of minerals and later we added on the “Sir”  as an obvious title for a bun with his personality — and Sir Milky Quartz was born!

3. How would you describe your style?

I would describe our style as whimsical, dreamy, and also with a substantial amount of quirk. I always imagine Sir Milky Quartz (the bunny and the business)  living in a victorian era greenhouse filled with sunshine and botanicals - a space that feels enchanting and romantic, filled with sunbeams and joyousness.

4. How has the Catalyst program impacted your business?

The Catalyst program gave us the opportunity to take chances and make big changes that set our business up for continued success.  During the program, we moved our business operations out of our apartment and into our first dedicated making space — all for Sir Milky Quartz. Having this new space allowed us to streamline our practice and business operations as well as purchasing needed equipment and materials.

In addition, our mentor and peers were wonderful in guiding us through this journey which is both exciting and nerve-wracking especially during times of such uncertainty.

5. What tips would you give to those who are looking to start their own business?

I would say to never stop taking steps and opportunities, even if they are very small! The moment that you get too caught up in your mind and stop putting ideas into practice is where I tend to get the most stuck and any kind of momentum is good. You won't build the most successful business overnight, and it is never going to be easy (even if others make it look like it is) - so keep setting your sights on those small goals and they will take you to the right place in due time. (Also believe in yourself!)

6. Finish this sentence! When I’m not designing I’m…

Foraging, enjoying the sunshine, tending to my houseplants & spending time with my boyfriend and our bunny children.

7.   Where do you get your inspiration from?

I am most creative when I am collecting - vintage or florals. I am so inspired by nature and the world I interact with every day and love the little surprises, like a flower peeking through the cracks on the sidewalk or an amazing find someone put out for the taking. Once I have collected and assembled objects that feel like me (and Sir Milky of course) I get to work finding the connections and moments of interest between seemingly disparate things. 

8. How has living in Rhode Island influenced Sir Milky Quartz?

Living in Rhode Island has heavily influenced our work by means of the creative community and the resources here. Since we do so much of our sourcing locally it has become very important to be in touch with our local environment and community to do our best work. We think there is no other place quite like it!

9. How has the current global health pandemic impacted your business?

The current global health pandemic has greatly changed the way our business was operating and has challenged us to take the next steps much quicker than originally intended (such as conducting a majority of our business online). We are adapting slowly but surely - but very much miss interacting with our customers in person!

JONAH M. DAVID

1. Tell us about your company! 

My name is Jonah M. David and I am a filmmaker and videographer. I love to help folks represent what is meaningful to them. My focus is on healing — through mindfulness, art, and social justice. 

2. What’s the story you are telling through your business? 

In our day and age, video is part of the fabric of daily experience and how we represent ourselves. It can mirror back and create culture, help us connect with one other, and pass along wisdom to future generations. It can tell short stories, be a portrait, a poem, a riddle, hold song, hold dance. It can honor people, honor the earth. Video today is ubiquitous and can be done easily, instantly, and endlessly. But to do it justice, it takes intention, patience, and care. Video is not sitting around a fire telling stories. But it can make you laugh, and it can make you cry & most importantly it asks us to pay attention to life as it unfolds, all of which makes us human. 

3. How has the Catalyst program impacted your business? 

With the support of the Design Catalyst, I have been able to significantly expand my filming and editing rigs, as well as clarify how and why I create work.

One of the gifts of the program was the time to watch films, talk to my filmmaking friends, and really get to know what it is that this medium has to offer us. It gave me space and energy to situate myself within the form, and hone in on and acquire the right tools to make. 

4. What’s the most important aspect of being a business owner? 

What are we here for, except to learn how to take better care of one another? 

5. Finish this sentence! When I’m not creating I’m... 

When I am not making films, I grow veggies, sit silently, and make pizza.

6. How has living in Rhode Island influenced your work? 

We live in a special place. You can bike to the beach or the woods, and eat delicious food with low-key vibes. What else could one ask for? 

7.  What draws you to Providence? 

People in this town see that all is not well in our social condition. There is grief and frustration and lives at stake, and there are movements here to push for what is right and true. Oppression has been part of our human legacy, and there is nothing more imperative than its dismantling. I have seen the uncompromising efforts of organizers here to work for the marginalized. People are willing to see that if we carry on as usual we will destroy each other and the planet. Only through the community, expanding the horizons of our love and understanding, can we see our interconnectedness.

8. What has it been like creating during this time? 

For a moment, this moment was a pause and reset. Now, it is a time to make, in many ways more than ever. Remembering to do so with grace and taking the time to appreciate what matters. 

9. What’s your biggest takeaway from 2020 so far? 

It has always been true, evermore now on the surface, as my Grandmother said, “ya nevah know.”

PETER LUTZ of LUTZ FURNITURE

1. Tell us about your company!

Lutz Furniture is a New England-based design and fabrication studio that creates handmade furniture and objects melding traditional techniques with a sculptural sensibility.

2. How did you start your business?

I’ve always been passionate about making things. After graduating from art school, I entered a sort of journeyman phase of my career, seeking out fabrication jobs where I could expand my abilities and learn new skills. Over the next 13 years, I worked in a variety of disciplines, including production machining, fine art fabrication, resin casting, prop-making, and interior yacht-carpentry.

It wasn’t until I began building furniture in 2012 that I realized I had found my calling. I finally found a craft that combined all my experiences and skills together. Without realizing it, I had developed a skill set that gave me a unique perspective as both a fabricator and an artist. That experience is extremely valuable to me today as the owner of a fabrication and design studio.

