STEVEN POTTSCHMIDT, RDI, LEED AP
Senior Executive – Design Development and Implementation
Award-winning and seasoned Design Development & Implementation Executive with a proven
track record of leading world-class teams to produce branded retail environments – for major
corporate clientele including multi-million-dollar national new store, pilot store, and largescale store remodel rollouts. Delivering impactful stores for increased sales.
Dedicated to helping retailers build branded retail environments – both on time and on budget.
Consistently leveraging fluency in brand, design, fabrication, budget, and schedule concepts to
generate retail-store solutions, perfectly balancing both design and function, while
incorporating space configuration and usage goals.
With industry-recognized expertise as brand builder, highly skilled at delivering quality valueadd projects, utilizing the RealiteeringTM System, (Reality + Engineering) as superior means to
bring creative concepts to reality, using RealiteeringTM = (vision + process) x (craft + action)
formula. Through the integration of a five-phase Speed-to-PermitTM strategy – comprised of
preparation, planning, perspective, process, and permit components. Frequently reducing the
time required to implement store builds, creating spaces to drive higher profile and higher sales.
Expertise and Proficiencies
Client Needs Analysis | Design Refinement/Translation | Project Planning & Analysis | Store
Planning Project Development | Cost Review | Project Risk Analysis | Design Development
Documentation | Vendor Selection/Bidding/Negotiations | Quality Control | Program
Development | Production Improvement | Relationship Building | Customer Service | Policies /
Procedure Development
Professional Experience
Principal Brand Builder, Pottschmidt Design, LLC, Columbus, Ohio (2002 – Present)
Vice President, Design Development and Director, Design Development, Chute Gerdeman, Columbus,
Ohio (2002 – 2015)
Director of Design Development, Fitch, Columbus, Ohio (1995 – 2001)
Director of Interior Design, Richard Trott & Partners Architects, Columbus, Ohio, (1989 – 1995)
Representative Client Portfolio
Aaron Brothers | American Greetings | Art Van | Bank of the West | Bank One | Barbie Store | Bealls
Bob Evans | C&A Brazil | Candy Express | Champs Sports | Christopher & Banks | Chrysler | Cooker
CVS Pharmacy | Danier | Donatos Pizza | Delaware North | Delta Sonic | Disney | Domino’s
Dunkin Doughnuts | Express Spa | Flippers Pizza | Giant Eagle Optical | H2O Plus | Hamleys
Hanes Brands | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino | HMS Host | Jos A Banks | Kay Jewelers | Kika | Krispy
Kreme | Foot Locker | LaRose’s Pizzeria | Lehigh Rocky Boots | LensCrafters | Levi Strauss |
Lowes | Maytag | Men’s Wearhouse | Michael Kors | M&M’s World | Nathan's Famous | Payless
Shoes | Peeps | Petco | Pick Up Stix | RaceTrac | Radio Shack | Ross Simons | Rubio’s | Santmyer
Oil | Schlotzsky's | Scotts | Sheetz | Six:02 | Smithsonian Airport Stores | Smuckers | Sodexo
Spence Jewelry | Sun Tan City | Target | Thornton’s | Timberland | Tween Brands | Universal
Studios Islands of Adventure | Verizon Wireless | Viacom, Nickelodeon Shop | Warner Brothers
Stage 16 Restaurant | West Marine | Wolverine Brand | Wolverine’s CAT Brand | Zoes Kitchen
Pottschmidt Design, LLC § 2807A Delmar Drive, Bexley, Ohio 43209 § - § PottschmidtDesign.com
October 23, 2020
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Core Competencies
Studio Direction:
Generate business plans - encompassing workload and projections, staffing, job descriptions,
workflow, and quality control – monitoring deliverables, and developing and maintaining
graphic standards for drafting and production.
Determine best use of AutoCAD and other technologies - customizing AutoCAD and training
technical staff to implement applicable office standards, coordinating initiatives with project
managers to insure on-time and on-budget contract fulfillment.
Train - interviewing candidates, conducting annual reviews, and writing job descriptions,
coordinating co/op intern program, outlining goals, and determining metrics for success.
Design Development:
Coordinate environmental designers on design refinement and translation, reviewing client’s
operational issues and project’s construction budget, coordinating design intent, ultimately
tracking project construction schedules, and coordinating with project manager, design, and
architectural teams.
Produce design intent documents for environments and millwork/fixtures, administering
environmental design, signage and graphic design, and lighting design, with design intent
documents for environments and millwork/fixtures. Oversee finish and material selections,
audio/visual and multi-media, and client’s operational requirements, with design intent
documents.
Direct review and coordination of building, health and ADA code requirements with design
intent documents, leading transfer of design intent work scope to architectural studio for
completion of construction documents, monitoring development of construction documents to
ensure integrity of design intent.
Devise and distribute bidding documents for environments and millwork/fixtures issuing
bidding invitations and tracking bidding process, addressing incoming questions and issue
addenda, and scrutinizing bids to make award recommendations. Examine project progress to
ensure that fabricators and vendors are delivering, identifying client requests not falling within
contracted work scope, working with project managers to generate contract amendments.
Complete value engineering reviews to re-align design intent within budget perimeters,
revising design intent documents per specifications of value engineering reviews, examining
and responding to contractor and fabricator shop submittals of engineering documents and
samples, and heading fabrication and review of mock-ups and prototypes. Conduct on-site
review of installations to ensure integrity of design intent, documenting project punch lists and
closing out jobs.
Architecture:
Coordinate architect of record on construction documentation, monitoring to ensure design
intent remains intact, tracking permitting and construction process to verify implementation of
design intent and that project stays within budget and on time.
Pottschmidt Design, LLC § 2807A Delmar Drive, Bexley, Ohio 43209 § - § PottschmidtDesign.com
October 23, 2020
Page | 3
Collaborate with project managers and architects to ensure adherence to contractual
requirements, overseeing project to ensure that consultants, fabricators and vendors execute
duties in alignment with contract scope. Identify client requests not falling within contracted
work scope, partnering with project managers to generate contract amendments.
Education and Professional Affiliations
Bachelor of Science in Interior Design
University of Cincinnati - College of Design, Art, Architecture & Planning, 1984
The Retail Design Institute
Professional Member, 2007 - 2019
President, Ohio Chapter, 2010 - 2012
Chairman, Ohio Chapter, 2012 - 2016
Green Building Certification Institute
Lead Accredited Professional - 2009
National Council for Interior Design Qualifications
NCIDQ Certificate #006663 - 1987
Honors and Awards
Retail Design Institute/VM+SD Retail Design Competition 2007 Store of the Year, M&M's World
(responsible for design development and implementation)
A.R.E. Retail Design Competition 2010 Store of the Year, House of Barbie
(responsible for design development of the fashion runway and design center)
World Retail Congress Shop 2015 Design Award for Store Fixtures, Verizon Wireless
(responsible for design development and implementation)
Pottschmidt Design, LLC § 2807A Delmar Drive, Bexley, Ohio 43209 § - § PottschmidtDesign.com
