Industrial designer Justin Porcano has a way of turning inanimate objects into items of mass sex appeal. Whether we’re looking at his exquisite furniture work or some of his product creations, we often can’t help but fall in love at first sight. It’s no wonder clients such as Target and Dell have lined up to work with his Oakland based company, Upwell Design. Even with corporations clamoring for his services, Justin finds the time to continue to churn out quality designed products that, along with artistry, always do an astonishing job incorporating function into their form. His latest samples, an artist’s penbook for the designer on the go and incredibly sleek lightswitch wallplates, certainly uphold that tradition and are most definitely worth a look.

It’s been almost two years since industrial designer Justin Porcano first made an appearance on JS, and we’re happy to report that the talented NY-uproot recently updated his site, Upwell Design. Along with his traditional furniture and faucets (and by “traditional” I mean only that he’s worked in those areas before; not, by any means, that the work itself is traditional), Justin’s been working in a number of new areas like packaging, gaming and lighting. Josh already said that Justin was remarkably talented, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that his design capabilities have few, if any, boundaries. The talented man has even ventured into the new genre of small personal areas aimed to transform perception and aid in a deeper meditative experience. What I love most about Justin’s work is it’s experimental quality — because unlike many other designers, Justin seems to take equal pleasure in the development of an idea as he does the actual execution. We’re as wowed as ever by your work, Justin, and can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Industrial designer Justin Porcano has a very diverse portfolio of work, and it’s clear he’s quite multi-talented. A native New Yorker, he travelled out to California to study industrial design and graduated from Art Center College of Design. His work ranges from faucets and dining systems to classically influenced furniture. My two favorite designs are the Way Tray (left), an eating system designed with the growing trend of eating, serving, and dining in other areas of the house, especially the living room in mind. His Edge Chair, or ‘Bernhardt lounge chair’ is really great, and a sign of his classic influences.