On paper, Will Oltman’s title at Bissell Inc. is senior product graphic designer. But spend five minutes with him, and you’ll learn that the Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) graduate is also a world-class juggler, improv comedian, swing dancer, and the designer of one of Bissell’s most innovative new spaces.
The Grand Rapids resident’s eclectic life is a study in balancing structure and spontaneity, an approach he has refined over decades and across disciplines.
“I think design thinking and comedy, or juggling, actually have a lot in common,” Oltman says. “They’re about finding patterns, solving problems, connecting ideas, and creating something new. I’ve always been drawn to that.”
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Will OltmanIn 2024, Bissell enlisted Will Oltman to revamp its outdated product demo space at its Walker headquarters.
Oltman’s journey into design wasn’t linear. He originally studied architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago before discovering industrial design through a Discovery Channel documentary.
“It just clicked,” he says. “I’d always said I wanted to be an inventor. That show introduced me to a career that was basically about
inventing useful things.”
Michigan move
He transferred to KCAD in 2005 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in industrial design. He graduated in 2009. At the time, he was also beginning a new chapter personally. He had moved to Michigan to be closer to his then-girlfriend, now wife, Tasha.
“(KCAD) was a small, scrappy program, and I really liked that,” he says. “You got a lot of personal attention.”
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Will OltmanBissell's “The Experience” is an immersive space showcasing its cleaning products in a realistic home setting.
That hands-on support led to his first big break. While working on a design project, a professor noticed similarities to the aesthetic of a New Mexico-based tableware company and encouraged Oltman to reach out. At age 20, he pitched the company directly and ended up selling 10 designs.
“That was the first time I had to form an LLC,” he says. “It was my first experience being a freelance designer.”
After a successful internship, Oltman accepted a full-time position at 2B Studio upon graduating in 2009. He dedicated the next 13 years to the Ada-based product development firm. In this role, he broadened his expertise across multiple disciplines, including industrial design, CMF design, prototyping, design engineering, and showroom development. He applied these skills to projects for a diverse client base, ranging from furniture manufacturers to consumer electronics.
“I really became a multidisciplinary designer,” he says. “One day I’d be working on a product prototype, the next on a showroom for NeoCon in Chicago.”
This versatility became his calling card and ultimately opened the door to Bissell. He joined the company about five years ago and now designs on-product graphics, icons, labeling, and point-of-purchase display architecture.
His multidisciplinary background culminated in a passion project where he integrated his diverse expertise to create new strategic value for Bissell.
Renewing ‘The Experience’
In 2024, Bissell tapped Oltman to help reimagine a dated product demo space inside its Walker headquarters. What emerged over the course of a year is a showroom known internally as “The Experience”— a fully immersive space where the company can showcase its cleaning products in a realistic home environment.
“The goal was to create a place where associates and visitors could see how Bissell products perform on real-life messes,” he says. “Especially pet messes, because that’s where Bissell is focusing with its new Pet Proven system.”
The showroom includes a long hallway with modular vignettes showcasing how Bissell products handle common challenges like pet fur, tracked-in litter, kibble trails, and urine.
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Will OltmanThis collage highlights the various features of Bissell's “The Experience.” Ask ChatGPT
Each station features educational screens, tactile materials, and space for live demonstrations. Beyond the science corridor, it has a simulated living room, kitchen, dining area, bathroom, and a customizable “flex space” where furniture or stair modules can be added for specialized cleaning tests.
Oltman led the design from the ground up, mapping the floor plan, designing modular components, specifying materials and furnishings, and collaborating with contractors and the facilities team.
“This was a passion project,” he says. “It wasn’t my official job, but Bissell gives us room to lean into our strengths. They saw my experience and gave me the freedom to run with it.”
World-class juggler
Outside of his full-time role, Oltman channels that same energy into a range of creative outlets. His longest-running love is
juggling, which he’s practiced for more than 30 years. In 2005, the same year he enrolled at KCAD, he placed third in the World Juggling Championships.
“I perform all over,” he says. “I just wrapped up a summer tour performing at Kent District Library branches, doing a 45-minute comedy juggling show. I was in Indiana last week for this year’s international juggling festival.”
But he’s not just a performer. He’s also an inventor in the juggling world. Oltman has designed and collaborated on
multiple new props, including an ergonomic cigar box and a juggling club with a cup-shaped head designed to catch a ball.
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Rebecca Humes/David TrumpieIn 2005, Will Oltman placed third in the World Juggling Championships.
“People know I’m a designer, so they come to me with ideas,” he says. “I’ve helped companies take products from concept to manufacturing, including sourcing overseas partners.”
One recent design, the Cuphead 2.0 club from ND Juggling, is already on the market. His combination of technical skill and deep knowledge of juggling gives him a unique edge in this niche market.
Oltman is also a regular at
The Comedy Project, a Grand Rapids-based improv club, where he performs unscripted scenes with other comedians. He’s acted in community theater, including a role as the innkeeper in the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s production of
Fiddler on the Roof, where he got to perform the famous bottle dance.
“I think improv is like design. It’s about listening, adapting, and building something out of nothing,” he says. “That’s what keeps it fun.”
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Portraits of Will Oltman
He and his wife, Tasha, a photographer and artist, also swing dance together as part of the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society. They’ve been dancing since they first met, and even performed choreographed routines in a Vaudeville troupe.
“She can juggle four balls,” says Oltman, who can juggle seven balls. “She’s better than most.”
Tasha often joins him at shows, providing photography support and cheering him on, even though she’s heard his jokes countless times. “She’s incredibly supportive,” he says.
Additionally, Oltman made a couple of
movie appearances and has sung with the barbershop quartet Bluetonium and the Great Lakes Chorus. He also enjoys astrophotography, plays piano and trumpet, and can be spotted scouring sites with a metal detector.
Making it all work
Oltman’s ability to balance work, art, and performance comes down to intentionality and a little flexibility.
“I don’t have kids, and I have a very understanding wife,” he says. “That definitely helps.”
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Bud Kibby/TINYuproarTin type portrait of Will Oltman and his wife, Tasha.
“I’ve always done some nights-and-weekends consulting,” he says. “It’s how I stay sharp and explore new ideas.”
Looking back, Oltman credits KCAD with helping him develop the confidence and versatility to follow such an unconventional path.
“It was a small school, but very entrepreneurial,” he says. “Professors encouraged us to try things, to reach out to companies, to think big.”
That mindset continues to shape his work. Whether he’s redesigning a
pen for Paper Mate (one of his past projects that was used in a murder plot in NBC’s
Blindspot, he notes with amusement) or simulating muddy paw prints in a Bissell showroom, Oltman is always looking for the next challenge.
“I just like solving problems,” he says. “Whether it’s with a vacuum cleaner, a juggling prop, or a punchline, I want to create something that works and brings a little joy.”
Highlights of Oltman’s design work can be seen in his
portfolio.