ASID Names Kaylen Parker “One to Watch”

O+A thought Kaylen Parker was one to watch when she was a student in Primo’s Design class at the University of Texas in Austin. “Right from the start Kaylen thought for herself,” Primo remembers. “Her questions were always orderly and considered and her ideas adventurous. I had a sense then that she was going to be a remarkable designer.”

We thought she was one to watch when she arrived in San Francisco to join O+A as a Design Assistant and brought that same adventurous thinking to big projects like McDonald’s headquarters and to small ones like the work-from-home furniture piece O+A devised for the philanthropic auction Chair-ity. Kaylen’s ideas and energy have remained constant throughout the long lockdown.

Now the American Society of Interior Designers has named Kaylen a One to Watch Award honoree in their program of recognition for young designers well on their way to distinction. As Metropolis Magazine noted last week, “Unlike many awards programs which tend to focus on either young up-and-comers or those at the top of their fields, the Ones to Watch program instead supports professionals with 5-10 years of experience who are on a path to leadership positions. By giving mid-career designers with diverse backgrounds a seat at the table, ASID hopes to foster a more diverse future for the industry.”

O+A strongly supports that goal and is proud that ASID is watching one of our own. Congratulations, Kaylen!