3. Why did you apply to the Catalyst program and how has the program impacted your business? 

The Design Catalyst Program gave me the time and space to step back and think about my company more holistically: Where do I want to go? How do I define myself as a business owner? Rather than constantly chasing the next job, I was able to step back and engage in longer-term thinking. 

I applied to the program to motivate myself to have a plan and get organized. Even the application itself was very helpful to clarify what I wanted to accomplish. The business training workshops and guidance I received from numerous people in the program were really helpful, in some ways, more so than the grant money. 

5. What was your biggest lesson as a business owner from the program?

While I have gained a lot from the grant workshops, my one big revelation sounds kinda obvious: “be yourself.” I came into the grant program thinking I would learn the “cheat codes” for a successful design business, as though, there was something every other successful design business was doing that I just didn’t know about. The truth is, I needed to be myself. Only then could I determine what is unique about Lutz Furniture rather than trying to be what I thought people expected from me.

6. What tips would you give to those who are looking to start their own business/studio?

I think it's very useful to work for other people for a while: it improves your craft, you get to see how other people approach running a business, and it helps you be adaptable and not stuck in your own way of doing things.  

7. Finish this sentence! When I’m not designing I’m…

Taking my newborn for a walk! I became a father during the grant program, it's been a big adjustment. In some ways, I feel this came at the right time, synching up with the pandemic, I've had more time to be home.

8. What is it about this profession that you find most rewarding?

The continual learning. I’m constantly discovering new methods and techniques with every project. It's absolutely addictive. Also, there’s an honesty to woodworking: shortcuts are usually at the expense of quality. Hard work pays off in the finished product. If I did my job well, the furniture will be around long after I’m dead. It sounds strange but I find that thought oddly comforting.

9. What do you love about working in Rhode Island? 

I love the scale of Rhode Island; there’s a personal connection with this community. I often meet someone and the first thing they tell me is, “You look familiar. Have we met before?” I find that sense of familiarity very charming.

10. How has the current global health pandemic impacted your business? What are the changes and adaptations made to your business? 

There is a terrible amount of uncertainty right now that is affecting everyone. However, I’m one of the lucky ones, since I have the ability to work in isolation.  Disruption creates opportunities as well, so there is a chance for people to shift their habits. I’ve heard anecdotally from some designers that they are looking for more local makers instead of relying on overseas manufacturing. I’m hopeful that, with people spending more time in their homes, they may be more interested in buying furniture. 

This Fall at DESIGN IS RHODE ISLAND, we celebrated the hard work and diverse talent of Rhode Island designers in a video series, "Designers At Work."

“Designers At Work” at a glance:

You can still watch all 29 features on our Instagram!
Click the link below and find the "At Work" Archives, #1-4.

We want to include you! Reach out to nominate yourself or another favorite RI designer who should be featured in the next "Designers At Work series," to begin in 2019.

A few highlights…

Thank you to all designers who participated in the Fall 2018 series of "Designers At Work!"
Cleverhood, NAIL Communications, JSchatz, Over the Transom Studio, Design Under Sky, (add)ventures, Jessica Ricci Jewelry, Hwang Bishop, KITE Architects, Anjali Joshi Design, Blakely Interior Design, McKenzie Gibson Studio, Carrie Chatterson Studio, Work-Shop, Studio Meja, Brick+Beam Studio, Searle Design Group, Designer 151 Studios, Observatory, Visual Shift Studio, E Campanella Design Studios, Balanced Design, Louis Raymond Design, DaVine Jewelry, Tracy Glover Studio, Studio Rainwater, TL Studio, Union Studio, Studio Endo

UNION STUDIO

““Union Studio was founded out of a frustration that not enough good architects were really focusing on the stuff that communities needed the most” - Don Powers, Founder/Principal.

Providence-based firm Union Studio Architecture & Community Design began in 2001 with the mission to design sustainable places that will be loved for generations. In 2003, Founder Don Powers was joined by fellow Harvard alum Doug Kallfelz, and together they grew Union Studio into what it is today: an inspired 22-person studio with architecture and community work all over the country.

Union Studio is located in downtown Providence on Union Street. Their studio is vibrant and energized - full of drawings, hand-made models, and conversation - just like their designs! We got to talk to both Principals about their design stories, Union Studio, and designing in Rhode Island:

Why did you start Union Studio? “Working after architecture school, I quickly got tired of designing ‘beautiful’ buildings. I wanted to make really good places that people could live in and experience day-to-day. Communities need stuff that’s not that that sexy - neighborhoods and sidewalks and small-scale retail and all the stuff that makes a place exciting to be in. So I started Union Studio to focus on the neighborhood fabric of a place, as opposed to the museums or churches or special buildings that other people do well. We want to design places more than we want to design buildings.” -Don Powers, Founding Principal

What else influences Union Studio’s work? “We use tradition as a basis for new work. I admire the history and historic architecture of RI, and we also believe that traditional town planning and architecture have resulted in the most vibrant, beautiful, enriching spaces.” - Don Powers

WHY RHODE ISLAND? “I came back to Rhode Island after architecture school to start Union Studio because of the feeling that you can have a bigger impact in a small place. It’s so small, but so vibrant. Rhode Island also appeals to the generation of architects coming up now - there is a collegiality between designers, architects, artists, civic activists… it’s a true community.” -Don Powers

“What’s most interesting about Rhode Island is whatever you’re dreaming about doing or designing, you can do it here. There are smart people and we have ACCESS to all the smart people and the community here. The environment feels young, vibrant, and energized; the community here will help you realize a great design idea.” -Doug Kallfelz, Principal

Images: WaterRower Inc. Headquarters — WaterRower is a local company based in Warren, RI that designs and sells rowing simulation equipment. WaterRower is committed to both high-quality design and precise manufacturing. Union Studio designed a corporate visitor’s center and headquarters that will provide an engaging environment for clients and employees. WaterRowers are beautifully handcrafted machines, and they were the inspiration for the interior design of the building.

