Interview with Gueston Smith

Gueston Smith ("GS") interviewed on Sunday, 2 November.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

GS : I’m moving into my 11th year as a professional designer, but my connection to art started long before that. Since the 6th grade, I’ve been fascinated by ancient Egyptian architecture and hieroglyphics. I still remember designing a cartouche of my nickname, “Guess,” in green, black, and gold—colors that continue to define my self-expression today. That early curiosity evolved through high school, where I took art every year and eventually AP Art as a senior. I wanted to merge creativity with logic, so I also took AP Physics—solidifying my path toward creating practical, useful, and beautiful projects. I went on to study Architecture at the University of Southern California, where I learned how to think critically, develop concepts, and communicate design with purpose and professionalism. After graduation, I began my career at Raytheon Company, designing corporate offices, laboratories, and workspace layouts. During those five years, I learned how to translate ideas into built reality—developing code-compliant construction documents, collaborating with multiple stakeholders, and understanding how buildings breathe through their electrical, mechanical, and structural systems. While I enjoyed the technical rigor, I also needed a creative outlet. I started a side venture in graphic design, creating logos and brand identities for small businesses and entrepreneurs. That entrepreneurial spark eventually led me to join Kubed Living, a modular housing startup, as Head of Design, where I led the creation of a multimillion-dollar portfolio of luxury shipping container homes. Along the way, I earned a Certificate in Entrepreneurship Essentials from Harvard Business School Online and became a Certified Professional Building Designer through the NCBDC. Today, I lead Guesscreative, a multidisciplinary design firm pioneering Spatial Entrepreneurship—the art of transforming movable architecture into equity-building, revenue-generating assets that bring connection, products, services, and experiences directly to people. We’re not just designing structures; we’re building a new asset class.

How did you become a designer?

GS : Design found me early. As a kid, I was constantly building, creating, and exploring. I built clubhouses in the woods, made forts out of blankets, boxes, and fans in my living room, and sketched in the margins of my homework—sometimes signing my name hundreds of times. I guess I knew I’d need it one day. I’ve always been drawn to design in all its forms. Fashion, shoes, architecture—it was all part of how I saw the world. I was that kid who would rather go to a shoe store than a toy store. I’d pick the flyest pair I could find, race down the aisle, and test them—seeing if they really made me run faster. That instinct to test, to feel, to experience design was there from the start. I am creativity in motion. My sister’s memory inspired my first architectural promise—to design an accessible home for her. My mom nurtured that dream by buying me my first home design software, where I discovered how shapes occupy space, how light interacts with form, and how a simple square on a screen could become a room. That intention—to design with empathy and purpose—has guided me ever since. Architecture became my language where creativity, consciousness, and culture intersect. Over time, I learned how to take ideas from napkin sketches to built environments. From USC’s design studios to modular design firms and now Guesscreative, my path has been shaped by both discipline and divine curiosity.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

GS : My top three priorities are empathy, simplicity, and practicality. I strive to create modern, striking work that feels alive—often inspired by nature and grounded in human experience. I pay close attention to light, texture, and the five senses. Design, to me, is about creating clarity—spaces and objects that speak honestly and function beautifully. My process merges sketching, design thinking, and digital modeling with philosophical, economic, and even spiritual research. I use computer-aided design and rendering tools to bring ideas to life quickly, then adapt in real time as the vision evolves. My work often lives at the intersection of architecture, product design, and brand storytelling, where spatial flow meets emotional impact. Every project begins with understanding how people should feel and move through space. I start by asking the right questions—to uncover intent, define constraints, and translate vision into form. Once the essence is clear, the design reveals itself.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

GS : I feel a blend of calm, curiosity, conviction, and pride. I believe in due diligence before design—asking the right questions, understanding the problem, and moving with intention before creating anything. The most exciting moments for me are the conceptual phase and the delivery phase—that spark when we realize we’ve developed something truly special with a client, and later, watching that vision take physical form. There’s nothing like seeing an idea materialize and function in our three-dimensional world. It’s powerful. Design is powerful. It can reshape behavior, influence culture, and shift society for the better—and that possibility excites me deeply. Design, for me, is meditation in motion—a practice of bringing order, usefulness, healing, and beauty into a world that often feels chaotic.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

