$1,000, a Suitcase, and a Portfolio: How Stuart Lee Built Prime Studio on Grit and Relationships
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
Transcript
Hello and welcome to Wide Design.
Hello and welcome to Y Design. I'm your host Chris White and this is episode four of series three. I recorded this one in person at lounge studios in New York, just a few doors down from Prime Studio. So it was a good excuse to sit down with Stuart Lee, the founder and creative director and spend some time with his team while we're still on.
Chris Whyte (:Hello and welcome to Why Design. I'm your host, Chris White, and this is episode four of series three. Recorded this one in person at lounge studios in New York, just a few doors down from Prime Studio. So it was a good excuse to sit down with Stuart Lee, the founder and creative director, and spend some time with his team while we were on the same floor. Stuart's been running Prime for nearly 30 years. If you don't know the studio, you'll definitely know some of the brands he's worked with.
Harry's, Dove, MoMA, Welly, our place to name but a few. He's kept the studio intentionally small and independent. And we talked a lot about what it takes to build something that lasts that long without chasing scale or getting pulled in too many directions. He shared how Prime started with a few freelance clients and a kitchen table and how over the years they've figured out what they're good at, where they add value, and how to build long-term relationships with clients.
We got into things like royalties, equity, and how he hires, how he mentors, and how saying no is often what makes space for the right kind of work. There's loads in here for anyone running a consultancy or thinking about starting one. And then somewhere along the way, Stuart turned the tables and started asking me questions. What I really...
And somewhere along the way, Stuart turned the tables and started asking me questions, which I really enjoyed. It became more of a conversation than an interview. And it gave us space to talk about where the industry is heading and what we've
Chris Whyte (:And somewhere along the way, Stuart turned the tables and started asking me questions, which I really enjoyed. It became more of a conversation than an interview. And it gave us space to talk about where the industry is heading and what we're both seeing from different sides. So here it is, my conversation with Stuart Lee. Let's get into it.
