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$1,000, a Suitcase, and a Portfolio: How Stuart Lee Built Prime Studio on Grit and Relationships
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From Scarborough to Midtown Manhattan, Stuart Lee’s journey is one of grit, curiosity, and unshakable design intuition. In this episode, Chris sits down in person with Stuart to explore the formative moments that led to the founding of Prime Studio — the product and brand design consultancy behind household names like Harry’s, Welly, and MoMA.
Stuart shares how rewiring motors and welding steel during his early apprenticeship helped him think more empathetically about design for manufacture, why he sees himself as a design doer (not a design thinker), and what still excites him after 27 years leading his own studio.
It’s a rich, no-frills conversation on design craft, business instinct, and the value of simply being a good person in a small industry.
In This Episode
The Yorkshire lad who arrived in NYC with a suitcase and a portfolio
Smart Design, Able, and the building blocks of Prime Studio
“The design we do is never just design — it's operations, manufacturing, supply chain.”
Why Stuart never plans too far ahead (and how that’s worked just fine)
Lessons from building long-term client partnerships, from Unilever to Harry’s
Teaching the next generation: real talk on job hunting, ChatGPT cover letters, and why “Dear Hiring Manager” just doesn’t cut it
Royalties, equity, and what designers should really know about contracts
“As a consultant, your only value is your people.”
Quotes to Remember
“It's work you're looking for, so you have to work at it.”
“I’m not a planner. I kind of ride the wave — but I’ve been riding it for 27 years.”
“I always say Smart Design is where I learned to be a designer. Able is where I learned the business of design.”
“Royalties smooth things out. You might not get the big equity payout, but you get forecastable cash flow — and that’s everything in business.”
🔎 Resources & Links
💼 Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn
🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube
🎵 TikTok: @_whydesign
👥 Join the Why Design community: events, huddles, and workshops → teamkodu.com/events
🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte
About Kodu
Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner to ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams identify, attract, and hire the best talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. Learn more at Home - Kodu
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