See more of Union Studio online and on Instagram. Watch behind-the-scenes videos at Union Studio on our Instagram now, and follow them as they takeover our Stories TODAY!

STUDIO ENDO

Studio Endo makes artful, innovative, contemporary lighting pieces. Hand-made to order, each Studio Endo piece is functional yet sculptural, making a bold statement while letting the surrounding architecture shine.

Born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Founder/Designer Miles Endo originally came to Rhode Island to study Industrial Design at RISD. Miles left Providence to design in NYC after finishing school, but he came back to Rhode Island to grow Studio Endo.

“Rhode Island is simply cheaper,” Miles said. “And from a manufacturing standpoint, it’s much easier. Everyone is right here - we can easily work with manufacturers and suppliers who are local.” Studio Endo still has many clients in NYC and all across the world.

The workshop is the center of Studio Endo’s work. Miles says he’s driven by the making process - understanding the materials and emphasizing craftsmanship and quality - and the workshop is where the making happens.

It was amazing to be able to experience the action first-hand in Miles’ workshop at Elmwood Studios in Providence. Take a look at some of Studio Endo’s beautiful lighting pieces in both the studio and in their homes. And stay tuned for behind-the-scenes videos into the workshop and Miles’ design process - coming to our Instagram Stories this THURSDAY (11/15)!

Images from #DesignersAtWork and Studio Endo.

Thank you to the teams at Union Studio and Studio Endo for showing us your work and studios! See videos from Union Studio on Instagram AND take part in their InstaTakeover NOW, then come back for videos from Studio Endo this Thursday (11/15).

Want to join in? Post yourself working on something cool using the hashtags #DesignIsRhodeIsland and #DesignersAtWork on Instagram, or reach out to diri@designxri.com if you know a Rhode Island designer who should be featured in this series!

TL STUDIO

This week’s special feature ~ TL Studio! TL Studio is a Providence-based landscape architecture studio founded 6 years ago by Tom Lee. Tom had over 20 years of experience practicing landscape architecture in Falmouth, Massachusetts before relocating to Providence to expand his practice in a more urban setting.

TL Studio is located on North Main Street, just a block down from RISD’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. It’s a sunny office with project photos and drawings covering the walls and a table in the middle, where the TL Studio team was working on a scale model. We got to talk to the TL Studio team - Tom, Masha, and Dennis - about the studio, the design world, Rhode Island and more!

Why did you relocate to Providence after so long in Falmouth? “The positive change you can make here is significant. In a way, Providence isn’t finished yet - it’s still trying to tell its story. We have the opportunity to help shape it.”

What projects does TL Studio work on? “We’ve worked on a diversity of project types - mostly residential, but also some institutional, mixed-use, and public projects. We’d like to branch out and do more institutional and mixed-use projects!"

“We do a lot of projects in Rhode Island and the New England coast. We have many projects in a small proximity, but interesting for us - they all have their own characteristics and conditions because it’s such a diverse coastline. For every project, we try to be authentic to the place. We zoom out and understand the big picture, look at each site’s particular constraints, and build specific landscape solutions.”

TL Studio has also worked on projects further away: this year, they designing the landscape for a Superblock in Shanghai, China. For this project, they collaborated with Z+T Studio, a local 30-40 person firm in Shanghai. “This project exposed us to another type and scale of work… Superblocks are high-density and mixed-use, requiring public and private spaces, commercial and residential.“

What do you see as trends or challenges in design coming in 2019? “Working in Rhode Island, we see the hurricane barrier every day.” Masha talked about attending a conference in Newport about how local marshes and communities are already affected by climate change - “The salt marshes are threatened, and as conditions continue to change, they’ll be gone. Sea levels are rising. Coastal communities are talking about their cultural history, when and how to save it and for how long. As a practice, we have to learn how to change fast, because there is no constant in the future.”

WHY DESIGN IN RHODE ISLAND? “As a landscape designer, Rhode Island is interesting and diverse. It’s a small state, but it feels large. The coastline goes in and out, and for landscape, that’s significant.

Rhode Island has it's own unique culture - very different than Massachusetts.The community and general public are interested in design. Lots of people are curious. it’s a small city, but very participatory… we’re all in it together. Plus, it’s centrally located - our projects radiate outwards.”

Images: Jiadu (Shanghai) plan / Jiadu (Shanghai) perspective image / Farbrook School (New Jersey) photo / Juniper Gardens (Brookline) perspective image / Juniper Gardens (Brookline, MA) photo

See more of TL Studio on their website and on Instagram. Watch behind-the-scenes videos of TL Studio making a scale model now ~ tap “At Work #4” on our main Instagram page. And THANK YOU to the TL Studio team for having us in your studio and sharing your work with Design Is Rhode Island!

***Stay tuned for Designers At Work next week - we are releasing the final two behind-the-scenes designer features of 2018!***

Want to get involved in 2019? Reach out to diri@designxri.com to nominate a Rhode Island designer or design firm who should be featured in Designers At Work.

