About Russ

Russ Cluff is from Mesa, Arizona and was raised on Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and classic cars. His love for design grew from following his father about as he would repair appliances, cars, make home renovations, and build pens for their animals. Russ grew up sketching faces and graphics during church sermons, on the road, in classes, and to this day can often be found with a pencil behind his ear and a pad of paper under his arm. 

When it comes to design work, Russ believes “everything is figureoutable”. He studied Industrial Design at Arizona State university and has been developing compelling designs that solve problems and sell ever since. He is passionate about form development, ergonomics, and minimalism in designs. Russ loves the thrill of developing a concept from a napkin sketch to mass production. He loves to get his hands dirty making old-school prototypes, sketching with pen and paper, and creating animations of his work.

Russ started The Variable podcast in efforts to help new innovators connect with and gain insights from working professionals in the industry. Undergraduates and recent grads are encouraged to participate in Student Spotlight broadcasts and inquire about The Variable mentorship programs.