New York, New York, USA

Justin L. Segal serves as Creative Director and Vice President of Product & Brand at Storkcraft, North America’s longest-standing name in baby cribs.

Working at the intersection of design, storytelling, and family life, he has helped shape a new generation of nursery furniture rooted in emotional meaning, long-term functionality, and thoughtful craftsmanship.

His work draws inspiration from travel, architecture, and lived parenting experience, resulting in designs that aim to be both aspirational and deeply practical.

In 2025, his vision was recognized with three prestigious GOOD Design Award honors for the Storkcraft Santorini Deluxe 5-in-1 Convertible Crib with Bonus Toddler Guardrail, Storkcraft Casablanca Deluxe 5-in-1 Convertible Storage Crib with Bonus Toddler Guardrail, and Storkcraft Sicily Deluxe 3-in-1 Convertible Crib with Bonus Toddler Guardrail.

In this interview, he reflects on his design philosophy, parenting, safety, and the ideas shaping his work today.

GDN: You have said that great design should outlive the moment in which it was created. How does that philosophy influence the way you approach product development?

Justin L. Segal: In today’s fast-moving world, trends come and go at a rapid pace. Our design ethos at Storkcraft is to be trend-proof: to develop timeless, elevated, and highly unique furniture pieces that outlive any trend.

Essentially, iconic nursery and children’s furniture pieces that will look just as good today as they will years from now.

And I believe we are so successful in doing this—especially with our Art of Nursery collection—because our designs are so authentically and deeply rooted within the beauty of the world that surrounds us.

Our most iconic pieces were born from admiring the landscapes, nature, sculpture, and architecture that surround us.

GDN: How do real-life parenting experiences help your team develop better products?

Justin L. Segal: I am the father of a beautiful two-year-old, Rafaela, who serves as a constant source of inspiration behind every Storkcraft piece I design and develop.

Rafaela not only fills my heart with unconditional love, but she also teaches me so much about my craft throughout every interaction we share.

My time spent with Rafaela in the home fills my imagination with invaluable, real-life insights for new product development at Storkcraft: what features could Storkcraft add to make parents’ lives easier? How could we make a child’s time in the playroom more enriching? How can we make late-night and early-morning skin-to-skin moments in the nursery more comfortable?

Reflecting on all of this, the difference between me being a product developer before and after becoming a father is immense: I have grown so much in this role for the better, and I owe this growth to Rafa.

GDN: Storkcraft is known for combining design with rigorous safety standards. How do you balance creativity with compliance?

Justin L. Segal: I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I’ve found myself in a conversation that goes something like, “Why don’t you design a crib that looks like this?” or “Why haven’t you designed a crib that looks like that?”

In our sector, safety is paramount — and, for Storkcraft, there is nothing that supersedes it. And one of our biggest strengths at Storkcraft is our unique ability to strike a balance between bringing to life stunning nursery furniture that is backed by industry-leading safety.

We’ve invested mightily into assembling a world-class team of product designers, engineers, quality professionals, and compliance leaders.

Together we work brilliantly—from the initial product sketch to the rigorous product safety tests—to ensure that all Storkcraft pieces are not only magnificent but also go above-and-beyond to comply with the most rigorous product safety standards.

GDN: Can you share the inspiration and journey behind the Santorini, Casablanca, and Sicily—from hand-drawn sketches to award-winning cribs?

Justin L. Segal: Although the Santorini wasn’t the first crib I designed at Storkcraft, it is undoubtedly the most special.

Since its inception, the Santorini has blossomed into Storkcraft’s most successful crib to date and has also led to the launch of our new luxury sub-brand, Art of Nursery.

The idea of the Santorini came to me while I was vacationing with my wife, Yael, as we prepared to embark on our parenthood journey. A vision came to me; I asked Yael to hand me a napkin; and I put pen to paper.

 The Santorini crib was inspired by Santorini’s winding coastline and the gentle waves of the Aegean Sea — both calming elements I thought were fitting for the serenity of a nursery.

Similarly, other Art of Nursery pieces were born as paper sketches and inspired by wanderlust: for example, the Casablanca’s pastel colour palette and iconic wave details are inspired by the French Riviera, while the Sicily’s arches and chunky cylindrical feet are inspired by classical Italian architecture.

It really is a beautiful thing when you can speak authentically to the design story of each Art of Nursery piece and enchant your audience in doing so.

GDN: What has been your biggest leadership lesson so far?

Justin L. Segal: Simply put, to look within. Prior to assuming a leadership position within Storkcraft’s product development and design realm, I found that we as a company were focused too much on playing catchup with the market.

When we looked within, and focused solely on ourselves, we became successful. We dedicated our passion, expertise, and skills to translating our dreams, visions, and real-life experiences into elevated, aspirational, practical, grow-with-me nursery and children’s furniture pieces that are so deserving of being the ‘heart of the nursery’ for families.

GDN: What dream project would you still like to bring to life?

Justin L. Segal: Throughout everything I do, I give thanks to the icons that inspire me on a daily basis: whether that’s Andre Agassi when I step on the tennis court or my father, Gary Segal, when it comes to global philanthropy.

Since I was in the eighth grade, I was inspired by Pharrell Williams. Pharrell showed me that I don’t need to fit into just one box: instead, I can spread my wings as a creator within multiple artistic realms — from fashion to music, film to art, and now furniture design.

All of that being said, my dream project would be to design a baby crib with Pharrell.

Being able to work with Pharrell—my inspiration in so many aspects of my life—would definitely allow me to ride off into the sunset with an immense amount of fulfillment (and a huge smile on my face).