TRACY GLOVER STUDIO

Tracy Glover Studio uses traditional Italian techniques to craft colorful, exuberant glass decor and lighting. Each piece - whether in the Tracy Glover line or custom - is handblown to order in Tracy’s studio.

Tracy Glover Studio is, of course, led by Tracy Glover herself. Originally from Virginia, Tracy first moved to Rhode Island to get her BFA in glassmaking from RISD. Post-RISD, Tracy continued her glasswork education in a 13th century Belgian convent’s crystal factory and Dale Chihuly’s Pilchuck School.

“I came back to Rhode Island for the amazing community of friends here. The design community is so collaborative. Rhode Island interior designer Kelly Taylor helped me come up with an idea for a popular chandelier. Rhode Island Photographer Ira Garber taught be how to photograph specific to my work. Working with fellow RI designers is valuable and inspiring.”

Tracy returned to Rhode Island for the community and friends, starting her own glass-making studio in Pawtucket. Tracy Glover Studio now consists of 6 staff members, 3 half-time and 3 full-time. They design, produce, sell, and ship - all in the one studio!

Day-to-day, Tracy takes mornings for administration and afternoons for drawing and designing. A lot of her work is custom - a client gives her parameters for a custom piece, then Tracy makes drawings, then she meets with the client to flush it out. “With custom work, someone approaches me for a needed solution. This is more fun for me than sticking to the same pieces all the time,” Tracy said.

See more of Tracy’s work on her website - Tracy Glover Studio - and on Instagram. Watch behind-the-scenes videos of Tracy’s studio and her team making a pendant in the glass-blowing studio on our Instagram - tap “At Work #4” on our main Instagram page!

Images from Tracy Glover Studio: Raindrop Chandelier (Condo Lobby in Washington, DC) / Silver Lining (Gilbane Construction Company HQ, Boston) / Metropolis Bar Chandelier / Jewel Wall (Naya Restaurant, Dubai).

STUDIO RAINWATER

Studio Rainwater is an award-winning branding and creative strategy studio that helps businesses and organizations find creative ways to show the world why their work matters. From creating brands and developing print + online materials to creating meaningful interactive experiences, Studio Rainwater is committed to doing work that has a positive impact on people, whether online or in person.

They’ve worked with schools and governments (including RISD, Harvard, and Downtown Providence) to develop materials that inspire people and draw in new audiences, created inventive experiences for local businesses and restaurants, and they also do a lot of self-generated work and experience design - including their interactive “Do Great Things” installation that you might have seen at PVD Fest or the AIGA Block Party this year! See photos of that installation below.

Sarah Rainwater founded Studio Rainwater about 10 years ago. Sarah is a creative person interested in so many different areas and causes, so she founded Studio Rainwater as a way of merging her many interests:

“I was always interested in doing art - I was interested in photography and writing and illustration, and I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do. I realized that doing design was perfect for me because I could pull all those things together and collaborate with people in all different fields and still be really creative but not necessarily be specialized in just one thing.”

RHODE ISLAND was the perfect place for Sarah to grow Studio Rainwater:

“I went to school in New York and lived there for 10 years, then I lived in LA for five years, and then I moved back here. Rhode Island gives us the space to do what we’re really passionate about - whether that’s picking clients that we work with or being able to do projects that are self-generated and be really creative or just being able to leave at 5:30 and be with our families. I wanted to create a culture that reflects our values. I don’t think we’re sacrificing anything culturally here - the design community is really vibrant in Rhode Island and it’s really easy to get anywhere from here. We have clients everywhere, but we benefit from the space that we have here in Rhode Island.”

ABOVE: Studio Rainwater’s “Do Great Things” installation at PVD Fest this year. Studio Rainwater put this installation up again during DESIGN WEEK RI 2018 at teh AIGA Block Party. They’d love to install it again! They love working with companies or organizations to design experiences like this that are simple and fun and connect people with each other and have a positive takeaway.

BELOW: More work by Studio Rainwater: branding materials for LOCAL KITCHEN AND WINE BAR and QUINNIE&B SHOP (both in Santa Monica, CA).

Learn more about Studio Rainwater online: studiorainwater.com. And don’t forget to *stay tuned for videos coming to our Instagram Stories TOMORROW (11/1)!*

Thank you to the teams at Tracy Glover Studio and Studio Rainwater for showing us your work and studios! See videos from Tracy Glover on Instagram (click “At Work #4”) and come back for videos from Studio Rainwater tomorrow (11/1)!

Want to join in? Post yourself working on something cool using the hashtags #DesignIsRhodeIsland and #DesignersAtWork on Instagram, or reach out to diri@designxri.com if you know a Rhode Island designer who should be featured in this series!

LOUIS RAYMOND DESIGN

Louis Raymond Design transforms properties for clients all over the world. Louis’s 60+ years of gardening experience, 30+ years in landscape design, expansive horticultural expertise, and eye for design have together produced breathtaking landscapes that have been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Design New England, and The New York Times. “I make you glad you went outdoors,” Louis said.

Louis follows the design process from start to finish - from doing research and focusing on horticulture (in his own personal garden), designing hardscapes + plantscapes, and producing plans… all the way to implementing and building his own designs.

His home/studio is located in Hopkinton, RI, and consists largely of his massive + gorgeous personal garden. The garden acts as both a research lab (where Louis can explore how plants grow and figure out what plants work best for clients) and a space for his own creativity to thrive:

“Gardening is a break from and aid to the creativity and problem-solving that shows up in client projects.

I use my personal garden to know what’s possible and what’s successful - what do plants actually do (versus what they look like in a catalog)? What are the plants that are going to be good garden citizens and be able to grow and be handled responsibly?”

