Clement Mok designs

Clement Mok designs, inc.

Founder, CEO and Creative Director

San Francisco, CA

Clement Mok designs grew from a one-person office into a forty-person firm before becoming Studio Archetype, which expanded to 150 people with offices in New York City and Atlanta. Managing that expansion while staying true to my personal values became a journey of personal growth, teaching me invaluable lessons about the many facets of design and the practice of designing.

The lowercase “d” in designs was intentional. Most company names treat “design” as a noun. I believe design is a process of making choices—something one does—so I used the verb form instead.

Doing great work is the lifeblood of any design practice, whether you’re an employee or the owner. One of the most important lessons I learned was to take a broader view of success: to measure it by the value we create, rather than the validation of our peers. I continually reassessed what success meant to keep the practice relevant.

Growth was my foremost priority. It’s easy to equate growth with size and financial performance, but personal and intellectual growth were what truly drove and shaped Clement Mok designs. The firm’s expansion and financial success were fortunate—and, at times, challenging—consequences.

Expanding my sphere of influence—the ability to reach and affect people beyond the design community—was my second driving force. I was motivated by projects that could touch large audiences and naturally drawn to businesses and institutions with extensive reach. I never saw this as designing for the lowest common denominator. I saw it as an opportunity to raise the standard. Elevating the mundane and using design to improve the quality of life are aspirations I try to live by every day.