THE
STORY
A Better Question is, "Who is UnDesign?"
Hi!--It's me! I'm UnDesign.
My name is Brad Holley. I grew up in a North Dallas suburb called McKinney. I married one of my very best friends whom I met in the 7th grade in Mr. Fortenberry's Texas History class. As I write this in Spring of 2025, she and I have been together for just about 18 years, and married for almost 16. We've lived all over North Dallas together (and even spent a brief stint in Houma, LA), but we now reside in Sachse. Together we're raising two little boys, which so far has felt like trying to domesticate two human-sized raccoons.
Before kids, we liked traveling the world, eating good food and listening to excellent music. Life perpetually felt measured by the length of time until the next destination, the next concert, or a visit to some amazing new restaurant. Now that our boys are old enough, we're doing our best to immerse them into the culture that we created before they came along. We try to take them on trips, introduce them to a broad spectrum of incredible music that transcends time and genre, and we watch them reject some of the most incredible food out there because it's not mac-n-cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. * sigh * We'll get there...
(Pictured above: Me with my 3 stakeholders/investors)
What Led You to the Design World?
When I was a kid, I spent most of my days feeding my imagination with fantastical stories, characters and places, and it often bled out into the world around me. I was always sketching and doodling, building things, taking things apart, breaking things, putting them back together, and asking lots of endless (and probably irritating) questions about how everything in the world worked and why things were the way they were.
After graduating from high school, I was just ready to get out there and do... something. Anything. Regretfully, at that point in my life I didn't have the patience or the discipline go the college route. Instead, I dove head first into the work force with a great deal of tenacity, dedication and work ethic. I didn't have any direction or goals, but I always made sure that I brought a sense of fun and infectious enjoyment wherever I went. I'm not sure what I was looking for at the time, or if I was even looking for anything at all, I only knew I was going to make something out of myself, and that one day, I would be extremely proud of myself.
One of the things I was able to recognize at the time was my predisposition to gravitate toward other talented and hard-working people. No matter where I went, I made friends with everyone I met. Eventually, it was those working friendships that led me down the very unexpected path to where I am now. A path I couldn't have predicted.
After ~7 years with Discount Tire Co., I left and followed a friend into the commercial construction industry. While working there, it ended up being a client (Tony Palo - "T1 Race Development") who introduced me to some 3D modeling software called "SketchUp". He had modeled up his own shop design for a renovation we would be conducting on his behalf. I was blown away by the amount of things you could do with it and I started using it myself every chance I got. Having played all kinds of video games in my younger days, navigating 3D space felt very intuitive to me. Like I was right at home.
My First Real Design Client(s)
Toward the end of my tenure with this construction company, I was connected with a new group of clients who needed us to do an office renovation. It would be their very first office. I didn't know it at the time, but I would end up designing and modeling this office space for them, and this would become the guide for the entire renovation.
It was a scrappy upstart of a bunch of fresh, Texas A&M grads who had became a social media sensation, seemingly overnight, by doing a series of very creative trick shots. And the name of this crew was, "Dude Perfect".
That's right--my very first (unofficial) design clients were Garrett, Tyler, Cody, Coby and Cory (and the mysterious panda). My 3D model was atrocious compared to what I can do today. I'll be the first to say that they deserved so much better than what I had to offer at the time. But we made it work, and they were an enjoyable bunch to work collaborate with.
Aimlessness to Excellence
In the process of trying to master the functionality of the program, by sheer accident, I stumbled upon a job listing during an otherwise unremarkable Google search. I wasn't looking for a job, but the word "SketchUp" jumped out at me, so I clicked on it. As soon as I read that I could potentially be using this program 80% of the time in a full-time position, I knew I had to apply for it. And that's where my career would ultimately begin.
I got the job. I was now the assistant to a well-known and highly decorated outdoor designer in Plano, TX. He too had come to the outdoor design world in an unorthodox way without a formal education and proved through his dedication and passion that you don't have to have a degree in Landscape Architecture to learn how to be an outstanding landscape designer.
This man taught me everything one could ever want to know about outdoor design. He gave me a crash course in architecture, landscapes, hardscapes, vegetation, grade management, structural design, additions, renovations, swimming pools and spas, water and fire features, outdoor kitchens, outdoor living and entertaining areas, furnishings, construction methods, and about the endless varieties of materials and finishes that were commonly used and applied to all of it. But on a deeper level, he helped me to understand the core concepts that existed underneath all of that. He showed me all of the timeless design principles like, scale, balance, proportion, contrast, layering, alignments, and how to create a complimentary family of colors.
Over the 8.5 years under his mentorship, I slowly transitioned from being a lowly, directionless assistant to being an Associate Designer; taking my own clients, producing my own designs, and watching my own projects get built in the real world. Very early in our relationship, he recognized my passion and my creativity and he was able to give it structure, order, discipline and direction. And that's a transformation I'll never be able to repay him for.
