This article is part of an ongoing profile series spotlighting IIDA industry members.
Meet Audra Keiber, IIDA, ASID, director of product design, Wilsonart
What core values are most important to you as a leader, and how do you ensure they are embedded in the company culture?
Honesty and transparency are essential. I also value empathy and active listening. One guiding principle I live by is DWYSYWD—Do What You Say You Will Do.
We’ve ensured these values are reflected in Wilsonart's design culture and product development by building a collaborative environment where diverse backgrounds bring fresh perspectives to design challenges. While we each lead individual projects, we come together to support one another and ensure team success.
Can you share a pivotal moment for you in your career?
After 25 years in decorative metals, a market shift pushed us into automotive interiors. Our first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) pitch flopped, but I gathered feedback, secured resources, and in three months we delivered finishes that won over a German OEM — launching us into a new market.
I learned three key lessons from this experience:
1. Be proactive, not reactive — and never assume success in one industry guarantees success in another.
2. Do your homework — understand the audience, culture, and market you’re entering.
3. Learn from failure. Every misstep carries insight that can guide your next success.
What is the legacy you hope to leave?
At Wilsonart, I aim to foster a deep appreciation for the design process and promote a hands-on, holistic approach that blends creativity with function. I hope to leave a culture that values detail and the impact of thoughtful design
What big goal has Wilsonart set for the next 3-5 years?
Wilsonart is focused on advancing both design and sustainability. This year, we launched the first no-repeat woodgrain laminate — delivering a more natural look with a strong sustainability story. Our laminates lead the industry with twice the post-consumer recycled content of competitors. We expect to reach 27% by year-end and are targeting 40% by 2027 — 2.5 times more than others. And our design team is just getting started.
I’d love to see Wilsonart’s Design team evolve into true collaborators with the design community — actively engaging in dialogue, exchanging ideas, and building strong relationships. Beyond collaboration, I hope we become a trusted source of inspiration, offering forward-thinking designs and insights that help shape the future of spaces where our surfaces live.
What’s one big inspiration — or passion — that you think everyone should know about?
I love the fine art of printmaking. The act of mark-making and developing patterns, no matter the method, is both creatively energizing and meditative.
Printmaking gives me a starting point when I’m stuck creatively and the freedom to explore and make mistakes without expectations or consequences. In leadership, I encourage my team to take risks and trial new ideas and methodology and let them know that it is okay to fail. Not every hit will be a homerun, and that’s okay. But what’s not okay is allowing that fear of failure to keep you from trying and exploring new ideas and methods.
Audra Keiber is director of product design at Wilsonart. Curiosity fuels her work — “why” and “why not” guide her thinking. She sees design as a puzzle of possibility, where pushing boundaries reveals new opportunities. Keiber currently leads Wilsonart’s product design team, driving innovation to deliver solutions that exceed customer and market expectations. She has more than 32 years of experience in color and material design, starting as a manufacturing operator at 19 and advancing to product engineering with a focus on color and industrial print technologies. Her passion for design led her to earn a design degree in 2000 and an MBA in 2021. Keiber has led design across consumer goods, automotive, and aviation, working with diverse materials and processes. Mentors have shaped her journey—lessons she now pays forward.