GS : There are many elements that came together to shape who I am as a designer. My creativity comes from my parents, and my sense of exploration and freedom has been with me since I was a toddler. My parents would fence the yard and let me roam for hours, just walking, observing, and discovering. That early curiosity became the foundation of everything I do. Curiosity is everything. Without it, you accept the world as it’s told to you—not as it truly is or how it could be. Having a sister with special needs taught me patience and empathy, which are just as essential as creativity. Great design isn’t self-centered—it’s service-driven. To create meaningful work (and make a living doing it), you have to understand that you’re designing for people with their own needs, limitations, and perspectives. It’s about crafting unbiased experiences that honor humanity in all its diversity. Martial arts, leadership, and entrepreneurship have also shaped my design philosophy as deeply as architecture itself. Jeet Kune Do taught me adaptability and flow. Business taught me how to turn creativity into tangible value. And loss taught me compassion. I draw continuous inspiration from Bruce Lee’s formless philosophy and Buckminster Fuller’s belief in doing more with less—both saw design as a tool for liberation, not luxury. To be a successful designer, you have to understand who you were growing up and connect it to who you are now. That’s how you design from truth—and that’s how you create work that genuinely augments society.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

GS : My long-term vision is to redefine what ownership looks like, to transform mobility into legacy. I’m creating an alternative solution for visionaries who need freedom: spaces that empower them to own their environment the way Bitcoin empowers individuals to own their money. Sovereignty demands motion. Everything alive evolves. Everything free moves. Everything powerful controls its environment. Spatial Entrepreneurship is a return to that truth. Grounded in data, design, and economic reality, it transforms space from an expense into leverage. It creates movable, ownable assets that compound in value while removing location risk. It converts business into territory and territory into strategy. This is architecture as infrastructure, built to create cash flow, not consume it. For generations, mobility was a privilege—a weapon reserved for governments, militaries, and corporations. They moved fleets, factories, and influence while individuals remained confined. The power to build, move, and expand no longer requires permission. What I’m designing isn’t just trailers or buildings, it’s economic armament for founders who reject dependency, who trade contracts for cash flow, and who understand that true ownership means controlling deployment. Mobility is the new scarcity. And scarcity defines value. My dream is to continue designing spaces that let visionaries pull up differently—spaces that turn heads, generate revenue, and create abundance for their families and communities. My growth path isn’t just about scaling Guesscreative—it’s about scaling freedom.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

GS : Master your craft, but never lose your humanity. Find your Authenticity for that is what will separate you and allow you to stand on your own two feet. What are you designing for? The industry rewards precision, but the world remembers purpose. Don’t chase trends, study systems. Start with what you have and where you are. Do the work to find out who you are and what your purpose is. It is only then that your true potential can be revealed. Don't waste your life chasing stability. Pursue freedom. Pursue authenticity. Pursue skills. Pursue Mentorship. Pursue fulfillment. For when you choose to take a step, the path will be revealed. The best advice I’ve received: Follow your excitements. Take them as far as you can for as long as you can, without expectation. “Great design listens before it speaks.”

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

GS : Master your craft, but never lose your humanity. Find your authenticity. That is what will separate you and allow you to stand on your own two feet. Ask yourself: What are you really designing for? The industry rewards precision, but the world remembers purpose. Don’t chase trends, study systems. Start where you are, with what you have, and do the inner work to figure out who you are and why you’re here. Only then can your true potential reveal itself. Don’t waste your life chasing stability. Pursue freedom. Pursue authenticity. Pursue skill. Read books. Study those who left impact. Seek wisdom. Find mentors who challenge you. Pursue fulfillment, not validation. The best advice I’ve ever received: Follow your excitements. Take them as far as you can, for as long as you can, without expectation of the outcome. And always remember, great design listens before it speaks.

What is your day to day look like?

