His work has been exhibited at the Design Museum in London, the Neues Museum in Bremen, and Gallery 91 in New York. It is included in the permanent collections of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the [[Israel Museum]] in Jerusalem.
His work has been exhibited at the Design Museum in London, the Neues Museum in Bremen, and Gallery 91 in New York. It is included in the permanent collections of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the [[Israel Museum]] in Jerusalem.
Stuart Harvey Lee
Stuart Harvey Lee (born 1965) is a British industrial designer and the founder of Prime Studio, a design consultancy based in New York City. He is known for his work in product and packaging design for international consumer brands, including Harry’s and Puracy.[1][2] His projects have been featured in the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and publications such as The Atlantic, Core77, and The Dieline.[3][4] He has served as a jury member for international design competitions including the Core77 Design Awards and the New York Festivals Advertising Awards.[5][6]
Early life and education
Lee was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, in 1965. He studied mechanical engineering at Imperial College London, graduating in 1988, and earned a master’s degree in Industrial Design Engineering from the Royal College of Art in 1991. After working with several design consultancies in the United Kingdom, he relocated to New York City in 1991.[7]
Career
Lee began his professional career in the United States at Smart Design, where he worked on consumer product development.[8] He later served as Design Director for Able Design. In 1998, he founded Prime Studio, an independent consultancy focused on industrial design, packaging, and innovation.[9]
Through Prime Studio, Lee has overseen projects for international consumer brands including Bayer, Dove, Ikea, Dorco, and Welly. In 2001, his Demi Vase series was produced for the Museum of Modern Art in New York.[10] In 2014, his work with Harry’s was included in the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum exhibition Beautiful Users and the accompanying catalog.[11][12]
In 2019, Prime Studio designed the structural packaging for Welly, and Lee spoke to The Dieline about modularity and usability.[13] In 2022, Prime Studio designed the Puracy Clean Can, a refillable aluminum packaging system, which received a Good Design Award in 2022–2023.[14][15]
Lee has contributed to the broader design community as a juror and speaker. He has served as jury captain for the Core77 Design Awards (Commercial Equipment category),[16] Grand Jury member for the New York Festivals Advertising Awards (2018, 2019),[17] and judge for the HomeWorld Business Housewares Design Awards (2018, 2019).[18][19] He has also contributed through speaking engagements, podcasts such as Minor Details, and educational content for LinkedIn Learning.[20]
Recognition
Lee’s work has received multiple awards, including three Innovations Design and Engineering Awards, honorable mentions in the ID Magazine Design Review, the Korean Good Design Award, and the Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award.
His designs have been published in International Design Yearbooks 9 & 10, Product Design 6, American Corporate Identity, Letterhead and Logo Design 5 & 6, Identity, New + Notable Product Design 2, Food Design, Product Design Now, and TeNeues Product Design.
His work has been exhibited at the Design Museum in London, the Neues Museum in Bremen, and Gallery 91 in New York. It is included in the permanent collections of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
