Time With The Boss - Dr. Bryce Rutter, Metaphase Design Group

Dr. Bryce Rutter
Metaphase Design Group
Website: www.metaphase.com
Industry: consumer insight research, ergonomics and industrial design

Education: bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial design; doctorate in kinesiology, specialization in the human hand
Family: married with three adult kids

What is your mission?
Design products that fit hands perfectly, perform flawlessly, look beautiful, and create a unique and ownable brand experience.

What was your first job?
In grade 11, I designed my first custom home and developed the architectural drawing package for construction.

What was your worst job?
Mucking out manure on our neighbor’s farm — not fun!

What led you to your industry?
I’ve always been interested in creating new products that bring delight and pleasure to the people who use them.

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
We retooled our staff, bringing in new directors for both our ergonomics team and research team and expanding our design team.

Who is your industry role model?
Elon Musk: “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”

How do you try to differentiate your business from others in your industry?
We are the only research, ergonomics and design firm that specializes in hand-intensive and handheld products across all industries. This differentiation since we started in 1991 has led to Metaphase being recognized as the leading worldwide expert.

What’s the hottest trend in your industry, and are you going to jump on board?
The industry is adopting ergonomics as a strategy and not something that is sprinkled on the front-end design. Metaphase is viewed as a leading expert in the integration of ergonomics in the design of a wide variety of products, ranging from robotic surgical systems and medical devices to beauty and personal care products and food and beverage packaging.

What’s the hardest part of your job?
I miss being on the drawing board. So, the hardest part is stepping aside and letting my highly qualified team of experts do the work.

What’s the best part?
Seeing our designs be highly successful in the market — growing clients’ revenues and market share and driving shareholder value.

What best advice would you share with new entrepreneurs?
First, know what you’re good at and what you are not good at; then hire people who complement your skills and capabilities to build a high-functioning core team.

What’s your favorite place in St. Louis?
Without a doubt, the Boathouse at Forest Park.

What book is on your nightstand?
Jack Reacher, “61 hours.”

What has made you successful in your industry and in St. Louis?
Being an expert in ergonomic design and bringing science to design allowed me to carve out a highly successful niche.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I unwind in my gardens — I grow vegetables and herbs and have perennial flowers. I grew up on a farm, and as my mom said, “You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.”