LEOPARD SPOTLIGHT: Gregory Omartian ’10
“Model making and drawing classes helped me communicate ideas, but critiques taught me how to grow — getting and giving feedback is the most important part of my job.”
Gregory’s path after graduation was anything but linear — from commuting to the LEGO Model Shop, to bartending full time, to briefly working in retail design before ultimately returning to LEGO, where he has built a long-term career as a Senior Model Designer. His passion for drawing and building led him to industrial design, and the critique-driven studio culture at Wentworth became the foundation of his professional growth
What path did you take after graduation, and what was the most valuable lesson you learned during your transition from student life to the professional world? What inspired you to pursue your field of study or career path?
After graduation, I returned to the LEGO Model Shop in Enfield, CT, which is where I did my second co-op (2009). For a year, I commuted weekly to Connecticut and returned to Boston for weekend bartender shifts, until I was hired by a Boston-based company designing store fixtures. That job would only lasted about a month before I returned to bartending full time for another year, looking for other opportunities in Boston. In 2013, I moved back to my hometown (close to LEGO) to pursue a job in the LEGO Model Shop. I have been at LEGO since and am currently a Senior Designer.
As a high schooler deciding on a major, I knew I liked drawing and building things, which led me to industrial design (ID). Despite not knowing much about ID, I chose the right field. Model making and drawing classes helped me communicate ideas and concepts, while ID studio helped me give and take critiques, which is the most important part about my job. Getting and giving feedback to make the project as successful as it can be.
What is one pivotal moment or experience that shaped your professional life?
The largest project I had to date was a life-size Chevrolet Silverado out of LEGO bricks around 2018. It was at that point that I started owning the larger models that come through our shop, and since then, my time is usually reserved for larger, more complicated projects.
How did your time at Wentworth influence who you are today?
The most important thing was sitting through critiques and giving feedback to peers. While model making and drawing classes reinforced my interests, the critiques and presentations are the most important, because that is how I grow as a professional.
What advice would you give to students or recent graduates entering your industry?
Industrial Design is very broad. Students entering the field should explore how their skills can translate into other fields or industries; this will naturally happen when looking for a co-op. Professionally, I don't design products; I design experiences for a specific audience. This means identifying the user and presenting solutions to the stakeholders/customer.
My advice to people going into this field is to apply the way ID Studio teaches us to research, identify the user, and create solutions for that specific situation; that process is relevant in many fields.
What are you most proud of — professionally or personally — since graduating?
Becoming a designer at The LEGO Company gave me the opportunity to buy my house, which allowed me to fulfill a lifetime goal: owning a woodworking shop. Now, seven years later, I have a custom cabinet business on the side. I design, build, finish, and install residential cabinetry.