Life After RISD: Checking in with Alum Nik Bentel

Since earning a dual degree from RISD and Brown in 2017, designer Nik Bentel BRDD 17 ID has carved out a niche in the home goods market for his tongue-in-cheek objects that play off contemporary culture. Early pieces like Squiggle Glasses and Pasta Bag—a leather, COVID-era purse that mimicked a box of Barilla penne—put his Brooklyn-based studio on the map. Today he leads a six-designer team that continues to produce one-of-a-kind artworks with unexpected back stories that sell out almost immediately. Here Bentel shares his thoughts about life after college and lessons learned at RISD that still resonate.

Tell us a little bit about your professional practice.
I run a creative agency called Nik Bentel Studio that focuses on objects that tell stories. We typically work on one object per month, ranging from home goods to furniture all the way up to architecture. We have a small base of online fans who buy the objects, and we also like to partner with fun, weird, out-of-the-box companies that don’t typically work in this way.

Is there one thing you’ve made that you feel is most representative of your work?
The Electric Cord Bag. It’s a working, 25-foot electric cord that has been reimagined as a handbag you could bring to a fancy dinner. If you redesign the assembly line to incorporate an electric cord instead of string, you can turn a mundane object into something entirely unique. 

“I am learning new things and trying to solve huge problems every day. The learning experience is 80% of the fun and excitement.” 

Designer Nik Bentel

Both of your parents are architects. Did that influence your decision to become a designer?
My parents worked together, and I grew up under the architecture desk, which was fun. I had access to their tools and was encouraged to make things as a little kid. I also went to the Waldorf School, which is an art-focused, hands-on learning experience. All of these things led me to what I’m doing now.

Why did you initially choose to study at RISD (and Brown)?
The Brown | RISD Dual Degree program was amazing! I studied Modern Culture and Media at Brown and Industrial Design at RISD, and that marriage is precisely what I’m doing now in my studio: making objects but thinking through the narratives behind them in a cultural sense.

What lessons did you learn at RISD that you still carry with you today?
RISD was such an amazing experience and totally changed the trajectory of my career. So many of the lessons I learned at RISD continue to apply to our constantly evolving world. Paolo Cardini taught a Speculative Design class about making objects that tell a story, which is exactly what I’m doing today. I’ve tried to push that narrative as much as possible. Paolo and I are still good friends.

Have you kept up with other RISD faculty members or alums?
Oh yeah. New York City is filled with RISD people, so I see friends all the time. I also work closely with my brother, Lukas Bentel BRDD 15 FD, who is a creative director at MSCHF, and my sister Micha Bentel BRDD 19 ID, who is currently studying for her architecture degree at Columbia University.

Any advice for young artists just starting out?
Keep iterating. Things take a long time. Messing up a bunch of times is totally valid and shouldn’t get you frustrated. I am learning new things and trying to solve huge problems every day. The learning experience is 80% of the fun and excitement. 

Life After RISD is an ongoing series featuring alumni making outsized impact in culture and industry. Stay tuned for more from our graduates on how RISD has shaped their practice and the way they engage with the world. 

interview by Simone Solondz
October 8, 2025