Paul Kolada
Principal, Sr. Industrial Designer
Priority Designs
Paul grew up in Detroit, MI in the 1960s. He attended a magnet high school in downtown Detroit, then went on to the University of Michigan to pursue his mechanical engineering degree. Quickly realizing that engineering was not a good fit, a friend introduced him to Industrial Design. His career began with the Kohler Company (Kohler, WI) where he was the first Industrial Designer on staff. He then came to Columbus, OH as a partner in a start-up design consultancy. Five years later, with one small child and another on the way, he chose to branch out on his own and start another Columbus-based Industrial Design consultancy—this time with a name that spoke clearly, and from multiple angles, as to what his focus was going to be.
The goal is to live life while keeping your priorities straight: family, community, and then work. Priority Designs is now 25+ years old with 50+ employees, and we have all come to realize that the formula seems to be working!
How the ____ Did We Get Here?!
Growth is a natural process, but sometimes you still look back and wonder, “How the _____ did we get here?!” Growing from a 1-person initiative to a 60-person, multi-talented team with an amazing and new,50,000 sqft. facility is quite a journey. While the fundamental principles and Nature of Design may not have changed much over the years, the tools and technology required to navigate the process certainly have.
Paul Kolada, Founder & Principal of Priority Designs, will discuss how the fastpaced world of a design consultancy has changed and expanded over the last 25 years, requiring new skills and new thinking. Plus a few good stories of just how in the _____ we got here!
