About Us

As the middle child in a rowdy family of four boys, it’s little wonder that Adam is most comfortable when working with high-intensity teams. Should debates get noisy, Adam falls right back into his comfort zone – that of the peacemaker. Beyond just being used to the chaos, Adam draws on his years of experience as a yoga practitioner to help keep things balanced. If you could write the perfect backstory for an industrial designer, it might go something like this: art teacher mom, woodworker/kitchen-designer dad, and three aforementioned brothers living in (wait for it) A GEODESIC DOME! Honestly, was there ever any question?

Audrey comes from a creative family who always encouraged her creative interests. It’s no wonder she followed in their footsteps by receiving her BFA in fashion design and hands-on experience with Abercrombie & Fitch. Audrey brings experience in R&D, pattern making, sewing, embroidery, fit alterations, visual merchandising, styling, and more to Design Central and is excited to share it with a broader range of clients. Audrey's inspiration comes from nature and anything spooky or macabre. So, of course, Halloween is a favorite holiday, influencing her design aesthetic, including a side hustle, @oatmilk.moon, and the collections she created for local fashion shows Highball Halloween and Alternative Fashion Mob Show. Outside work, Audrey enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, drinking coffee, thrifting, gardening, playing video games, and listening to true crime podcasts.

Austin discovered industrial design at the age of 15 when he toured a product development firm. He already owned a specialty leather goods business and instantly knew that becoming a designer was his true calling. Encouraged by his parents, Austin followed his dream and is now a passionate, intuitive designer. He pushes boundaries to pursue innovation to help others find meaning in items otherwise considered mundane. He believes a first idea is never perfect, and collaboration always brings the best results. Austin lives a well-rounded life by making leather goods, perfecting his sketching abilities and woodworking, and stays active by golfing, snowboarding, lifting weights, and remodeling his new house. We can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Brian is a well-rounded industrial designer with experience in the footwear, pet, medical, cosmetic, and consumer product industries. He learned about industrial design from a mentor, who taught him that art and engineering join to improve lives, reflect values, and fulfill desires. Brian finds inspiration in nature and its elegant solutions to fundamental problems and simple things like a good song, a beautiful painting, or creating art with his wife. He loves how a product idea is embodied in a sketch and evolves into a finished design; it's no wonder that his specialty is sketching. Like many designers, Brian is interested in home improvement and particularly enjoys balancing the constraints of budget, timeline, and quality to find the right solution. Brian is currently working on building furniture to create perfect spaces in his home and make daily rituals more enjoyable.

When everyone zigs, Brian zigs harder! There are plenty here who like to deconstruct everything from toasters to televisions; it’s that no one else started this pastime with a sledgehammer. Yes, many 10-year olds like to tinker but how many collect broken-down mowers on trash day and flip them for spending money? Brian is a bit of an anomaly around here: a black-or-white thinking country boy among a sea of gray urbanites. Lucky for us, this model maker wouldn’t have it any other way. Our resident “man’s man” has a softer side, as his love of anything mechanical and mathematical extends to music. If he’s not fishing, golfing, or playing guitar…he wishes he was.

Carley has been making art since she could hold a pencil. Enter her fine arts education, love for math and science, and her career as an Industrial Designer is the perfect combination of creative and technical ability. Carley aspires to use her work to impact others positively and has focused on developing sustainable products as a result. Always working to improve her craft, Carley pushes to find new ways to think and solve problems and looks for ways to inspire creativity. Carley will take on any adventure outside of the design studio and (surprise!) loves to draw, paint, craft, read, and watch science videos on YouTube.

Passport in hand, Cori is ready to go the distance for clients. Work trips to places such as Germany, China, and Sweden have inspired Cori to dive deeper into understanding the end user. As an advocate for strategic design research, Cori knows how to shine a light on the insights and data that matter. Harnessing her natural storytelling ability, Cori intertwines qualitative research with innovative design to craft products that resonate with genuine meaning and purpose. Like many others at Design Central, Cori’s passion for design doesn't stop at the office. Cori and her husband share a workshop on their farm, where they design custom furniture and restore vintage tools. She developed this knack for problem-solving early on while tinkering in her dad's garage, finding joy in the process of building and fixing with her own hands.

Cynthia is a numbers person and previous office manager, with human resources and accounting experience that contribute to the day-to-day operations of our business. Cindy gets her mind off benefits, payroll, and finances by focusing on her personal life. To stay active and feed her soul, Cindy works on mastering her Euchre game, sprucing up her garden, and her largest project – a house remodel, with inspiration from HGTV. She is also a football lover. Go Bengals!

