Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Johnson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Steven. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, I started as an industrial designer for Data General (acquired later by EMC). I was hired there by Jack Carroll, the industrial design manager. Jack left Data General a year after he hired me to start his own consultancy. For the next decade, I worked at Data General and did freelance design work for Jack. Jack hired me again as a designer & project manager at Carroll Design. The company grew to include mechanical engineering as well as industrial design. Roughly another decade later, I attended Boston University for my MBA. Shortly after that, Jack decided to retire. I took over as President of Carroll Design and with a group of the current designers, bought Jack’s company and kept the name as it was well known in the Boston area, especially for the design of electronic equipment & telecommunications equipment. A few years after I took over the company, we moved to an office in Westford and enjoy a broad range of product design work from medical devices to laboratory instruments and a few niche consumer markets. Much of our current work is in handheld and portable products.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We have had our share of challenges for sure! The transition from Jack’s management/ownership to me was difficult as some of the new owner group did not share the same goals & desires as most of the crew. We got through that with some needed changes, and moved on to return the company to several growing years. During my ownership, the company has had terrific boom years and a few very difficult stretches. The product design consulting business is cyclical and we are constantly adjusting to the ups and downs of our workflow. It has certainly been a learning experience and I continue to look for new ways to improve the way we work provide the best design services possible for our clients.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Carroll Design – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Carroll Design is a product design consulting firm. Our primary expertise is in the mechanical engineering and industrial design areas. We develop complete mechanical solutions and also collaborate with a few local electronics design firms to design products including electronics and software for several of our clients. Our market experience ranges from medical and industrial laboratory equipment to medical devices, industrial equipment, and a few niches in the consumer markets. Lately, much of our industrial work has been in the new battery systems and a variety of handheld products. I believe Carroll Design provides the best blend of industrial design and mechanical engineering with creative and solid manufacturable solutions. Designing specifically for our client’s needs in a manner that is cost effective in all ways is really what we do best. It sounds obvious and straightforward, but I see too many design firms that focus more on developing products for design awards and less for the complete needs of their clients. I am most proud of our work when our clients bring a product to market and it is a winner in all ways- bringing success to them among their competitors, and as a business enterprise.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We need to continue to grow and change with the new technologies available in the tools of our trade such as 3D CAD software, 3D printing technologies, while staying true to our focus on our client’s successes. Upcoming changes will include bringing more creative, talented designers and engineers in to join our team.
Contact Info:
- Address: 270 Littleton Rd, Suite 10
Westford, MA 01886 - Website: www.carrolldesign.com
- Phone: 978-589-9999
- Email: sjohnson@carrolldesign.com
- Instagram: CarrollDesignUS
- Facebook: CarrollDesignUS
- Twitter: CarrollDesignUS
Image Credit:
Selected images courtesy of Waters Corporation and Fluke.
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
