When industrial designer Jon Kyte talks about his work, he’s quick to downplay it. He’ll tell you he’s “just doing his small part,” whether that part involves designing consumer products at SPARK or creating the graphics for the U.S. Olympic bobsled team. But listen a little longer, and a pattern emerges: Jon is drawn to complex systems, tight constraints, and the challenge of making something work beautifully in the real world.
That mindset has shaped a career that’s taken him from Detroit’s car culture to motorsports to Olympic bobsleds and, for the past four years, to SPARK Product Development.
What Jon does at SPARK
Jon is an industrial designer, though even he admits the title does not fully capture his day-to-day work. His role sits at the intersection of creativity, engineering, and human-centered thinking. He considers not just how something looks, but how it functions, how it is manufactured, and how people actually interact with it.
At SPARK, Jon is involved throughout the entire product development process, from early ideation sketches through prototyping and refinement. Because he works closely with engineers, manufacturability is never an afterthought. His designs begin with real-world constraints in mind, which helps minimize downstream compromises and keeps the final product true to its original intent.
“I can think very creatively,” Jon says, “but I also understand what this thing is ultimately going to do and how it’s going to be made. That changes how you design from the very beginning.”
From fine arts to fast cars
Jon did not always know he wanted to be an industrial designer. He originally studied fine art and graphics, drawn to drawing and making things by hand. Growing up in Detroit, surrounded by car culture, he always wanted to design cars but assumed that meant becoming an engineer.
When he discovered industrial design, everything clicked.
Jon returned to school to study industrial and automotive design at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. He graduated during a difficult moment for the auto industry but eventually found his way into motorsports, working on aerodynamic development and design for IndyCar and NASCAR teams.
That racing background shaped more than his technical skill set. It also ingrained a way of working defined by precision, speed, and problem-solving under pressure.
An unexpected path to Olympic bobsledding
Through his racing work, Jon was introduced to a project that would later become one of the most visible parts of his career: designing graphics for U.S. Olympic bobsleds.
What began as a small side project grew into a long-term role. For the past six years, Jon has served as the official designer for USA Bobsled, creating sled graphics, athlete speed suit designs, and sponsor mockups used to secure partnerships. His work appears during World Cup seasons and the Olympic Games.
Designing for bobsledding comes with unique constraints. Graphics must be visually striking, but they also need to be easy to apply under tight timelines, often overseas with limited crews and resources. Every decision balances aesthetics, logistics, and performance.
“It’s about doing the best you can within a set of constraints,” Jon explains. “That’s really the design challenge.”
Seeing his work on television during the Olympics never quite loses its impact. “You remember those late nights and weekends,” he says. “And you realize it was worth it.”
Continuing to stretch at SPARK
Now approaching four years at SPARK, Jon describes the culture as fundamentally different from anywhere he’s worked before.
“This is the first place I’ve been where I’m appreciated not just for what I do, but for who I am,” he says.
That environment has allowed Jon to stretch beyond a narrow job description. Over time, he has brought new capabilities into SPARK’s work, including instruction manuals, app graphics, packaging design, and 3D scanning. When opportunities arise to try something new, he raises his hand. SPARK provides the trust and tools to make it happen.
Designing across disciplines
One of Jon’s favorite aspects of working at SPARK is that no two projects look the same. He might be sketching concepts one day and collaborating with engineers on internal mounting solutions the next, often solving problems most people will never notice once a product is complete.
A recent example is SPARK’s work on an RV sanitation product designed to be both functional and visually appealing. Jon’s early sketches closely resemble the final product, which speaks to SPARK’s collaborative, end-to-end approach.
“When something comes out looking clean and simple,” Jon says, “there’s usually a tremendous amount of work hiding underneath.”
Fearless curiosity, on and off the clock
Outside of work, Jon is a lifelong car enthusiast and hands-on tinkerer. He spends time restoring a classic car in his garage, taking things apart simply to understand how they work. That curiosity carries directly into his design work.
If there is a defining trait Jon points to, it is fearlessness.
“I’m not afraid to try new things,” he says. “If something comes up and I don’t know how to do it, I’ll still raise my hand and say, ‘Yeah, I’ll try.’”
That willingness to learn by doing, to embrace constraints, and to collaborate deeply is exactly what makes Jon such a strong fit at SPARK.
Whether his work ends up in a prototype lab, a client’s hands, or speeding down an Olympic track, Jon approaches it the same way: with care, curiosity, and a confidence earned through years of experience.