With a fascination for new technology and a mechanical mind, Dakil always wanted to be an engineer. It makes sense, he comes from a family of engineers, and university classes cemented his career choice in mechanical engineering and product development. Dakil is obsessed with robotics and is a superior communicator, problem-solver, and team player, and is inspired that his work can improve the lives of others. He loves getting outdoors to play soccer, hike, and fish in his free time, and he also enjoys spending time playing games with his nieces and nephews. 

Deno appreciated the power of storytelling from a young age when watching MacGyver and Knight Rider on TV, which awakened his craving for adventure and new technologies. Today, Deno thrives in cross-functional environments, using his industrial design training to tell the stories of products he brings to life. Deno has worked with Abercrombie & Fitch, KidsII and is an Adjunct Professor at the Columbus College of Art and Design. Deno quenches his thirst for adventure by serving as a certified coach for Select Youth Soccer, and he loves a good pick-up scrimmage. That Master’s thesis he wrote on sustainable footwear probably comes in handy when shopping for cleats!

Jay‘s sweet spot lies at the intersection of beauty and mechanical function, emotion and critical thinking. This places him in the role of a visionary-realist here at Design Central. He helps envision the dreams and possibilities of new endeavors while keeping an eye toward making those dreams a reality … and boy, do our clients appreciate him for that! Need to get up to speed on the world of fishing, golf or, well … pretty much anything? Jay is the man! When it comes to engineering, manufacturing, or new technologies Jay knows what’s going on like nobody’s business. Good thing it is our business, Jay hits the ground running project after project.

Jeff is a guy who knows how to get the job done. He is very focused on the importance of budgets and commitments, but still makes time to have fun with those around him. Though he’s not a particularly serious man by nature, Jeff is determined to keep projects on track. He provides a healthy dose of practicality to even our most pie-in- the-sky ideas, ensuring that we can develop targeted solutions on time and with a healthy respect for our clients’ pockets. Jeff loves to dive into his clients’ categories; want to talk shop about medical equipment or workflows? Give Jeff a call! How about dental stools or kitchen appliances? Jeff is your man!

Jodi is an enthusiastic and versatile team player, especially when she has the opportunity to work with other creative people. Being in a collaborative environment fuels her, and she often gets her inspiration from hearing new perspectives. Jodi prioritizes approaching projects with a refreshed mindset to put her best foot forward. She achieves this work-life balance by spending time in nature, either hiking or going on walks, sketching, trying new recipes, or hunting for treasures at the thrift/antique store. Jodi’s first professional industrial design experience was when she interned at Fossil, where she designed watches. Since then, she has become passionate about design and working on projects that particularly focus on sustainability, UX/UI, and improving lives. 

Joe worked as an electrical engineer for many years until a life-changing accident forced a reassessment of life goals, more schooling, and a move toward the freedom and technical aspects of working in the complex and ever-changing environment of IT. Simple solutions and complex systems inspire Joe. He’s a "fix it the first time" professional who enjoys using automation and AI development. Joe loves IT because it enables him to help others do their work successfully. Outside work, Joe helps low-income families with home and yard repairs as well as international students looks for opportunities to help people in need and uses his experience as an ex-DJ to influence the electronic music he composes in his spare time.

Josh is an imaginative thinker with eclectic interests and experiences who chose mechanical engineering to combine his creative and scientific passions. After working in several industries, from laser shock peening equipment, HVAC, and museum exhibits, to healthcare and the Department of Defense, Josh brings adept problem-solving skills to the mechanical engineering team to support client needs. Josh enjoys 3D printing, building high-power model rockets, and programming in his free time. Josh also loves learning new things with his young daughter. With friends, they are working on a scale model of an offshore floating wind turbine. What a great way to introduce a young mind to STEAM!

Meet Kailyn, our dynamic Spring intern at Design Central! Kailyn is passionate about prototyping and hands-on experimentation, which led her to pursue her Industrial Design degree with a minor in marketing and fashion studies at the University of Cincinnati DAAP. Fueled by her love for painting, sewing, and drawing, she finds inspiration in the creative process and aligns her problem-solving skills with her affinity for mystery novels. Kailyn thrives in collaborative work environments, evident in her standout studio project with her peers, where they developed a toy for a pop-up shop. What sets her apart is her dedication to making her family and friends' lives more enjoyable through thoughtful product design, infusing her work with a personal and meaningful touch. When she’s not busy with classwork, Kailyn loves journaling, traveling, and cheering on the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Maria thought she would be an engineer like the rest of her family, but her love for art led her to discover industrial design. Maria loves using creativity to understand people’s experiences, desires, and needs to solve design problems. Maria believes that you get what you give and volunteers with several organizations in Columbus to curb infant mortality and help at-risk communities. She finds this work and the resilience of others inspiring. Maria coaches competitive synchronized swimming in her free time and jokes that she is more coordinated in water than on land. Maria loves hiking and biking and hopes to visit all our national parks where she can practice another activity she loves, photography.

