Brett Lovelady, IDSA
IDSA Special Achievement Award: 2022
Brett Lovelady founded Astro Studios in 1994 to blend the value of design with technology and cultural insights. Since then, he has become one of America’s top design leaders, and his San Francisco-based studio has become an international powerhouse in industrial design by creating industry-leading products for the likes of Nike, Microsoft, HP, Herman Miller, Xbox, Shinola, and more.
Previously, Lovelady was VP of Design at frog, then VP of Design at Lunar—both in Silicon Valley—and become synonymous with design excellence in the Bay Area.
Astro and Lovelady have received numerous industry recognitions—including multiple IDEAs, the first IDSA Catalyst Award, and two BusinessWeek Design of the Decade awards. The studio also expanded beyond design in 2007 with Astro Gaming: the first high-performance video gaming equipment and lifestyle brand. The company was sold to Skullcandy in 2011 and is now a $200 million global Logitech brand.
In 2020, Astro Studios became part of PA Consulting, a global innovation and digital transformation company. Astro is the West Coast office of PA, focused on providing high performance design to improve all aspects of the human experience.
Lovelady continues to have a tremendous impact on the career success of designers through his guidance and mentorship, furthering his influence on the next generation of leaders.
“By developing a culture that attracts some of the world’s best talent and clients, Brett and Astro have helped reshape the design industry,” writes Scott Wilson, founder of MNML. “There is nobody better than Brett—to both work for and learn from—in the industry.”
Adds Spencer Nugent, a renowned designer who counts Lovelady as a mentor and friend: “Not only is he a good human, but he has been at the helm of a studio that has transformed the design profession and stayed true to itself as the times have changed and the profession has matured. Studios come and go, but Astro and Brett have stood the test of time.”