WHY RHODE ISLAND? “I love being located here in Rhode Island - where I’ve lived for over 30 years, I moved here from Manhattan. I think Rhode Island is a terrific place to be because all of Southern New England is so accessible to me - from New York to Boston to the Cape to the Berkshires, that’s all in my professional backyard. Also, for me horticulturally, this is an incredibly vibrant and densely interesting part of the country. There are so many hundreds and hundreds of great plants that I can grow here in my garden, and also from those successful experiments, figure out the great plants (maybe just a few dozen of them) that go into client gardens. So it’s a wonderful place both to live and to work.”

ABOVE: Louis’s landscape designs for clients - find more of Louis’s work at louisraymond.design.

BELOW: More photos from our visit to Louis’s personal garden! Find more at instagram.com/louistheplantgeek.

DaVINE JEWELRY

DaVine Jewelry creates jewelry that is inspired by nature in every way. Founder/Designer Danielle Vaillancourt makes molds directly from her garden (from leaves, flowers, shells, and more), works with sustainable + locally-made materials whenever possible, and hand-crafts her pieces with the utmost attention to detail, influenced by the details, textures, and shapes of nature itself.

DaVine Jewelry aims to bring people closer to nature one piece of jewelry at a time. And with Danielle’s design experience, careful craftsmanship, and deep passion for her work, Danielle’s jewelry are true wearable sculptures!

Danielle graduated from RISD’s Jewelry & Metalsmithing program, where she was able to explore and merge her passions for art+design, nature, and nature photography. Now, her studio is a true representation of her passions and hard work - cabinets and drawers full of objects from nature, thriving plants growing in and outside, prints and sketches on the wall, and, of course, her stunning, beautifully simple finished pieces.

WHY RHODE ISLAND? “I love Providence… there’s a little bit of everything - music, art, food. All your senses are engaged. And people are open and receptive to art.”

DaVine Jewelry can be found at many craft fairs, shows, and shops in the region, including Craftland and the Foundry Show. Danielle’s work can also be purchased online!

Images from DaVine Jewelry on Instagram. Learn more about DaVine Jewelry online: davinejewelry.com. And don’t forget to *stay tuned for videos coming to our Instagram Stories this Thursday (10/25)!*

Thank you to Louis (Louis Raymond Design) and Danielle (DaVine Jewelry) for showing us your work and studio spaces! See videos from Louis Raymond’s garden/studio NOW on Instagram and come back for videos from DaVine Jewelry this Thursday (10/25).

Want to join in? Post yourself working on something cool using the hashtags #DesignIsRhodeIsland and #DesignersAtWork on Instagram, or reach out to diri@designxri.com if you know a Rhode Island designer who should be featured in this series!

E.CAMPANELLA DESIGN STUDIOS

E.Campanella Design Studios is a Providence-based illustration + graphic design studio led by Erica Campanella. Originally from North Providence, Erica pursued a design career in New York City for over 10 years, working in the fashion and gift industries. In 2012, she moved back to Rhode Island to start her own studio, E.Campanella Design Studios.

“I walked back into Rhode Island with some hesitancy, but there is such an accessible design and arts community here - you can know more people here than in NYC, and we have more time to interact. Everybody knows everybody here.” - Erica Campanella

E.Campanella Design Studio creates beautiful, trend-driven art. Focusing on product and surface pattern design (including stationary, home decor, fabric, and clothing), E.Campanella produces a lot of designs for big retailers - including The Hershey Company, Target, and TJ Maxx. Erica also creates a lot of personal work, including for her own "Corgirific" line of corgi-inspired products, which you can find on Instagram (@corgirific)! She additionally does brand consulting, art direction, and licensing from her studio space at ROOMS&WORKS.

Erica’s design process is computer-based but “pretty back and forth,” Erica said. “My designs always start with drawing.” You can see her process of creating an illustration in her Designers At Work feature! Videos are up NOW on Instagram Stories.

**Erica will be taking over our Instagram Stories TOMORROW! See what she’s up to all day ~ instagram.com/designisrhodeisland.

More work from ecampanellastudios.com: print designs for HomeGoods, Art from Corgirific.

BALANCED DESIGN

Balanced Design is a studio specializing in hand-printed fabrics, rugs, and home accents. Founded over 15 years ago, Balanced Design produced some of the first modern-looking, eco-friendly home goods on the market. In the early 2000s, eco-friendly products were all beige colored, said Balanced Design Founder Melinda Cox. Melinda created Balanced Design to *balance* eco-friendly ideals with good design (color, shape, form, and pattern). Her designs are not only organic, recycled, and locally produced whenever possible, but they are purposefully COLORFUL, modern, graphic, and whimsical

Her textiles are silkscreen printed at Griswold Textile Mill near Westerly - a “gem of a textile mill,” according to Melinda - one of the last remaining mills in Southern New England (the heart of the textile revolution back in the 18th and 19th centuries). Balanced Design has its own line of fabrics, rugs, and accents (sold mainly to the trade - designers across New England and beyond), but Balanced Design also makes a lot of custom, made-to-order products.

Melinda was trained in graphic design, but she learned all the nuances of working in the textile industry and owning a business as she went along. Balanced Design has been located at Hope Artiste Village for 4 years now, acting as both her studio (where she conceptualizes her designs, draws, paints, etc) and a showroom.

