TORI BROWN: DESIGN & FABRICATION
Don’t judge Tori Brown by her appearance. She may be small, but
she’s in the shop lifting tabletops and ripping boards on the table saw with
the rest of ‘em. A fresh and bright thinker, she brings an edge to APOC
products by utilizing her design education and pushing new ideas.
Tori discovered APOC almost by accident. While she was
attending the Cleveland Institute of Art (of which she is a recent grad from
the Industrial Design program), some of her classmates were working there as
interns. “I came here to pick one of them up, and was offered an
internship position on the spot by [the late] PJ Doran.” She goes on to explain
how they discussed her drawings and her interest in sustainability. “APOC
practices sustainability by not only upcycling reclaimed material, but by using
their material as efficiently as possible”
As a young designer, Tori enjoys working with the team here
at APOC, saying it fosters a great learning environment. “My colleagues have been very open and supportive.”
Previously, Tori has had the opportunity to work at well
known companies such as Nottingham-Spirk, and the toy company Hasbro, Inc. She
says the knowledge and experience she gained at her internships is
‘invaluable’. “Every aspiring designer needs to apply for internships. Not only
will you learn industry skills, but they will help you figure out exactly what
kinds of products you want to design.”
Career wise, she says she couldn’t have asked for a better
first job out of school. “I always wanted to be a furniture designer, and the
boss lets me bring my dog to work.”
Typically, you will find Tori doing what she does best:
designing. “I find myself sketching ideas and concepts daily.” If she’s not
drawing up new ideas, you can find her on the floor milling wood for
fabrication, making prototypes, assembling final pieces, sanding, spray finishing… she jumps in just about where ever she’s
needed.
Here’s a little more about Tori:
Personal interests: Gardening, Hiking, Oil Painting, Ceramics,
Writing letters, Nutella
Her favorite tool in the shop: “It’s a tie between the metal
detectors we use to search for nails in the wood, and the mini max table saw.”
Her favorite places in Cleveland: Lakeview Cemetery,
Edison’s in Tremont, The West Side Market, and The Cleveland Museum of Natural
History