After earning a bachelor’s in industrial design from the University of Illinois, Alexander spent 10 years as director of design and communication for workspace furniture manufacturer Haworth before establishing Brian Alexander Studio in 1998. When he went out on his own, he shifted more toward product development, though his definition of “product” is a bit abstract. “My thoughts or ways of seeing the world is the main product,” states Alexander, “an invention or developing a conceptual basis around a project rather than its physical design.” At times the work may be “purely at the level of form and apparently void of practical utility.” Designs he’s put his imprint on include amusement rides, off-road vehicles, a flight simulator, UX, lighting systems and “an assortment of oddities.”
Alexander holds 23 domestic and international patents in the furniture industry, and his work is included in the permanent collections of MoMA and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. His sculpture was also recognized at the Palm Beach International Sculpture Biennale in 2006.