Brooks Stevens, Inc.

🔑 🏡 Moving home feels good. After being away from Milwaukee proper for so long it feels like opening a familiar book, but finding new chapters. Fan fiction that we get to write. Wearing "MKE" on our figurative sleeves connects us to the stories, people, skills, ideas, and energy that made this city the right place to design and build iconic products that shaped American culture. Brooks Stevens, the man, knew and engaged with every industrial leader in MKE. They were his community. He was theirs. We are, too. As important as the past is to us, we tend to live in the future. And we're proud to say that MKE is once again HQ for Brooks Stevens. What do you say, Milwaukee? Are you with us? Let us hear it! #milwaukee #brooksstevens #productdevelopment #community #innovation #industrialdesign #feelslikehome #noplacelikehome #letsgo

📣 Brooks Stevens is back in MKE! Our success is thanks to deep relationships with so many across the city we love. We can't wait to host you and the design community in our new space. #abouttime #brooksstevens #milwaukee #designmatters #productdesign #industrialdesign

👻 We dug into the crypt... er... archives... and found previously-unknown Hearse concepts by a lesser-known industrial designer 🧛 Brooooooooks Stevens. Happy Halloween! 🎃 #hearse #brooksstevens #conceptcar #industrialdesign #designmatters #justjoking #happyhalloween #aidesign PS - you can probably see the AI imperfections in these fun concepts... well, it took MANY prompts and AI didn't really understand how to generate a Hearse. Remember - training AI is about volume. Maybe Hearse design isn't a common challenge?

"Neoclassic" auto design was born when Brooks Stevens developed a prototype roadster for Studebaker which would become Excalibur. In that prototype, Brooks presented an attitude and aesthetic that a middle-aged buyer would find familiar and aspriational from their youth. These weren't restorations, they were entirely new vehicles with modern features (neo) and a revisited (classic) aesthetic. At the Excalibur 60th Anniversary, we met many original Excalibur owners who passionately shared the connection they felt to their vehicles and community. We also met current Excalibur owners who were captivated by these vehicles as kids! Is it still a neoclassic for a second generation of vehicle owners? You can hear the passion and appreciation for the car in this interview with Jason. #DesignMatters #Excalibur #brooksstevens #brooksstevensdesign #industrialdesign #neoclassicalautomobile #NeoClassicalDesign #PassTheTorch

#HumanCenteredDesign is the core of our philosophy. While ergonomics is an essential aspect, truly exceptional product design delivers a thoughtful experience through every interaction in the purchase and ownership lifecycle. Digital models offer a limited, two-dimensional view, but physical prototypes transform ideas into tangible experiences, delivering a more profound and complete understanding of the design. Once we can interact with our concepts we can immediately see where we fell short or met our ambitions. #designmatters #brooksstevens #productdesign #prototypedesign #IndustrialDesign

Going with your first idea is high risk! 🙅♀️ Rather than starting with a solution in mind, start with the goal and broadly ideate around addressing what gets in the way. There are usually MANY good options, even at first glance. However, it's crucial to broaden further to spark novel or innovative solutions. Diving into unconventional, abstract, or seemingly outlandish concepts often reveals new perspectives that can influence or become the winning choice! Cast a wide net! #brooksstevens #productdesign #industrialdesign #ideation #innovation

From concept sketch to photo shoot! 👀 No, that dude isn't floating. It's not AI. He's standing on an accessory attached to the tail lamp of a Jeep! 💪 "Robust" is an understatement. 💪 When we load tested the Machbuilt tail lamp design, we bent the body of the test vehicle without any signs of strain on the tail lamp or its attachments. Why not use a tail lamp as a mount for gear or a hammock?! #brooksstevens #designmatters #jeepmods #machbuilt #whynot #productdesign #industrialdesign

🥂 90 is a big number! 🥂 When Brooks (the man) started this company during the Great Depression, #industrialdesign was not a profession. He had to justify the emerging craft, forcing him to become a businessman first and articulate the payoff for design investment. He had to convince his friends that style would differentiate products for competitive advantage. He compelled clients with #HumanCenteredDesign before it had a name. He practiced #designthinking as a #productinnovation tool 70 years before it was coined. Now we sprint foward with a tremendous responsibility to honor the man, his family, his craft, his heart, his creativity, his entire industry. That's why we say #designmatters at #brooksstevens. That's why people continue to work with us. That's why we're here for the dreamers and the doers of today's generation. What do you want to build? How do you want people to feel? What memories do you want to create? Let's go. 🚀

🪄🧚♀️The fairy tale is true! A great design simply appears out of nowhere, right?! It's the "aha moment." Wrong. (mostly) Exceptional work follows iteration and review. Every aspect needs to be thoughtful and well-executed. Even when we think we have it figured out, there's room to iterate. This design wasn't weak before - it met our goals. It passed review after review. But after we applied some engineering brains 🤓 and saw it in CAD, we noticed THIS... See the line on the hood of the Bronco? What if we make it match the slot feature on the tow hook? We think that small adjustment elevates the design even further. And just like that, our design improved. ✨ Here's our proof: a pile of 3D prints from iterations we're tossing and the final concept 3D print fit-up on the truck. Dang, it's gonna be good! Anyone want to #preorder?! So, it's both... it just happens... and never (rarely) is it the first try. Maybe this helps: software teams are very VERY nervous when things work the first time. It's definitely broken somewhere... we just don't know where! 😱 #brooksstevens #designmatters #industrialdesign #productdesign #broncomods #fordbronco #magicwand #ahamoment #designmyths

🎤 Give the mic to Willie G! 👏 During our 90th Anniversary, Willie G. Davidson made his way to the display banner on stage and was concise. "I just want to say one thing." He pointed to a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and declared, "THAT is a beautiful motorcycle." He continued, "The 1949 big twin Harley - the most important [aesthetic] part Brooks did himself! The fender is the identifier [of the motorcycle] and is still used today!" Such an honor for you to stop by! Thanks for your talent and commitment to making things that stop you in your tracks. Roots run deep between Harley-Davidson Motor Company motorcycles and Brooks Stevens, as both Willie G. and Louie Netz were on the design team at Brooks Stevens prior to the formation of the design department across town at HOG. Current President and CEO of Brooks Stevens, Michael Hopkins, is a Harley alum and ran several successful programs, globally. #brooksstevens #harleydavidson #designmatters #micdrop #industrialdesign #productdesign #motorcycledesign