Kelley has been captivated by computers since 1968, when he worked at the Stanford Research Institute with Douglas Engelbart, inventor of the world's first computer mouse. The mouse needed a pad, so Kelley designed it—the world's first mouse pad, an invention that brought him great satisfaction and an early understanding of the complexities of working in computer environments.
He did that work as a researcher/designer for the Herman Miller Research Corporation, headed at that time by Robert Propst, inventor of another world's first: the Action Office system. Kelley worked side-by-side with Propst throughout the 60s and early 70s and played a pivotal role in the design of many Action Office components.