Our mission
We teach generative AI as a quiet craft, not a shortcut. Every designer who studies with us leaves with clearer ethics, stronger systems thinking, and work that feels unmistakably theirs.
Our story, our craft.
A quiet studio where generative tools meet slow, deliberate design education.
Born from Saturday sketches.
Sleekbay Atelier began in 2021 in a small sunlit loft in San Francisco. Founder Lena Voss spent years leading brand studios before noticing the gap between fast AI hype and thoughtful practice. She started weekly sessions for friends — soon turning into a permanent studio with a small cohort model.
2021
The first cohort
How we teach
METHOD
Journal prompts first
We begin with offline thinking and hand-sketching. AI arrives only after the idea feels alive.
STRUCTURE
Small, slow cohorts
Maximum eight designers per group. Twelve weeks. One deep project at its center.
OUTCOME
Brand-ready systems
Graduates leave with documented generative workflows, reusable assets, and ethical guidelines they wrote themselves.
People behind the studio
Lena Voss
FOUNDER & LEAD TUTOR
Former creative director at two global agencies. Writes the weekly studio journal.
Mateo Ruiz
DESIGN SYSTEMS LEAD
Spends most days building modular prompt libraries and reusable AI templates.
Priya Patel
ETHICS & RESEARCH
Hosts monthly roundtables on AI accountability and creative authorship.
Sofia Mendes
COMMUNITY DIRECTOR
Keeps every cohort connected long after graduation through our alumni network.