Expert Insights: Allen Wilson, Lead Product Designer at StudioRed

Allen Wilson brings more than a decade of industrial design experience and nearly a dozen co‑inventor patents to StudioRed. In this interview we explore his career path, creative inspirations, and how he tackles the most pressing design and cost challenges facing product teams today.

How did you get started in industrial design?

My journey began in childhood, where curiosity and art went hand‑in‑hand. I spent long afternoons with my little sister, drawing and dissecting everyday objects. Watching “Secret Cities” with Commander Mark Kistler on PBS sparked a fascination with how things are built. My mother encouraged my artistic pursuits, enrolling me in numerous art classes, while a broken VCR taught me that understanding a device’s internal logic is key to fixing it—an early lesson in mechanical empathy.

It wasn’t until I drove a 1968 VW Squareback from the California foothills to San Francisco that I discovered industrial design. A stop at the Academy of Art University Spring Show revealed a medium that fused my love of art and invention. Though my car was later towed, I had found my calling and committed fully to industrial design education.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Inspiration, for me, comes from everywhere. I view “distractibility” as a superpower; it allows me to spot connections between disparate ideas. When designing the SureCall cell‑phone booster, I turned to the Fibonacci spiral—a mathematical pattern that mirrors natural geometry. Incorporating the spiral added visual harmony, broke up large surfaces, and guided the eye in a calming loop, making the device feel smaller and more integrated with its surroundings.

Each product demands its own aesthetic and functional language, whether it’s an organic “blobject” or a sharp, fractal edge. A designer’s personal style is important, but it must also resonate with the target user group.

What do you think are other key qualities of a good industrial designer?

Beyond visual flair, a designer must master mechanics. The best designers translate functional intent into beautiful form while collaborating closely with engineers. I rarely sketch until I fully grasp how a product operates, because the exterior design is always a reflection of internal mechanics.

How have you been able to solve product vs. user functionality issues when they come up?

When I conceived a small camera mount in 2012, my goal was a minimalist, user‑friendly system. By exploiting clever geometry, I eliminated dozens of parts and simplified the interaction between the camera, mount, and cables. The result was a nearly spherical camera that nested into a hemispherical base, connected via a 45°‑angled 3.5 mm audio plug that provided data transfer, power, pivot, and clip‑in functions—all while the faceted rhombic triacontahedron shape allowed it to act as its own tripod.

Rory Kid‑Cam Concept 2012

What’s most challenging about industrial design?

As Soyun noted in a recent interview, many companies view design merely as visual polish. I agree, but I emphasize that design is a deep, multidisciplinary discipline. When designers are brought into conversations early, we can identify problems before solutions lock in, avoiding costly redesigns later. Defining the problem accurately and exploring multiple solutions is essential for true innovation.

Cost is always a big concern in product design. What are common pitfalls you see that drive up costs, what can be done to minimize them?

We begin every project by setting clear budget parameters and manufacturing constraints. From day one, concepts are evaluated for part‑count and cost. Working in cross‑functional teams lets us design CAD geometry that reduces parts and enhances moldability. Design‑for‑Manufacturing (DFM) is practiced from the outset, enabling me to advocate for aesthetic choices that also improve cost efficiency. The result is a balanced design that delivers on both user experience and financial goals.

What are some tips to doing a lean startup with a hardware product?

For early‑stage prototypes, we combine off‑the‑shelf components with custom parts. The PremieBreathe infant breathing device, for example, uses a deep‑drawn aluminum Zero‑Case as the core structure and a pressure‑formed plastic face. This blend of durable metal and soft plastic creates a medical yet child‑friendly aesthetic while keeping costs manageable. We also source ready‑made switches, meters, hoses, and hardware to accelerate development.

What do you think are the next big trends in industrial design, where do you think things are going?

AR, VR, and the Internet of Things are shaping the next wave of design challenges. IoT products need seamless integration and a central hub that unites diverse devices. Industrial designers bring system‑level thinking to these problems, crafting holistic solutions that blend hardware and software. Looking forward, I’m excited about 3D immersive UI—moving beyond flat screens to truly spatial interfaces that leverage our natural sense of depth.

Want to learn more about Industrial Design? Check out the DesignRush list of top Industrial Design firms here!