Bryan Kelly runs a design studio in Chicago called erban ink. Bryan also participates in a collective called The PrairieMod Squad where he blogs about architecture and design. They promote the Praire Mod lifestyle of living in the modern world and their blog provides a forum showcasing designs, products, places, people and the ideas that are inspired by Praire Mod principles.
Q: Bryan, for those out there who aren't too familiar with The PrairieMod Squad, can you tell us a bit about the collective and their mission?
Bryan: The team at PrairieMod.com is comprised of a group of young designers and entrepreneurs. We all participate in the design industry and have a shared appreciation for brilliant architecture. Since we're all from Chicago, that love just seems to be something naturally found in our blood. That, plus a passion for really amazing pizza! As a group, we'd often discuss the work of legends such as Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Charles and Ray Eames and Richard Neutra. We'd also regularly share our thoughts and reflections on significant design movements like American Arts & Crafts and Modernism. It wasn't long until we realized the common threads that connect the work of these designers and their theories. Upon further examination, a core set of time-tested principles were identified. These ultimately became the 10 Principles of the PrairieMod Lifestyle, which we regularly discuss throughout the blog and our podcasts.
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PrairieMod Squad's Podcasts |
Q: Recently on your blog, you've been exploring the PrairieMod Principle of "Think Natural." As you so eloquently put it, it's this principle that teaches us how to appreciate the natural state of materials: either for building, remodeling or decorating our homes. Have you always been interested in a more natural approach when it comes to design?
Bryan: I've always felt design should be approached in a natural way—if you try to fake it or force it; you usually end up with very bad design. My design partners and I have always taken a very intuitive approach to our design—feeling out color, proportion, symmetry, etc. Yet, we make sure to validate our ideas by holding them up to the universal principles that all good designs share. This insures that we're not relying too heavily on assumption or feeling in our work, while also making sure our designs don't become too sterile or formulaic. It's all about balance.
For anyone who knows you, it's obvious that Frank Lloyd Wright is definitely a major artistic influence for you? As the name of your collective suggests, it pulls its name from Wright's residentially designed Prairie Houses of the early 1900s (extended low buildings with shallow, sloping roofs, clean sky lines, suppressed chimneys, overhangs and terraces, using unfinished materials), so-called because the design is considered to complement the land around Chicago. These houses are credited with being the first examples of the "open plan".What is it about Wright's work that resonates so closely with you as a designer?
Bryan: I've always felt that Frank Lloyd Wright was not just America's greatest architect; he was America's greatest designer. He designed everything from furniture, cars, napkins, clothes, stationary—everything! His work was so varied and visionary, it represented what every designer aspired to achieve. He changed the world with his design. It's this drive to find a better way through design that resonates with me and so many other people to this day. Next to Leonardo da Vinci, he's the second most written about artist in history. Most importantly, his ideas are very much relevant to the 21st Century.
Q: Bryan, you have done some cool things with Dwell Magazine in the past, can you tell us a bit about that partnership?
Bryan: Last fall The PrairieMod Squad struck up a conversation with Dwell regarding their Dwell on Design event in Palm Springs. They had been inviting bloggers to their events to provide up-to-the-minute coverage, but we thought it would be sweet to try something a bit different. We had begun doing our podcasts around that same time and just finished daily podcast recaps of a design conference at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, AZ. There was some buzz in the blogsphere about those podcasts, so we took the same approach out to Palm Springs and provided daily recaps of the event Dwell was hosting. Those also turned out to be really well-received.
Q: Does PrairieMod have any principles in common with the Green Movement/environmentalism?
Bryan: Yes, PrairieMod Principles draw on the same ideas that are behind the Sustainability Movement. Principles like Less Becomes More, Consider the Cost, Think Natural, and so on, all have important links to these other movement's philosophies. We're not extremists, but we are indeed lovers of nature and strive to be respectful our natural resources. Just like every other aspect of life, it is always about balance. Last fall we partnered with San Francisco's www.letsgreenthiscity.com and other bloggers to be a content provider, so it was an honor for us to be involved with a project like that.
Q: As the head of a boutique design studio, can you give us an idea of a day in the life of Bryan Kelly?
Bryan: I'll be modest and say that I'm definitely not the head of the erban ink studio. I have two amazing business partners who are truly excellent in their craft and each of us has diverse backgrounds in the field. We all heavily rely on one another to make things happen. My typical day consists of constant communication with our clients (service is number one), sitting in on design meetings with the team, and overseeing both the sales and operational aspects of the business. Some days are really long and Saturdays regularly become just another workday. Laptops and Blackberries definitely increase productivity by constantly keeping me connected to work, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. When you love what you do for a living, nothing else compares.
Q: What do you find are the key differences between the client services a boutique design studio, such as yours, can offer vs. a larger agency that specializes in strategic planning?
Bryan: There are definite differences. Being small and focused, we provide a level of service that you can't get from a giant agency. We are accessible and very flexible—allowing us to respond in a very quick and efficient manner—without the red tape and bureaucracy you tend to deal with in a large agency scenario. Our team has all come from bigger places, so we know what that world is like—what the pros and cons are associated with that style of business. But there's a reason we got out and went to the small mentality. We offer all the knowledge and experience of a large agency, only on a smaller, efficient and more personal level. It's truly the best of both worlds. Like Seth Godin says, Small is the new Big!
Q: In your time as a designer, can you tell us about some of the most rewarding projects you have worked on?
Bryan: There have been some excellent projects to work on that have really been a challenge, but the most rewarding are the ones that were done pro bono. There are a handful of non-profit organizations that we regularly assist and it's one way of giving back to the community a little. It means a great deal to see how appreciative folks are for well-designed material that effectively helps them communicate their message.
Q: What words of advice can you offer an aspiring student of design?
Bryan: Henry Ford once said: "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." Never underestimate the power of believing in yourself. You're going to fail more times than you succeed, but that's a good thing. In failure we can learn how to succeed and become better. Don't get discouraged, don't doubt you can make a difference, don't doubt that design can change the world!
Q: Where do you see yourself in five years? Will you still be heading into work at erban ink or working remotely from some tropical island?
Bryan: Honestly, I'd love to be working remotely with my wife from an Airstream via a wireless connection on my Apple laptop and iPhone! That way I could be out West doing a little mountain biking, trail running, snow boarding and off-road driving all while tackling tough client design challenges. I'm also involved in another bourgeoning business that I hope to see grow over the next 5 years, plus I'd like to see PrairieMod naturally evolve into THE online resource for what we've dubbed "The Art of Living in the Modern World".
Q: You feature some great interviews/podcasts by way of your blog, having recently featured Jennifer Siegal of Mobile Design on. Can you give us a hint on any upcoming guests?
Bryan: Recently, we did a phone interview with Henry Whiting who lives in a small house that was designed as an artist studio by Frank Lloyd Wright. This little architectural gem is out in Idaho on a cliff overlooking the Snake River. It's very, very cool...so be sure to subscribe to the podcast RSS feed and listen to that one when we release it in the coming weeks. Henry also just released a second book about the home, which is called At Nature's Edge: Frank Lloyd Wright's Artist Studio. The pictures in this book are brilliant. Also worth noting, Henry is the great-nephew of architect Alden B. Dow who made a huge impact on the town of Midland, MI....the town we've described as the Mid-Century Modern Mecca of the Midwest. So, we spoke with him at length about all of that as well.
We're also trying to secure an interview with David Hovey who many people are calling this generation's Frank Lloyd Wright. When you see his work it is quickly apparent that the stuff is most definitely "PrairieMod". For those interested, a great point of reference is the book The Nature of Dwellings: The Architecture of David Hovey.
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