Today we’d like to introduce you to Philip Otto.
Philip, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up on the coast north of Seattle I was surrounded by the beauty of nature and an abundance of lifestyle experiments. I then had the good fortune to attend Stanford University where I studied cultural anthropology and fine art. After college I was a teacher for several years, but soon found my true calling as an architectural designer. I founded Otto Design Group in 1990 in San Francisco in order to explore the intersection between art, design, and culture.
For over 25 years, I’ve been working with innovative clients such as Urban Outfitters, Warby Parker, and REI. Having brought together a world-class team of architects, designers and artists, I’ve been able to continue to create original spaces for many of today’s leading brands worldwide. I’ve also been able to take my experience about place making to the civic scale and am involved with community minded developers to create relevant destinations.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The challenge has always been to find the best ways to match vision with utility. My work has been rooted in the specifics of real lifestyles and the beauty of simple pragmatic solutions. To this end. The goal is always to create a quality destination for a specific community that makes life better, at least in some small way. I’ve approached design in the spirit of ‘the journey is the destination’. The obstacles I have met along the way have only served to make the trip more meaningful to me. Honestly, I am so lucky to be able to do work that I love and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Otto Design Group – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At ODG we bring a spirit of collaboration to everything we do.
Otto Design Group is a Los Angeles based design and architecture studio. Our eclectic team is driven by an understanding of design and art at every scale. We create emotionally driven spaces and reinvent branding systems with collaborative participation at the core of our design process. This approach allows us to work hand-in-hand with clients to bring projects to life, shape communities at a civic level and bring world-class art to public spaces.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me is integrally linked to making the world a better place. Every action we take defines us and everything we make in this world shapes the future we will find ourselves living in. So, as lofty as that may sound, I make it my purpose to create spaces and experiences that connect with people in meaningful ways. I always hope that I am progressing in this direction and want to keep making the best work I can.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1340 e 6th street
suite 514
Los Angeles, CA 90021 - Website: www.ottodesigngroup.com
- Email: [email protected]
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