Experts who turn bold ideas into market-ready realities.
For over 35 years, Priority Designs has been an employee-owned powerhouse in product development, mobilizing a team of 70+ niche specialists to solve complex problems with an integrated, cross-functional approach that spans research, design, engineering, and production handoff. So whether you’re launching a groundbreaking medical device or protective gear that redefines safety, our mission is clear: transform big ideas into manufacturable products that perform as brilliantly as they were conceived.
What Sets Us Apart
Our Difference
At Priority Designs, we’re not just a service provider—we’re your extended team, diving deep into your vision with passion and precision. Here’s what makes partnering with us a game-changer:
Ego-Free Collaboration
Skip the hierarchy. With Priority Designs, you’ll interact directly with our designers and engineers for real-time collaboration and project management. Rooted in the Midwest’s hospitality, we pride ourselves on making our clients feel like PD is their second home.
Cross-Pollination of Expertise
Our 70+ experts hail from diverse industries, allowing us to swap notes on a daily basis. From protective gear to medical devices, we tailor teams with the exact skills needed to help you hit your breakthrough.
Fast & Reliable
Companies come to us when they’re tired of slow teams, junior talent, and bloated processes. We’re here to deliver the right product, not to protect egos or pad timelines.
A Breadth of Specialties
Under One Roof
Industrial Design
Soft Goods Design
UX/UI Design
Sound Design
Strategy & Brand
Research
Mechanical Engineering
Software & Electrical Engineering
Prototyping
Our Journey
35+ Years of Building What's Next
Founded in the heart of Columbus, Ohio, Priority Designs has evolved from a scrappy startup into an employee-owned leader in product innovation. Here’s a snapshot of our timeline:
Paul Kolada founded Priority Designs because he felt there was a better way to approach client relationships: caring for them by setting egos aside and listening well as a true partner.
A partnership begins with American Standard, one that will continue for 20+ years as we design and prototype countless faucets, bathtubs, and more.
PD moves into 501 Morrison Road, retrofitting an old rec center into a design and prototyping shop, complete with a climbing wall in the studio.
The PD team surpasses 50 employees as we continue to carefully and strategically add skillsets by hiring talented people. We celebrate how we know best – a PD Palooza with food, friends, family and even an appearance by the PD band, Locker 15!
PD is on the move again with a new home at 100 S. Hamilton Road in Whitehall. This renovated car dealership is nearly double the size of the old office, providing a much larger studio and over 20,000 sq. ft. of prototyping space.
Paul and Lois entrust the company to all of us as Priority Designs becomes an ESOP (Employee Owned). Now, each one of us helps move Priority Designs forward, continuing to care for our clients, our community, and each other.
As Paul and Lois prepare for their next season of life, Mark Mnich and Reade Harpham transition into the roles of Principals. Years of working alongside Paul and Lois help ensure they will steward Priority Designs with wisdom and passion to continue PD’s success for years to come.
After 33 years of leadership, Paul and Lois begin the joys of retirement! We miss Paul’s creative (crazy?!) ideas, wandering walks through the studio, and excellent cooking. We fondly remember Lois’s calming office demeanor and sage advice. We’re grateful for all they built and service as members of the Board of Directors.
Our Home
A Space Built for Creativity & Connection
Nestled in Columbus, Ohio, our renovated 50,000 sq. ft. headquarters isn’t just an office—it’s a living embodiment of our collaborative spirit. Repurposed from an old car dealership, we’ve reclaimed bowling alley lanes for conference tables and fused vintage fixtures with modern labs, flooding the space with natural light to inspire fresh ideas.
Open-plan studios buzz with impromptu chats among designers, engineers, and researchers. Dive into our soft goods lab for 3D knitting experiments, or hit the 20,000 sq. ft. prototyping shop for rapid iterations . Usability testing? We have 4 digital research labs on site And don’t miss our family-style kitchen and patio for team lunches and happy hours—because great work thrives on recharge and real connections. (Shoutout to our four-legged mascot, Poppy, who greets every visitor with tail-wags.)
Meet Our Family
The Hearts Behind the Innovation
We’re more than colleagues—we’re family, united by a shared drive to make your priorities ours. Our employee-owned structure means everyone’s invested in every success.
