Susan Lyons

Susan Lyons Studio LLC

Susan Lyons is a principal of Susan Lyons Studio LLC, a collaborative studio focusing on sustainable product design, materials development and color and product marketing strategy. Much of the studio’s work is dedicated to developing compelling and environmentally intelligent products for industrial and consumer use. The studio’s work is informed and inspired by the principles of cradle to cradle design.

Lyons works as Creative Consultant to Herman Miller Inc., developing material and color strategies. Other clients include Shaw Carpet, Innovations, Crypton Carnegie, and C2C Holdings, Inc. Lyons is also a founding partner of Re:Product LLC and is one of the inventors and patent holders of a cradle to cradle system that sustainably replaces conventional printing methods and can be used for cards, annual reports and catalogues.

Before starting her own firm, Lyons was the Creative Director and Executive Vice President of Design for Designtex Inc., a contract textile company based in New York City. While at Designtex, Lyons developed a portfolio of products that were characterized by their innovative use of materials and the introduction of new technologies into the contract industry. Her work in sustainable design began in 1993 when she approached William McDonough to collaborate on a project to develop the first truly sustainable collection of textiles. Their work together has been recognized globally as a model of sustainable product development, recently winning the highest honors from the Design Museum in London.

Before joining Designtex, Lyons worked in India establishing village cooperatives that could produce exportable products using traditional methods such as block printing, appliqué and tent making. With local artisans, Lyons designed products that were exported to the U.K. and the United States. Lyons lives in New York City with her husband and son.