The Intersection of Makers, Place, and Impact on Design

Marissa Brown, Direc­tor of Design at Stick­ley Furni­ture will share how a long-stand­ing career across diverse work envi­ron­ments have influ­enced her design approach through­out her career and how working with a histor­i­cal company has inspired and pushed her designs with the creation of award-winning collec­tions. She’ll explore how a maker’s surround­ings affect creativ­ity on a personal level and how collab­o­ra­tion between designer, space, and user ensures designs are not merely func­tional but mean­ing­ful and endur­ing. Working for global design studios to factory floors and her Brook­lyn office — she main­tains a creative approach that is both fluid and adaptable.

Marissa illus­trates that design extends beyond form and func­tion — it’s about the rela­tion­ship between maker, place, and lasting impact on both envi­ron­ment and audience.