GS : Most mornings start in silence, with reading, journaling, prayer, and movement, before I ever check my phone. I wish it was always that consistent, but life happens. Some mornings I spend time with my woman, handle random tasks, or I’m on the road traveling. Still, time to self is non-negotiable. That’s when I realign my focus and remember what’s important. Once the workday begins, I review priorities and emails, connect with clients and collaborators, and dedicate my energy to pushing projects forward, building the brand, or pursuing new opportunities. Afternoons usually involve design development, fabrication coordination, or system-building for Guesscreative. But the beauty of entrepreneurship is freedom. I structure my day to move the needle then move how I need to. Evenings belong to family, reflection, or martial arts training, a ritual that helps me reconnect mind and body. The little things that keep me excited are the moments of momentum—new opportunities, client breakthroughs, or seeing an idea start to take shape. I don’t really follow design news; we’re creating our own. Design, to me, is the strategic use of the mind and hands to solve real problems. Sometimes I’ll skim the regular news to understand shifting constraints which helps me better anticipate my clients’ needs and design accordingly.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

GS : I study trends, but I never chase them. Instead, I analyze cultural patterns such as why people move, buy, and build differently over time. My curiosity isn’t about what’s popular; it’s about what’s shifting. My inspiration flows from nature, hip-hop, architecture, and philosophy. Trends fade, but principles evolve. I keep my eyes open as I move through life. People-watching is one of my favorite pastimes, it teaches me how design really interacts with behavior. I study ancient history, philosophy, and human behavior to understand us at our core and then I compare how those timeless patterns show up today. People are endlessly fascinating, and that curiosity keeps my work alive and relevant.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

GS : First of all, study what good design is—Dieter Rams laid the blueprint: Innovative. Useful. Aesthetic. Understandable. Unobtrusive. Honest. Long-lasting. Thorough. Environmentally friendly. Simple. I’d add one more, empathetic. Good design is felt before it’s understood. It solves a real problem while maintaining clarity, emotion, and elegance. For me, it has to balance function, feeling, simplicity, and freedom. If it lacks one, it’s incomplete. I evaluate my projects by how well they’re understood, how well they’re executed, and how well my clients connect with the end result. The “that’s it” moment comes when every requirement is met and the aesthetics still make me smile. That’s a different level of satisfaction. It’s the moment where design stops being just work and becomes alive.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

GS : I’ll be honest, design is never truly finished. But there’s always a moment when it’s ready, when it communicates the idea effortlessly. When every line, texture, and gesture carries intention. I know a design is complete when it meets the client’s goals and feels whole within me. There’s always something that could be refined or improved, but reality sets the parameters: deadlines, budgets, and life itself. Part of being a professional is knowing when to stop polishing and start producing. Once the design aligns with purpose, clarity, and emotion and it performs the way it should, it’s ready to go.

What is your biggest design work?

GS : Every project that becomes real and makes a client happy makes me proud. I’ve designed logos, apparel worn by celebrities, my own shoe line, electric ATVs, shipping container residences, modular homes, and mobile experiential trailers. Each one is fulfilling in its own way. But my most defining work is what I’m building right now, The Movable Asset Advantage. It’s a strategic framework and manifesto positioning mobile architecture as a high-yield alternative to commercial real estate. It’s the foundation of Spatial Entrepreneurship, designed to empower others to build their own freedom and in doing so, build my own. The challenges come in every form especially in coordination, communication, and the unpredictability of working with people who have their own worlds in motion. You can’t control others; you can only stay grounded in your purpose. The goal is always to keep going. A current project I’m excited about is a mobile retail trailer for a basketball hoop company, a 24-foot unit designed to host pop-up basketball courts and sell merchandise while building community through sports. It’s deeply personal because it connects back to my college thesis project, where I first designed a mobile basketball experience for Nike. To see that concept come full circle into reality, is very powerful.

Who is your favourite designer?

GS : This is interesting because I find most of my inspiration from people outside the traditional design world. But within it: I’m inspired by Tadao Ando for his poetic use of light, Steve Jobs for his mastery of storytelling, and Virgil Abloh for his cultural fluency. Mies van der Rohe for disciplined simplicity, and Da Vinci for infinite curiosity. One of the most iconic designers to me is Tinker Hatfield for his ability to listen, study, and translate Michael Jordan’s character into iconic shoes that visually represent greatness. I’m also deeply inspired by Sir David Adjaye and Paul Williams, two Black architects whose work reminds me of what’s possible and the responsibility that comes with visibility. Jean-Michel Basquiat influences me for his fearless expression of identity and culture through art. If I could speak with one designer from the past, it would be Buckminster Fuller, a systems thinker whose mind could help refine what I’m building through Guesscreative. But truthfully, the person I’d most like to speak with is my future self, to see how far my truth has evolved through creation, and to learn from the man I’m still becoming.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

