Vice President of Product Design, Vari
David has a passion for creating innovative and transformative product solutions, grounded in the importance of experimentation, speed, and staying connected with your materials. One of the most pivotal moments in his career was when his boss came to him for a solution to ease his back pain. The sit-stand desk he created and co-invented became the original VARIDESK product. Now, he leads Product Design for VARI. His team crafts solutions that reinvent workspaces and help people lead happier, healthier, and more productive lives. David has been designing products for more than 20 years across multiple industries. Those experiences have taught him to value workshop-focused design practices with a focus on teamwork and shared learning.
Furniture Section
Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter
David Patton, IDSA is Vice President of Product Design at VARI, a U.S. manufacturer of flexible workspace solutions and office furniture based in Coppell, TX. Formerly the Chair of IDSA-Texas, David is now Chair of IDSA-DFW: the first chapter to evolve from IDSA’s new City-Based Chapter Initiative. David has been responsible for creating practices for developing city-based chapters in regional areas this year, such as IDSA-Texas becoming IDSA-DFW and IDSA-Austin, with the goal of rolling out more city-based IDSA professional chapters throughout Texas in the years to come.
Also in 2020, David served as Chair of IDSA’s Nominations Committee, alongside committee members David Allan, IDSA, Autumn Groleski, IDSA, Mike Lyden, IDSA, Ellise Smolenyak, IDSA, and Yi-Ping Wong, IDSA. The 2020 Nominations Committee was responsible for developing a slate of candidates for several open IDSA leadership positions for the 2021-2022 term, including on IDSA’s Board of Directors and Districts Committee. Following an open call for interest and nominations, the Nominations Committee went through a rigorous, month-long review process before submitting their list of candidates to the current IDSA Board of Directors for approval.
At the same time, a very difficult year for innumerable reasons has strengthened David’s resolve to keep trying, as a designer, leader, and person in the world, to do and be better. “This year will remain a cultural milestone amongst humanity and the industrial design profession,” David says. “The effect that it’s had on me personally and professionally is quite profound and, in many ways, a test of character.”
He and his team at VARI started 2020 with a product roadmap that was “quickly devoured by the pandemic,” he says. “Like many others worldwide, we rose to the challenge of helping people stay healthy and employed. We worked long hours and made personal sacrifices…The fight continues, but now we have a new perspective and a new product roadmap that emphasizes human-centric design for a post-pandemic world.”
He’s also proud of what he’s seen and continues to see in the IDSA community this year. “At the beginning of the pandemic, colleague and friend Kyle Ellison of Trailside Creative (Chair of IDSA-Austin) worked hard to coordinate resources to battle the spread. Working with local 3D-printing companies in Austin, Kyle helped get mask and PPE parts made for hospitals and frontline medical workers. His efforts extended to other communities like mine in DFW, and he continues his efforts today.”
David also credits designers like Shujan Bertrand of Aplat who are working to make wearing masks more comfortable, fashionable, and earth-friendly. “These are just a few of the many stories where designers stepped up to help,” David says. “They aren’t just inspiring; they reinforce my faith in the role of industrial design in improving the quality of life experiences.”
