Catalano says the training she received at RISD added a whole new dimension to her creativity. "They had a very hands-on approach, so I worked a lot with materials in the machine and wood shops." In fact, that hands-on training proved valuable when she was working on her Capelli stool. "One of the requirements for the International Furniture Design Competition in Asahikawa (Japan) was to build a full-size prototype," says Catalano, "which we did—in my garage."
The effort paid off: Her stool took a Silver Prize in the prestigious competition in 1999—one of only eight awards given and the only American design selected from over 700 entries from around the world.
Catalano has applied her creative talents to a wide variety of products since founding her business in 1987; current design projects range from "gig" bags for toting musical instruments to high-end audio speakers and other consumer electronics.
Catalano likes to push the current boundaries of her field and has made a commitment to include much more thinking about the end user's experience in all her designs. "It's much different now than when I first started out," she says. "It used to be about just creating a good design. Now the first thing I think about in any project is how I can simplify and enrich people's lives."