With a degree in Creative Writing, Mia is never happier than when she is handed a stack of paper and a red pen and told to “have at it.” As the resident word nerd, she also enjoys wordsmithing with the project teams, and excels at finding puns relevant to any situation. When in the front office, Mia serves as your first point of contact to clients, as well as accounting support. Outside of work, Mia spends a lot of her free time reading, when she isn’t crafting flash fiction and ghost stories. Mia is a plant lover, and has a slowly expanding indoor garden in her room. It currently features over 20 different species of succulents!

Michael’s personal mantra expresses his lifelong passion and quest: to seek the good, the true and the beautiful in the world. He looks at life from a big-picture perspective with a healthy dose of humility. This allows him to act as a bridge, often finding a common resolution that leaves everyone feeling the glow. In addition to being a team member at Design Central, he serves as a Permanent Deacon for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus. If looking for Michael after business hours, try Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish or seeking adventure on his motorcycle and the open road. Although these may seem like diverse interests, the diversity brings new ways of encountering challenges in creative ways.

Nick tackles design problems with a human-centered approach and an interest in improving user’s lives.  He started designing as a high-schooler; instead of replacing his broken longboard, Nick designed and built a new one and, in the process, created a business, Khander Longboards. Nick fell in love with the experience of listening to client needs and developing products to fit their vision. He enjoyed the process so much he pursued a career in industrial design. Nick keeps energized with hobbies such as mountain biking, longboarding and surfing. He draws inspiration from everyday things. The environment, people and their experiences, and the impact design can have on everyday life surprises him daily and shows how design can elevate the mundane into something beautiful.

Both in his personal life and here at the office, Pete is all about family. He wholeheartedly believes that working collaboratively produces the best results and is a whole lot more fun than going it alone. In this industry where products are created for all sorts of demographics, Pete recognizes the genius in pulling together a diverse team whose members bring their unique life experiences into the mix. At his college orientation, Pete ended up in the wrong room. While he expected to hear about engineering, he walked away completely enamored with industrial design, a field he didn’t know existed until that day. Talk about a happy accident.

A knack for mixing analytics and creative strategy is just one reason Rachel has found her niche in marketing. With prior experience in the design industry, Rachel loves showcasing a firm’s innovative culture through social media, newsletters and various business development endeavors. Outside of work, her main priority is spending time in good company. She loves exploring her community, finding the best hiking trails and sipping coffee with her husband, family and friends. Reading a mystery novel beside her two cats counts, too!

Rainer is a man who lives life to the fullest. Why visit a new city if not to explore its nooks and crannies? Why have scenic landscaping if not to get your hands dirty and plant trees. And if you’re going to create products, then become a student of the world’s research subjects passing you daily in stores and malls. Rainer reaches out and grabs authentic experiences every day. Find one thing uncool about that! Rainer does like to collect things. If it is not rocks, he collects masks from all over the world. Aside from his love for art, he feels they give a unique snapshot into people and their culture.

Rich grew up surrounded by engineers, so he believes it was inevitable that he chose engineering as his profession. He compares engineering to the challenge of orchestrating a box of parts to perform a given function and looks at his projects like puzzles to solve. Rich’s mechanical engineering, intellectual property, and patent experience have enabled him to develop products for the medical, consumer, and automotive industries. When he is not busy tending to client needs, Rich enjoys helping others; for example, he has volunteered for the Special Olympics powerlifting team.

Sherry comes to us with financial accounting, government contracting, and human resources experience with a specialty in small business financial accounting. She views the Design Central team as her client and makes it her mission to make our jobs easier. Sherry's favorite thing to do when not wearing her HR and numbers hat is spending time with her husband, daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren. Traveling is another passion, and she recently spent time in Paris, Rome, and Venice. Sherry is a member of two Euchre clubs; it’s no wonder, with her love of numbers! It’s also no surprise that she became part of our team so quickly!

When you meet Tim, don’t let his mild-mannered personality fool you. Beneath that calm exterior lies a hotbed of knowledge formed over decades of experience in product design and relationship management. Before his seven years as the Vice President of Product Development at Artromick, Tim spent 14 years at Design Central moving up in the ranks. Driven by his love of both innovation and collaboration, Tim made the climb look easy. His uncanny ability to see a project through seamlessly means he has a knack for identifying our clients’ goals, finding the ideal process and then guiding our team in bringing it all to life. Tim also has a passion for modern furniture and is the owner of Grid Furnishings in Worthington.