WHY RHODE ISLAND? “In Rhode Island, you can work locally, and locally usually means green. The small state connects itself with all of New England - all these resources. Slater Mill, right here in Pawtucket, was the heart of the industrial revolution, and Southern New England was the center of the textile revolution. We have so many resources right here, and the RI design community is in the perfect position - continuing Rhode Island’s history of innovation and creativity.”

Learn more about Balanced Design online: www.balanced-design.com. And don’t forget to *stay tuned for videos from Balanced Design coming to our Instagram Stories this Thursday (10/18)!*

Thank you to E.Campanella Design Studios and Balanced Design for having us at your studios! See videos from E.Campanella NOW on Instagram (and she’s taking over our Stories TOMORROW, Tuesday 10/15!) and stay tuned for videos from Balanced Design coming this Thursday (10/18).

Want to join in? Post yourself working on something cool using the hashtags #DesignIsRhodeIsland and #DesignersAtWork on Instagram, or reach out to diri@designxri.com if you know a Rhode Island designer who should be featured in this series!

OBSERVATORY

Observatory is a product and furniture design consultancy based in Providence, RI. Basically this means that other companies and organizations give Observatory a problem, and Observatory solves it through design! Either by developing tangible products or creating strategic and conceptual design exercises that help clients define their future success.

They have developed everything from tabletop goods and furniture to personal care products, consumer electronics, office products, appliances, and structural packaging, graphic design, and interface development. Observatory has developed products and experiences for companies including International furniture company Keilhauer, leading modern office furniture company Herman Miller, and ODL, a leader in the glass building products industry.

Principals Ayako Takase and Cutter Hutton established Observatory in 2001 and moved to their current space - which has both their office and workshop spaces - in 2005. *See the Design Is Rhode Island Instagram (Click the “At Work #3” button on the home page) now to see videos from our visit to Observatory.*

Why RHODE ISLAND? “The place I studied [Providence] grounds me and gives me confidence. It gives me the confidence and comfort to not only design, but also teach and have a family. It’s also small enough so I feel like I’m part of the community; we’re pulled in many ways to participate here.” -Ayako Takase

“I’ve worked in Boston and NY previously, and I didn’t like the pace and work-life balance, so it made sense to come back to Providence to start a business. Here, we have a balance between design and the so many other things to do. It’s a more humane place to live and work - we can work on our terms. You can choose to pursue your passion, but it doesn’t have to be all-encompassing. There’s a scrappiness and independence here amongst the strong creative community of designers, artisans, and craftspeople - people here have passion to follow their interests, do unique things, and produce their own stuff.” -Cutter Hutton

Currently, Observatory is working on developing modular, buildable pieces of furniture for an interactive museum exhibit. See photos below - they’ve done research, developed models, and moved forward to full-scale creation. And check out Observatory on social media to follow their progress!

More work from observatorydesign.com: Ubi Worktools for Herman Miller, Doko Collection for Keilhauer, Bow Lighting, Dialogue Layered Glass for ODL.

VISUAL SHIFT ART STUDIO

Visual Shift is the art and design studio of artist/designer/plant lover Alyssa Adriance. At Visual Shift, Alyssa focuses on nurturing nature by working on plants within sculptural forms. Her plant-filled studio functions not only as her personal workspace, but also a retail space, workshop, and classroom. She offers plant nights and terrarium workshops (visit her website to see what you can make), and as a former art teacher (for 10+ years), Alyssa still loves working with students - she provides private studio art classes for high school students hoping to go to art or design school.

Visiting the plant-filled studio at Hope Artiste Village was such a pleasure! I got to talk to Alyssa about her background and recent projects at Visual Shift Art Studio:

Tell us about your background and the studio! “I’ve been working with plants for as long as I can remember. And as an artist I focus on sculptural forms, and I started that in high school working with water sculptures - fountains. I made sculptural fountains that were up to 4-5ft in diameter and 300-400lbs - really big pieces. I continued making concrete sculptures in college and beyond, eventually minimizing the size of the forms and starting to use plants instead of water.”

What have you recently been working on? “I recently collaborated with WICK-ed Candle Co - I made concrete sculptural containers for their candles. This collaboration really showed me how accessible and collaborative the RI design community is! I have also been doing pop-up shops around Rhode Island - at the mall, JCrew, Madewell, and West Elm.”

(Follow @visualshiftartstudio on Instagram to stay up to date with Alyssa’s pop-ups, new work, and collaborations!)

Why RHODE ISLAND? “The design community here has a lot of niches - everyone has a specialty and is really good at that thing. Not only that, but the community is encouraging and helps promote one another. There is especially a lot of support and education for new designers - I love learning and listening to those with experience, and everyone encourages me to keep going. I’ve found that this community is very beneficial for new designers to immerse themselves and learn.”

((See more of Visual Shift’s work on Instagram!))

You can visit Visual Shift Art Studio for yourself during Hope Artiste Village’s new Open Studios! The Hope Artiste Village Community is hosting a monthly Open Studios and Market to support the local businesses within the village. The next open house is Wednesday NOVEMBER 7, 5-8pm! Visit Visual Shift in Suite 1205.

*Stay tuned for videos from Visual Shift Art Studio coming to Instagram Stories this Thursday (10/11)! And learn more online: www.visualshiftartstudio.com*

Thank you to Observatory and Visual Shift Art Studio for having us at your studios! Check out videos from Observatory NOW on Instagram (@designisrhodeisland - click “At Work #3” on the home page) and stay tuned for videos from Visual Shift Art Studio coming this Thursday (10/11).

