November 15th, 2006
Boston, Massachusets
Design, Technology, and the Future
A panel discussion on the opportunities and imperatives ahead
Photos
Podcasts
Speakers
John Maeda is a world-renowned graphic designer, visual artist, and computer scientist at the MIT Media Lab, and is a founding voice for “simplicity” in the digital age.
Named by Esquire magazine as one of the 21 most important people for the twenty-first century, Maeda first made his mark by redefining the use of electronic media as a tool for expression for people of all ages and skills. He is the recipient of the highest career honors for design in the United States, Japan, and Germany and serves on the board of trustees for the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. A faculty member at the Media Lab since 1996, Maeda holds the E. Rudge and Nancy Allen Professorship of Media Arts and Sciences, and co-directs the Lab’s design-oriented Physical Language Workshop and its SIMPLICITY consortium. He has had major exhibits of his work in Paris, London, New York, and Tokyo, and has written several books on his philosophy of “humanizing technology” through his perspective on the digital arts.
Maeda received both his BS and MS degrees from MIT, and earned his PhD in design from Tsukuba University Institute of Art and Design in Japan. In May 2003, he received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and completed his MBA in May of 2006. Maeda is a sought-after lecturer on “simplicity” at major universities and boardrooms throughout the world. He lives with his wife, Kris, and their five daughters, Saaya, Naoko, Reina, Rie, and Mika, in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Professor, UCSD; Global Distinguished Visiting Professor, The College of Arts and Science, New York University
xdesign.ucsd.edu
Natalie Jeremijenko is a new media artist who works at the intersection of contemporary art, science, and engineering. Her work takes the form of large-scale public art works, tangible media installations, single channel tapes, and critical writing. It investigates the theme of the transformative potential of new technologies—particularly information technologies. Specific issues addressed in her work include information politics, the examination and development of new modes of particulation in the production of knowledge, tangible media, and distributed (or ubiquitous) computing elements. She has recently held positions of Lecturer Convertible in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Yale; Consultant to the Advanced Computer Graphics Center/Media Research Lab, Department of Computer Science, at NYU; and Distinguished Visiting Critic in the Department of Art, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Jeremijenko began her studies with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Biochemistry at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia, and went on to receive a B.F.A. with Honors from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Her B.F.A. thesis was Explorations in Scientific Representation Exploiting Surround Sensory Input (Virtual Reality).
Bill Cockayne brings over 15 years of experience inventing and delivering new technology-based products to market. He is currently the CEO and founder of Change Research, Inc, a technology R&D firm based in San Francisco that builds tools for Fortune 100. Additionally, Bill teaches a newly developed course series on foresight and innovation at Stanford University. He is leading the creation of a Humanities + Engineering degree at the university.
Bill is also the source behind the critical "Dr. Fish" list, described by futurist Paul Saffo as "news stories and analysis on subjects as varied as the peril of nanotech post-September 11 to Dunkin' Donuts' innovations to The Simpsons." Prior to Change Research, Bill held leadership positions at Apple Computer, DaimlerBenz, and Scout Electromedia (which he co-founded). He holds a Ph.D. in Design Research from Stanford with additional degrees in computer science and mechanical engineering.
Jason Pearson is a designer, writer, and social entrepreneur whose projects and initiatives mobilize design innovation as a positive force for social, economic, and environmental change. He is currently Executive Director of GreenBlue, a research and design institute that stimulates the creative redesign of industry by focusing the expertise of professional communities to create practical solutions, resources, and opportunities for implementing sustainability.
In addition to working professionally as a designer, Jason has coordinated the National Endowment for the Arts’ New Public Works funding program for design competitions and directed the design innovation program at for The Summit Foundation. His research and publications on design and business innovation include the book, University-Community Design Partnerships: Innovations in Practice, “Operative Practices” in Good Deeds, Good Design, and a recently published report entitled Design & Sustainability: Opportunities for Systemic Transformation.
He earned both his B.A. and M.Arch. in architecture from Princeton University.
Allan Chochinov is a partner of Core77, where he serves as the editor-in-chief of Core77.com, and strategist for Coroflot.com and DesignDirectory.com. In addition to his editorial work, he produces design events and competitions, and coordinates content partnerships. Prior to Core77, his consulting work specialized in product design, design strategy, and writing. He has enjoyed working on design projects in the medical and diagnostic fields, as well as in consumer products and workplace systems. (Johnson & Johnson, Herman Miller, Federal Express, Kodak, A.C. Nielsen, Oral-B, Crunch Fitness and others.) He is associate professor at New York's Pratt Institute, where he teaches two courses in the graduate I.D. department. He has received awards from I.D. Magazine, Communication Arts, The Art Directors Club and The One Club, and has been named on numerous design and utility patents.