And so, the adventure begins.

Technically, I’m the newest member of the Tegu team, and I’m relishing my title. Nate Lau: Sultan of Sketch. It has a nice ring to it, and is a nod to the great game of baseball, which I fell in love with during my childhood.

It’s fitting that my title here make reference to my childhood, since my job requires channeling my inner child. The eternal challenge for designers to place themselves in the shoes of their user is almost laughable in this instance, given the large portion of me that never really grew up. And here I am, designing toys- turning what would be a liability in other careers into an asset as a lead designer at a burgeoning toy company.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to draw. I was the kid in elementary school who was doodling submarines in the margins of my homework. My medium of choice was mechanical pencil (0.5 mm lead, none of that 0.7 stuff for me) on plain white paper. College ruled notebook sheets would do in a pinch, but I preferred to work with a blank canvas. Planes, trains, and automobiles- I loved to draw machines, equipment, buildings, you name it.

And here I am now, some twenty years down the road. Nine(!) years of design education under my belt with countless projects. Internships, freelance, and full-time positions with numerous companies. An opportunity to play instructor at my alma mater. And yet through it all, it seems the only thing that has changed is that I no longer sketch in pencil. No sir, I’ll take a Pilot Rolling Ball V5 in black, pair it with an endlessly quirky imagination, throw in a dash of mischief, and run like mad with that. I still love to sketch whenever possible, and yes, every now and then- still drawing planes, trains, and automobiles.

And now- toys.

I relish this opportunity to create toys that can elicit passionate response from both parent and child, as well as becoming a member of the Tegu team and all that it stands for. Finally the inner child and the inner designer can work together for a greater good.

So as we take flight down this road with an open sea in front of us, I’m excited. No, giddy. Giddy for this venture turned ADventure, ready for it all with knuckles white in anticipation of the ride, wrapped not around the lap bar of a rickety coaster, but instead around my trusty black pen, with blank paper at the ready. Bring it on.

-SoS

Tags: design designer SoS nate sultan of sketch team member introduction