ping@studiobrown.com

Bristol, UK

Mind

StudioBrown’s design work has met international acclaim for over 25 years earning a highly commended and enigmatic position in the design world as a creative thinking studio. Designing is an honour; doing it in partnership with ambitious manufacturers at any scale is our lifeblood, enabling us to build products of design for tomorrows world.

Our design vision is multi-faceted and our insights realistic and focused. We treat every project as unique, reflecting and nurturing a tailored approach in sync with our client’s common aspirations. We design with intelligence, unhampered by dogma yet respectful of conventions across a broad spectrum of product typologies.

-For each project we develop a core ‘design pattern’ or framework describing all relevant physical sensorial environments within which product interactions manifest.

 

-This technique is an effective means of communicating and understanding user engagement at both micro and macro levels and compliments our human-centered approach of observing physical and subconscious behaviour.

-Starting with hypothetical ideas, we fine-tune concepts, typically converging on solutions which are ultimately defined with expression and precision, using a broad artistic and technological skill set.

-Our experience enables us to take a balanced view of all requirements, stepping back from the issues and the whirr of the creative gyro of today’s market influences in order to make savvy decisions and define relevant and enduring products.

 

-We passionately pursue consumers’ desire to embrace innovation in their lives and believe that an improved new design order can liberate us from the everyday frustrations and clutter we all encounter.

-Above all, as creators of tomorrow’s products of design we keep our eyes, ears and senses open to deliver apt solutions for us and our children, benefitting our well being and the environment.

Please get in touch to learn more about how you can benefit from StudioBrown’s guidance and support for your project.

Julian Brown

StudioBrown founder and principal Julian Brown began his career reading engineering at the University of Warwick. Following a gap year learning German in Dusseldorf and a chance sighting of a German publication, tiltled “Tisch 80” chronicling the outcome of a Rosenthal Design Competition he switched path to Industrial Design at Leicester Polytechnic and later the Royal College of Art, London. He graduated with MDes RCA and the recipient of a major travel scholarship to Japan.

In 1983 Julian moved to Austria, joining Porsche Design, as their first English designer, where he created the acclaimed ‘Studio glasses’ providing the user a superior comfort experience by means of an auto-adjusting mini leather saddle. He left in 1986 to set up a partnership with Ross Lovegrove. Lovegrove and Brown grew in reputation, working with Knoll, BA, Parker pens and Louis Vuitton, most notably creating the iconic design of the alfi Zitzmann ‘Basic’ transparent thermo-caraf together.

 

In 1990 he founded independent StudioBrown building on his German interests and quickly developed a strong client base in Italy, the US and Japan. The name Julian Brown earning recognition and numerous awards internationally for a series of iconic designs with Rexite Milan, pioneering the aesthetic and use of technical polymers. Julian also worked anonymously as StudioBrown in respect of high technology client’s modus operandi, designing for clients such as Apple, Sony, NEC and IBM and conducting research globally into pervasive mobile computing. Over the years Julian has merged these two career threads with a common design mind interested in the holistic product-human-paradigm.

Julian is an inspirational ambassador of design holding two guest professorships at the universities of Berlin and Essen Duisburg and two posts as external examiner/advisor on the Master design programs at the GSA, Glasgow and the RCA, London and is a speaker on design and juror appearing on UK and Austrian TV.

 

He was nominated for the Prince Phillip and Perrier-Jouet Prizes and was elected Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 1998, hence directing the RDI’s own experimental Summer School.

Julian suffered a sudden downturn in health In 2006 putting StudioBrown on ice for a period whilst he returned to fitness. His return to professional work has been facilitated by a number of professional design collaborations with leading UK design consultants: Cartlidge Levene, therefore London, Kinneir Dufort, Bristol, Expedition Engineering, UK and openfields, Germany.

The launch of the new StudioBrown website in 2016 heralds the return of this reputable design business.

For

UK

  • British Airways
  • Hasbro-Bradley
  • Parker Pens
  • Puma
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Selfridges
  • Wedgwood

Austria

  • Carrera
  • Porsche Design

Belgium

  • Wever & Ducre

France

  • L’Oreal
  • Louis Vuitton
 

Germany

  • alfi Zitzmann
  • Bauknecht
  • Bauscher
  • Boeker
  • Carl Mertens
  • FX Nachtmann
  • Twin JA Henckels
  • HWS
  • Roesle
  • WMF

Holland

  • Curver

Norway

  • Ekornes
 

Italy

  • Cabas
  • Frighetto
  • Magis
  • Memphis
  • Rexite
  • Zanotta

Spain

  • Metalarte

Switzerland

  • Ventura
  • Piz Buin
  • Prodir
 

USA

  • 3M
  • ACCO
  • Apple
  • Berol
  • GE
  • Haworth Comforto
  • IBM
  • Knoll
 

Japan

  • Daiko
  • Hoya
  • Lemnos
  • NEC
  • Olympus
  • Sony
  • Tdk

Awards

Clock Vercingetorige
Rexite Srl Italy

  • 1994 Germany
    Design Plus Frankfurt
  • 1994 London
    D&AD
  • 1994 New York
    ID Magazine
  • 1995 London
    Minerva Design Awards
  • 1995 Tokyo
    International Gift Fair
 

Tape Dispenser Hannibal
Rexite Srl Italy

  • 1998 New York
    ID USA Magazine
    (best of category)
  • 1998 Stuttgart
    Design Center Stuttgart
  • 1998 New York
    Time Magazine
    (best of design)
  • 1998 New York
    National Stationary Show
    (best product)
  • 1999 Frankfurt
    Form ‘99’
 

Can Compactor Attila
Rexite Srl Italy

  • 1996 London
    BBC Design Awards
  • 1996 Chicago
    Chicago Athenaeum
  • 1997 New York
    ID USA Magazine
  • 1997 New York
    Accent on Design
 

Stapler Isis
Rexite Srl Italy

  • 1999 New York
    National Stationary Show
    (best product)
  • 1999 Chicago
    Chicago Athenaeum
  • 2000 New York
    ID Magazine
  • 2000 Frankfurt
    Form ‘2000’
 

CD Storage CD2
Rexite Srl Italy

  • 2000 Chicago
    Chicago Athenaeum
  • 2001 Frankfurt
    Form ‘2001’
  • 2001 Milan
    Compasso D’Oro Index
 

Vacuum Flask Basic
alfi Zitzmann Germany

  • 1994 London
    BBC Design Awards

Vacuum Flask Avanti
alfi Zitzmann Germany

  • 2000 Chicago
    Chicago Athenaeum

Folding Knife Swing
Twin JA Henckels

  • Germany
    2001 Essen
    Reddot
 

Stacking Chair Loop
Cabas Italy

  • 2002 Genova
    Technohotel
    (best product)

Ring Binder Active
Acco Brands USA

  • 1999 Chicago
    Chicago Athenaeum
  • 1999 Hanover
    IF Product Design Award
 

Wayfinding & signage
Selfridges & Co London

  • 2007 London
    Brit Insurance Designs of the Year
    (nominated)
  • 2009 London
    Sign Design Society Awards
    (winner)

Site design StudioBrown+

Cartlidge Levene

Little Red Letter

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