Making a Name for Myself
For so long, I had been a relative nobody just happily existing in the shadow of someone else's greatness. But my mentor urged me to enter into a a notably difficult annual design competition known as the "Million Dollar Pool Design Challenge". I was very aware of it as a casual observer. I had seen the talent that was typically involved in this competition, and while I enjoyed what I did, I never thought I had any business throwing my hat in that ring. After all, the people who competed in this were the very best in the nation. But he kept pressing, so I obliged.
The first time I entered in 2023, I was amazed when I was selected as a top 5 finalist. At the final judging ceremony in Las Vegas, I would walk away with a 4th place overall finish. The transition from having low expectations and not thinking much of my skill set, to then suddenly feeling disappointed that I didn't do better was very quick. I was proud of what I had accomplished, but at this point, I knew I'd be coming back to try and do better next time.
After counting down the days, weeks and months, I finally got the chance to enter again in 2024. I worked incredibly hard on my design and it paid off when I finally won 1st place. I was elated!
I immediately went from being relatively unknown with no reputation, to suddenly being compared and grouped with some of the best outdoor designers and Landscape Architects in America. It was strange. I was now being asked for interviews, quotes, guest spots and advice from an entire industry that I didn't even feel should know who I was.
Branching Out
Just before winning that competition, I had made the very difficult decision to part ways with my mentor. I loved that man and I sincerely appreciated the fact that he had turned me into a skilled and capable professional, but I just felt it was time for me to step out into the industry and make a name for myself. A big part of me just needed to know that I could.
During my 8.5-year mentorship with him, we specialized in and focused purely on comprehensive design, leaving construction to other specialized firms. But because we didn't handle build-out ourselves, it meant that we were able to partner with the very best builders allover the entire D/FW market. And this meant that I had long-standing partnerships with all kinds of builders, and I was constantly getting small bits of advice, guidance and support from each of them.
The very first opportunity I came across was being the Design Director for "Pure Design", one of Dallas' most elite design + build firms and a team that I already had a great relationship with. Designing and selling projects with them gave me much more exposure to the construction and pricing side of the industry. One of the most beneficial aspects of working there was getting to work with and learn from Peter Jackson, who probably has one of the brightest minds in the market when it comes to construction methodology and engineering. My other favorite part of being on the Pure Team was meeting and collaborating with another promising young designer named Aaron Troutt. It was exceptionally rewarding to push him into the same design competition that earned me a reputation, and then watch him receive an award as well for his efforts.
After working with the Pure team for awhile, I was eventually contacted by the owner of "FoxTerra Design" whose videos had recently become a social media sensation in the outdoor / landscape design industry. He had seen my winning work in the design competition and invited me to be a part of their team, which was an offer that people in our niche would kill for. Getting a personal call from him was like the point in the story where Charlie got the golden ticket and was invited to go inside of Willy Wonka's factory. It was... unfathomable. I was now flying back and forth to California and getting exposure to some of the most incredible and high-profile projects I had ever seen, both in America and even overseas.
It was an absolute whirlwind of a time. But all good things must come to an end eventually. Things changed for me. In a way, I kind of lost myself. I became completely consumed in the high volume, the breakneck speed and the very unique intensity that their organization aspired to maintain. It eventually became clear that this wasn't going to be the long-term role I retired in. In hindsight, it was one of the most illuminating growth experiences I've ever been through, but I eventually had to depart.
Starting Over
I'm left with this feeling that I started in this very low valley, and that over the course of 10 years, slowly but surely, inch by inch, I eventually managed to climb to one of the highest peaks in the land. After recently parting ways with one of the most high-profile design firms in America, it feels like I'm now back in the proverbial valley where I started. And I'm now making the bold decision to start over from scratch and build something that I can call my own. Something that my family can be proud of. But more importantly, something that the wild, passionate, creative, aimless, head-in-the-clouds, happy-go-lucky, dream-filled child in me from 30 years ago would be so proud to look up and see standing in front of him.
UnDesign is my way of giving that kid a chance to do something great. Something he never would have dreamed he was capable of doing. And with it, I also want to be able to show my boys that it's okay to not know who you are for awhile or where you're going. I want them to see that while others might be following the single file line down the straight and narrow, that it's more than okay if you decide you want to take that really long and winding road--the one that's full of surprises--before you find your confidence, your purpose and your calling in the world.
An Open Invitation
If you've made it this far, you probably have a slightly better understanding of who I am, where I've come from, and what I aim to do with the unique skill set that I've earned over the last decade. More than anything, I'm committed to playing a role in the way that Modern outdoor design continues to unfold in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. D/FW is my home. This is the place I know best. And I want to continue to help shape the people and the landscapes of this area while doing what I do best.
If you have a an outdoor project on your horizon, I would love to collaborate with you and your family and make my story a part of yours. I genuinely hope you'll reach out and connect with me, and I sincerely look forward to meeting you in the near future!
Thank you so much!