"Where Are They Now?" is a series where we reconnect with former Prime Studio interns and discover the career paths they've forged since their time with us. In this episode, we chat with Zac Fischel, who interned with us back in the Fall of 2019.

What have you been up to since your internship at Prime?

Since my time at Prime, I’ve been fortunate to have an exciting mix of agency, corporate, and manufacturing experiences. After freelancing during the initial wave of the pandemic, I landed an in-house gig at Bed Bath & Beyond. Working on projects for Our Place and Field Company during my internship at Prime gave me a real passion for the housewares space, so it felt like a natural fit. Over time, my role grew to overseeing design across all of their owned-brands cookware, kitchen housewares, and home storage lines. From there, I moved into a role as the lead in-house industrial designer for a manufacturing firm. That was a masterclass in the nitty-gritty of design for manufacture, tooling, and helping brands develop product lines at specific price points. During some downtime last year I took on an increasing volume of independent client work, and saw it as the right moment to launch my own practice, Industrial Design Kitchen! I partner with both startups and legacy brands on end-to-end product design, structural packaging, and design strategy, with a workload spanning housewares, hardware, pet products, and soft goods.

What are some of your memories of your time at Prime Studio?

What stood out to me immediately was how much trust Stuart placed in everyone on the team. As an intern, being invited to actively participate in client meetings was an incredible confidence booster so early in my career. One presentation in particular still makes me laugh - we were on-site with a client presenting sustainable packaging concepts using cornstarch-based GreenCell foam (the eco-friendly packing material that dissolve in water). We were discussing its non-toxic, biodegradable properties, and to really drive the point home, something inside me compelled me to pop a piece of the foam directly into my mouth right in front of the client. While I don't necessarily advise eating presentation materials in front of stakeholders, it certainly proved the point, and the project seemed to keep rolling right along!

Did your internship at Prime influence your path?

Immensely. My education at Virginia Tech gave me a solid foundation in design fundamentals and hard skills, but Prime was where the rubber hit the road. It was my first look at how design functions in the real world. Stuart was (and continues to be) an exceptional mentor. My time at Prime taught me that regardless of how sleek a concept looks, you always have to ground the design process in the people who will use the product and the real-world context in which it will exist. 

What are you currently working on or most excited about in your career / life?

On the design side, I’ve been fortunate to have our project books full with some fun and interesting clients this year. But honestly, the project I'm most excited about right now is continuing to build the business itself. Shaping a studio process and identity, and solving business challenges with the same creative mindset I bring to physical products has made this one of the most fulfilling chapters of my career. Stuart also runs a very transparent studio practice, and learning all about the realities of the business of design during my internship was incredibly eye opening.

Do you have any advice for design students looking for an internship now?

Industrial design is a competitive, rapidly evolving landscape, but I've found keeping these three things in mind helpful:

1. Skills: Regardless of how confident you feel in your current portfolio, the tools and standards are constantly leveling up. Like a pro athlete, you need to be continuously refining your skills and learning as much as possible. At the end of the day, your professional value hinges on your ability to deliver quality design work.

2. Networking: ID is an incredibly tight-knit, relationship-driven industry. Don't be afraid to reach out to designers whose work you admire. Almost every designer I know is happy to jump on a quick call or grab a coffee.

3. Anchor your work: Always tie your work back to a real-world problem, application, or user. Beautiful concepts are great, but portfolio pieces that win jobs are the ones that clearly solve a real-world problem for a specific user and context.

Connect with Zac:

• Website: industrialdesignkitchen.com

• Instagram: @idkitchen.nyc

• Substack: idkitchen.substack.com