My journey into design started in a very traditional and conventional way. I graduated with a degree in industrial design ready to roll, with a job designing interiors for urban outfitters. All seemed good and my design future felt bright. Over the years, I moved in and through several other companies, designing in web, print, television and industrial products. I also had the opportunity to work in marketing, business development, project management and art direction along the way, however I found all of this work relatively unfulfilling. That is not to say that I did not enjoy the work, or the client interaction, but I felt that I was spending my life tacking complicated problems, not complex problems.
I fully realized this on one particular project, a campaign for prostate cancer. I was art directing the work for a bike race to support prostate cancer research and I realized that no matter how effective this campaign was and no matter how many similar campaigns were launched around the world, we could never cure cancer with ads. Ads would raise awareness, and money; make people feel good and give a sense of purpose, but would never get the necessary scientists, politicians, economists and designers together to really focus on the complex problem of why we still have to cope with prostate cancer.
Today I am a design consultant offering assistance to businesses and organizations dealing with specific complex problems. Drawing from projects developing strategies in Art Direction, Industrial design, Web design, Systems design and Design management, I have facilitated solutions for a variety of clients.My clients have included: Wharton School of Business, Urban Outfitters, The University of the Arts, and St. Barnabas Healthcare System The Philadelphia Parks Alliance, The American Swedish Historical Museum, Amuneal Manufacturing to name a few.
I hold a Masters Degree in Design from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. My Graduate thesis, Humantics: The Science and Design of Sustainable Collaboration, focused on combining theory from psychology with design methods, to spark sustainable collaborations by designing cognitive tools that help work-groups, work better together. Prior to entering the Masters program, I was Assoc. Art Director at The Marathon Group, the design division of St. Barnabas Healthcare System.
I have spoken at several events in Philadelphia including, Design Philadelphia, and Ignite Philadelphia, and have facilitated several workshops with Wharton School of Business, Vizthink, and Center for Applied Research. Additionally, I have co-authored the books Redesigning Business: Vol 1 Amuneal Manufacturing, StudioNext: A strategic guide to post-disciplinary design and Humantics: The Science and Design of Sustainable Collaboration
Currently I run Humantics, a human design company focusing on the science & design of sustainable collaborations.