GS : Culture. This is everything. To grow up as a Black man means being born into rhythm, love, and a blurred reflection from society’s lens. Because of that, I took time to understand who I truly am—embracing all the influences that make me, me. I’m deeply inspired by characters who represented possibility long before it was normalized: Marcus Graham (Eddie Murphy) in Boomerang, the first Black executive I saw leading an all-Black cast. Eric Brooks (Wesley Snipes) in Blade, the first Black superhero. Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) in Training Day, who balanced morality and survival to protect his own. And Mike Lowry (Will Smith) in Bad Boys—whose confidence, fashion, and aura redefined cool for me. Music shaped my rhythm just as much as movies did. Neo Soul, New Jack Swing, Conscious Rap, and Jazz are my soundtracks, they all live in my design process. I was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, right in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Down here, we grew up on Houston chopped and screwed, chrome rims, clean cars, jewelry and cool fits—aesthetics mattered. I come from a people whose freedom was withheld—a people who had to be twice as good to be seen, and who were often celebrated for entertainment but not respected for intellect. I stand on the shoulders of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Garvey, Harriet Tubman, WEB Dubois, Nat Turner, and so many more who taught me that freedom is built, not given. I'm inspired by Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, Chris Johnson, 19Keys, Damon Dash, Prince, and more. I come from limited representation. I didn't learn of Black architects until I graduated college. There were only 4 Black students in my graduating class at USC, including myself. I move with the understanding that impactful design shuts the wrong mouths and opens the right ones. Action creates results. Authenticity creates reality. And love connects all. Design, to me, isn’t limited to objects or spaces, it’s a life heuristic. I’ve applied it to how I think, move, love, and build wealth. Understanding that you can design your reality, that your thoughts shape your future, is one of the most powerful truths you can grasp. I live between creativity, consciousness, Black culture, and professional design. My culture taught me resilience, expression, and reverence. I believe good design can heal communities and mirror the soul of the people it serves.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

GS : At Guesscreative, we blend artistry with practicality. We’re easy to work with because we listen, we communicate, and we take time to understand our clients and their needs. Our culture values flow, freedom, and excellence. I collaborate with fabricators, innovators, and visionaries who operate with integrity and precision. Every project is a partnership built on alignment, not convenience. The goal is simple, to build wealth and create impact for everyone involved. We look for win-win-win outcomes. Our philosophy is clear: Design with purpose. Deliver with precision. As for my role, I’m involved from conception to execution. That means everything from client engagement, concept development, and design refinement to budgeting, fabrication selection, trailer procurement, quality control, and delivery. I also oversee client success management, ensuring that what we design continues to perform after it’s built. The core challenges of this work often come down to coordination, communication, and keeping standards high while scaling. But that’s the beauty of leadership, you learn to hold the vision steady through motion.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

GS : I design to uplift. I communicate to show what’s possible. From creating mobile classrooms for underserved communities to exploring tarp-based shelter initiatives for the unhoused, I view design as a form of service. With great power comes great responsibility, and with more resources, comes the ability to create deeper impact. Through The I AM brand, I express authentically with a partner of mine, Paul Gordon, to mentor men to reconnect with discipline, identity, and purpose, bridging creative empowerment with holistic growth: mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. Right now, my focus is on building the business and executing the vision. I’m not interested in brushing shoulders at design events; I’m focused on creating real change through results with clients, partners, and believers who align with the mission. To support young designers, I believe the best mentorship is exposure. When I show up authentically and share my journey, it gives others permission to believe in their own. Any young designer who reaches out, I’ll share what I know freely. And if they can bring value, I’ll bring them onto projects to gain real experience.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

GS : Winning the A’ Design Award affirmed years of innovation, experimentation, and belief in self. It validated what was real. It showed that others recognize the value of what I’m building. It also connected me to a global network of creators who see design as cultural leadership, not just commerce. Three key benefits: Global visibility and credibility in new markets. Networking with forward-thinking professionals. A renewed drive to elevate design’s cultural and economic impact. Being named Designer of the Day reminds me that when design aligns with purpose, it truly has the power to move the world, both literally and spiritually. I’m grateful for the recognition, and even more motivated to keep creating work that represents freedom, truth, and forward motion.

Gueston Smith Profile