Also… did you know that you watch ALL our previous Designers At Work features at any time? We now have 3 story archives (At Work #1, At Work #2, At Work #3) highlighted on the main Design Is Rhode Island Instagram page, which you can click at any time to watch videos from 19 amazing RI design studios. Enjoy :)

Want to join in? Post yourself working on something cool using the hashtags #DesignIsRhodeIsland and #DesignersAtWork on Instagram, or reach out to diri@designxri.com if you know a Rhode Island designer who should be featured in this series!

SEARLE DESIGN GROUP

Searle Design Group is a landscape architecture firm led by Principals Colgate Searle, Jr. and Taber Caton. For over 40 years, Searle Design Group has created landscapes that are embraced by the communities they serve. Their office is now located in the basement of Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket, RI (they moved here about 2 years ago), and it’s full of light and bright colors!

Driven by the mission to "Protect. Enhance. Restore,” Searle Design Group works primarily on projects involving environmentally sensitive land, historic landscapes, and restoration. I sat down with both Colgate and Taber and hear about the firm’s design process, their current and previous landscape projects, and more:

What’s your DESIGN PROCESS? “Right now, we’re working on a series of housing development in East Providence, and we’re working on renovating them because they’ve been kind of neglected for several years.

The way we start is really by going to the site: looking at it, visiting it, talking with the client, gathering information, and doing that initial analysis. Then from there, we do a concept plan that we do by hand. We like to work by hand because we feel that it leaves more options for the client to interact with the design - as opposed to once you put it in CAD, it feels like it’s done - and so we show them a very loose sketch that they can draw on top of and still work with. After that, we move into more of a hardline drawing, done in CAD. From there, we move into construction documents that someone could actually build from.” -Taber Caton, Principal.

What’s one of your CURRENT PROJECTS? “We’ve been working on a pro bono project for about a year; it’s Blackstone Boulevard. We’re looking at the Complete Streets concept, which is a design concept in which the bike, the pedestrian, and the car are all treated fairly AND it’s supposed to be green. Right now the car is still the king on the Boulevard. So we’re trying to figure out - how do we cleanse the runoff from nearby houses and from the street before it gets into, in this case, York Pond, which is in pretty bad shape? How do we deal with the [street] surface of the Boulevard to improve water quality in Narragansett Bay? So this actually has a very big aspiration.

Right now, I’m looking at one piece of the Boulevard as a possible pilot project, but the entire project is about 7-10 years off because of the amount of money that has to be raised. But the quality of the Seekonk River water is really really low, and Providence will be under more and more pressure to help it. So this may become a more urgent and a much larger scale project.” -Colgate Searle, Jr., Principal.

Why RHODE ISLAND? “The stewardship element of Landscape Architecture is the theory that guides my work, and working in Rhode Island is the perfect place to practice stewardship in design. There is an abundance of natural resources in Rhode Island’s landscape, and the state provides access and benefit to its citizens in its landscape. this allows us to have greater impact as landscape architects because there are more resources than people. Also, as a professor and researcher at RISD, there is a valuable back-and-forth between teaching and practicing landscape architecture.” -Colgate Searle, Jr., Principal.

Searle Design Group is the force behind massive projects including the Blackstone River Heritage Park and Bikepath and the Master Plan for the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center as well as smaller projects including residential designs and landscapes for schools, libraries, and other institutions. See photos from their Blackstone River Heritage Park and Bikepath project below!

Photos from searledesigngroup.com: Blackstone River Heritage Park and Bikepath (extending from Worcester, MA to Providence, RI). SDG’s design of the Blackstone River Heritage Park incorporates remnants of the historic canal, new canoe portages, scenic overlooks, footbridges and picnic areas. The design integrates the bike route with many other land uses along the river corridor, ranging from the historic canal, an active railway freight line and a landfill while remaining sensitive to natural habitat. In 2014, the Blackstone Valley was designated a national park!

*See the Design Is Rhode Island Instagram now to see videos from our visit to Searle Design Group. And stay tuned TOMORROW - the team at SDG is taking over our InstaStories!*

DESIGNER 151 STUDIOS

Designer151 Studios is a multidisciplinary design firm based in Hope Artiste Village and led by designer Manuel Cordeiro! After over a decade working in the design field, Manuel founded Designer151 Studios about five years ago.

The studio mainly focuses on retail experience and retail marketing of consumer goods, but in the past five years Designer151 Studios has expanded to become a multidisciplinary firm, working on everything from package design, retail marketing, catalogs, production of displays, giant sneakers… all sorts of marketing materials for retail. "We’ll do the full 360 for clients or we’ll focus on a small portion of their needs,” Manuel told us.

Manuel and his team work with everybody from small local businesses to large corporate partners, like Hasbro. AND they work everywhere from the East to West coast in the United States and beyond. All out of little Rhode Island! 

Outside of retail experience design, Designer151 Studios also creates retail marketing experiences within companies. They recently worked with local jewelry company Luca + Danni (based in Cranston, RI) on new marketing materials, including a catalog design for their precious metals collection. Designer151 Studios likes to create things a little bit differently, so instead of designing a typical tri-fold brochure, they made an offset accordion fold that opens up to tell the story of their journey along with the three components of their jewelry business. The final version is way more interesting and exciting than your normal consumer handout. (See images below!).

((See more of Designer151 Studios’ work in their online design portfolio and on their Instagram page))

WHY RHODE ISLAND? “We find that this is absolutely an amazing state to work and collaborate with other designers - we have great talents that you couldn’t even imagine, not only designers but also production facilities that we work with. Rhode Island provides great access to talented creative partners and creative production facilities. Everyone is open to working together, and communication is easy here, especially compared to New York and Boston where networking is much more difficult. The creative collection of people here is inspiring, and our access to RISD and the RISD Museum is also unique and a great source of inspiration.” -Manuel Cordeiro, Owner & Creative Designer at Designer151 Studios.

