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RICK JOUTRAS | DESIGNER
Rick Joutras is Qdesign’s Renaissance man-in-training. He’s a designer who also is an expert in organizational behavior and French cuisine. Just for fun and fitness, he’s a water polo enthusiast who earned a national championship in that club sport while in college.

He’s a man of broad interests and tenacious curiosity – traits that endear him to our clients. He’s wired to go full-throttle and to be a total team player.

“As a designer, I love having an impact on how things look and feel and function,” he says. “I like simplicity and sustainability. Good design is when you are able to accomplish something without embellishment or ornamentation – doing more with less.”

Rick grew up along Chicago’s north shore and went to New Trier High School where he excelled at architecture and water polo. At the University of Michigan, he captained the Wolverines’ water polo team which won a national collegiate club championship. In the classroom, he earned a joint degree in organizational psychology and industrial design.

Later, he was valedictorian of his Kendall College culinary post-graduate program, which he pursued in the hopes of owning a restaurant.

Fortunately, Q had a tasty recipe for development that attracted Rick to our staff. You never know what he might cook up for our clients – but it won’t be frilly or careless. No empty-calorie design for Rick. “Design should be a cautious thing,” Rick says. “It should be thoughtful in every sense of the word. Do we need to design another thing? We should always be asking, Are we purchasing this product to own it – not just to have it or consume it.”

Whether at the office or in the kitchen, nothing is more satisfying for Rick than working with the right ingredients.