PROWL Studio
Design for an optimistic material future
Baillie Mishler and Lauryn Menard met at furniture company, Coalesse, and after a decade of friendship they formed their own full-service design futures consultancy. Baillie comes from a background of industrial design, furniture production, color-material-finish development and specification, brand communications, and interior design. Lauryn’s background spans the worlds of furniture, footwear, future forecasting, and material innovation in a global arena. She has worked with brands of all sizes such as Adobe, Nike, Apple, Google, Specialized Bikes, Concreteworks, MASH, Facebook, and others. Today, PROWL is based in Oakland, CA. Together they provide sustainable solutions and strategic foresight for the tangible world. Both Lauryn & Baillie grew up having deep relationships with nature and have spent their friendship bonding over their shared concern for the earth’s future. As a full-service design futures consultancy, they’ve made it their mission to approach design with a focus on regeneration. The women of PROWL believe that sustainability is not enough and their undying optimism for the future has led them to seek regeneration. By starting each project with its end-life in mind, they leverage responsible manufacturing and materials to create only what is needed. A recovered, more conscious world is the one they design for.
Oakland, California
Get to know PROWL Studio
Industrial Design is a male dominated industry. How do you navigate this field through a female lens?
In the past we’ve had to quiet our femininity and try to keep up by being faster and more adrenaline driven. But now, as our own studio, we choose to lead by example by cultivating a team that’s more inclusive by bringing in people who think differently instead of just trying to “design differently”. We’re fostering a community of women within this industry but we’re also seeking balance and equality.
The environment is at the center of your work. Can you speak to PROWL’s philosophy on sustainability?
Sustainability is a great word but we’re looking for a bigger one: regenerative. The earth can’t sustain where we’re at, we need recovery. It’s not good enough for us to just barely get by, we want to make it better. Our mindset is based in optimism and we want to cater to the world’s needs in a more responsible way.
"We’re done watching the earth suffer. Our work is based in recovery."
View more