Introduction
In this Father's Day edition of The Power of Design Podcast, the roles are reversed: Jack Ossa, the host and founder of Ossa Studio, is interviewed by his son Jacob. The conversation is personal but also practical, covering why design matters, how Jack became an architect and an entrepreneur, and what he wants to pass on to his children.
Jacob asks Jack about the power of design, his favorite architects, why he started a podcast and what advice he would give a 13-year-old.
About the Episode
Jack explains that the idea behind the show comes from seeing how design shapes people's lives, from buildings and objects to computers and web design. He says designers have a responsibility to think about who will use what they make, so that the experience is functional, beautiful and enjoyable. He is open about the hardest part of being a business owner and a parent, which is time.
Jack tells how he left engineering after one semester in Colombia, found architecture when a friend showed him a colorful cardboard composition, and later left Gensler to start his own firm after realizing that, if he was ever going to do it, he had to do it then. He describes how architects find work through networking and proposals, and how the field has room for design, construction, specifications and business development. His current favorite architect is Bjarke Ingels Group, which he admires for simple concepts that solve big problems, and Jacob's favorite building is the Cunningham office building his father designed, which he visited during construction.
They talk about why Jack started the podcast despite worrying about his accent, how pushing through fear makes later fears smaller, what it means to raise children in an immigrant family, and the advice he would give a 13-year-old: enjoy it, manage time and money, and start learning business early. Jack closes with the legacy he wants: that he did his best for his family and built a business that helps many people.
Key Takeaways
- Design improves daily life: everything people use was designed by someone, so designers should think about who will use it and how.
- Take the leap: Jack left a comfortable job because he realized that if he did not start his business then, he never would.
- Architecture has many paths: artistic, technical, specification writing and business development are all part of making a building.
- Show your children your work: Jack takes his kids to sites and the office so they can see what an architect does.
- Fear is a sensation: nervousness is not danger, and doing the scary thing shows that nothing bad happens.
- Learn business early: time management, saving, investing and marketing can be learned from books long before school teaches them.
- Legacy is about people: Jack wants to have done his best for his family and to have built a business that outlasts him.
Highlights from the Conversation
I think design has a great power to make our lives better.
Jack Ossa
The fact that you are doubtful or nervous about it, it's nothing, it's just a sensation that you have when you take the step and you realize, oh wow, I did it, and nothing bad happened.
Jack Ossa
There is nothing that can stop you from learning business fundamentals.
Jack Ossa
Topics Discussed
- Why design matters and what life would be like without it
- Jack's path from engineering to architecture
- Leaving Gensler to start Ossa Studio
- How architects find clients and sell projects
- Favorite architects and buildings, including Bjarke Ingels Group
- Starting the podcast and overcoming fear
- An immigrant family and the American dream
- Advice for a 13-year-old and the legacy Jack wants to leave
Why This Conversation Matters
This episode shows the thinking behind Ossa Studio: design is about the people who use a space, a business is built by taking a risk and sharing what you learn, and fear is part of growth. Jack describes the same purpose that guides our architecture and branding work. His son's favorite building, the Cunningham Office Building, is one of the projects Jack designed, and our Gohjo Podcast Production branding comes from the same world of podcasting.
About the Guest
Jack Ossa is the founder and principal of Ossa Studio, a multi-disciplinary design firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the host of The Power of Design Podcast. Born in Colombia, he studied architecture, moved to the United States and worked at Gensler before starting his own firm. In this Father's Day episode he is interviewed by his son Jacob Ossa.