You can visit Designer151 Studios for yourself during Hope Artiste Village’s new Open Studios! The Hope Artiste Village Community is hosting a monthly Open Studios and Market to support the local businesses within the village. The first one is TOMORROW, Wednesday October 3, 5-8pm! Visit Designer151 Studios in Suite 1205.

*Stay tuned for videos from Designer151 Studios coming to Instagram Stories this Thursday (10/4)! And learn more on their website: designer151.com*

Thank you to Searle Design Group and Designer151 Studios for having us at your studios! Check out videos from Searle Design Group NOW on Instagram (@designisrhodeisland) and stay tuned for videos from Designer151 Studios coming this Thursday (10/4).

Want to join in? Post yourself working on something cool using the hashtags #DesignIsRhodeIsland and #DesignersAtWork on Instagram, or reach out to diri@designxri.com if you know a Rhode Island designer who should be featured in this series!

STUDIO MEJA

Founded in 2011 by Eric Army, AIA, Studio MEJA is a Providence-based boutique architecture firm that specializes in revitalizing urban spaces and serving mission oriented clients, seeking to create well-crafted design, meaningful places, and great relationships.

Studio MEJA is located in Olneyville at Atlantic Design Works, a co-working space developed by Eric Army himself (founder/principal of Studio Meja) inside the historic gasometer of the old Atlantic Mills building. Eric hosted an event at Atlantic Design Works for DESIGN WEEK RI this year, talking about why Studio MEJA (and so many other designers and artists) choose to design in Olneyville, Providence’s historic mill district.

Eric Army, AIA is initially from New Hampshire, went to school in Boston, and later CHOSE to live, work, and start Studio MEJA in Providence, RI ~ for the burgeoning design community, the culture, the resources. “When deciding where to go, Providence was at the top of the list. Here, you can take a risk, make mistakes, and recover.”

Studio MEJA's newest project opened in East Providence this year! The new construction branch-office for AAA Northeast has a sleek, striking modern design. It's also Studio MEJA's first finished ground-up project! For the landscape design, Studio MEJA collaborated with John O'Keefe of the Providence-based landscape architecture firm Sealand Landscape Design.

Other projects include: The ProvidenceG Lobby, the G-Pub, Rooftop at the G, a renovation of the “Commons” space at The Gordon School in East Providence.

Photos from studiomeja.com : branch-office for AAA Northeast, ProvidenceG Lobby, G-Pub, Rooftop at the G.

*See the Design Is Rhode Island Instagram now to see videos from our visit to Studio Meja! And learn more on their website: studiomeja.com*

BRICK + BEAM STUDIO

Kimberley Valente is the founder and principal designer at Brick + Beam Studio. Known for her ability to create spaces that tell stories & design homes and offices that are unique to each individual client and their lifestyle, Kim provides both residential and commercial interior design services for clients throughout southern New England.

It was such a pleasure visiting her studio in Westerly, Rhode Island! We talked about her journey to becoming an interior designer and why she chooses to live and work in Westerly:

How did you become a designer? “It’s always been something I was interested in, even before I knew interior design was a career path.

As a kid, I would always be rearranging my room; and when I’d eat at restaurants, I’d think about how I’d change the environment; or in the back seat of my parents’ car, we’d go by an old dilapidated house and I’d think about how would I fix it up. I just assumed everyone was thinking these things, but it turns out they weren’t!

Then when I got to high school, I learned that this is an actual career path, and immediately I was sold. I went to Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts for Interior Design, and after school, I worked for some different architecture and design firms here in Rhode Island and in other areas of the country. Then four years ago, my husband and I moved back to Rhode Island, and I started my studio here.”

WHY RHODE ISLAND? “One of the things that I love about designing in Rhode Island is that we’ve got such a unique charm - there are historic buildings, and lots of old buildings with fun quirks and character - that I really love incorporating into my designs. I missed that when I was designing in other places in the country.

One of the things that’s great about being in Westerly - I do a lot of beach house designs and a lot of those clients come to me from other states. This is often their first introduction to Rhode Island, and I get to sort of be that gate keeper - tell them about all the places in Westerly that they should go, and I also get to specify a lot of product from not just Westerly, but from Rhode Island.

I have a unique perspective in that as an interior designer: I get to work with a lot of other designers in the state, which is really fun. I get to specify their products in my designs, and clients always love hearing that story - hearing that something was made locally, hearing where it was made and how it was made, getting to maybe even meet the person that made it or designed it. I work with a lot of local vendors for fabric design, tile, custom furniture, built-ins, millwork, window treatments, artwork, accessories, all of that… and clients always love knowing that it was made in their backyard.”

*Stay tuned for videos from Brick + Beam coming to Instagram Stories this Thursday (9/27)! Learn more: brickandbeamstudio.com*

Thank you to Studio MEJA and Brick + Beam Studio for inviting us to your studios! Check out videos from Studio MEJA NOW on Instagram (@designisrhodeisland) and stay tuned for videos from Brick + Beam Studio coming this Thursday (9/27).

Want to join in? Post yourself working on something cool using the hashtags #DesignIsRhodeIsland and #DesignersAtWork on Instagram, or reach out to diri@designxri.com if you know a Rhode Island designer who should be featured in this series!