Check Out Damein Williams’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Damein Williams

Hi Damein, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Revision is the design duo, Nate McCracken and Damein Williams. We formed Revision to explore product aesthetics and creative manufacturing. After meeting in college Nate and I stayed in touch after graduating from Appalachian State University. When we formed Revision in 2018 our very different skill sets complement each other, so we’re a small and effective design team. Owning and operating our independent design studio gives us satisfying control over our success.

We hope to inspire more thoughtful homes by connecting people to more thoughtful objects. Each product in our lives should have a genuine story behind it. Learning more about the object and what inspired it or how it was made brings a deeper sense of value to each layer you investigate. We hope to create products that reward that investigation.

We released our first product: the Cal Bookend with the Brooklyn-based design brand, Craighill. Nate started his career working with Hunter Craighill and was Craighill’s first employee. He worked on much of their early portfolio there, notably the Jack Puzzle, The Venn Puzzle, and the Trophy bottle opener. So it was an obvious choice to approach the Craighill team. We showed them 3 of our first designs and they decided to snatch up the Cal Bookends.

From there, we have released many more products on our own and with Criaghill. From bookmarks and book stands to bottle openers and coasters we’ve been slowly designing small objects that we think would improve our (and everyone else’s) lives. We are very much looking forward to the next chapter of Revision. We are moving into larger furniture like tables and chairs, which are still in the early stages.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Far from a “smooth road” In fact, Revision’s inception came while we were both working at a small design firm here in Raleigh. We yearned to design without a client(or boss) lording over us. It’s hard to be creative when you feel like someone else is pulling your strings.

During our off time, we would noodle out ideas for home goods; products we wanted to see in our own lives. Watching these ideas stagnate and die in our sketchbooks took its toll. We approached our boss at the time and asked for permission to license these ideas to brands that might produce them. At first; he was receptive and agreed to grant us that flexibility. Just a few short weeks later Both Nate and I found ourselves unemployed when he changed his mind. Little did we know this would kick off a years-long journey that has led us here. So weirdly, I am grateful for that shove out of the nest.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The story of revision is not just the story of clever nik-nacs and beautiful objects. Our Side hustle has a side hustle. I mentioned before that early in Nate’s time at Craighill he helped to design some puzzles. The truth is he became fascinated with them. Not just puzzles… mechanical puzzles, Intercate 3D metal puzzles, trinkets that resemble little sculptures of interlocking pieces.

It takes a specific type of person to enjoy solving a 3D mechanical puzzle. There is no small amount of determination and wit required and while some take hours, others take days (or longer.) We love designing these puzzles and sharing them with the enthusiastic puzzlers of the world. This passion gave rise to our second project, Curio.

Curio is our home for puzzles, while they are tangentially related to work we do with Revision, these puzzles stand on their own and deserve a place where they can shine. We have just officially launched Curio along with our first independent puzzle, the Coumn Puzzle, on Kickstarter where it received an amazing response! We are so excited about this new chapter and the possibilities that are open for both Revision and Curio!

How do you define success?
Freedom and flexibility; success to us is being able to design things that make the world just a little bit easier, beautiful, and fun to live in however and whenever we feel inspired to. You might say ‘Isn’t that what you’re doing now?” Yes and no, we both still work full-time as designers elsewhere so our time is limited to nights and weekends; juggled between young families and other interests.

Pricing:

• Cork Booklift – $39
• Column Puzzle – $99
• Cal Bookend – $120
• Convex Opener – $39
• Picasso Coasters – $24

Contact Info:

• Website: https://byrevision.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/by_revision/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/byrevision
• Other: https://curiopuzzles.co/