The Design School wins award for impactful design education
Luis Angarita (middle), head of the industrial design program in The Design School at ASU, accepts the Don Norman Design Award. He's joined onstage by Don Norman (left) and Anil Kripalani (right) from the Don Norman Design Award Board of Directors. Courtesy photo
Luis Angarita, program head for The Design School’s industrial design program, attended the inaugural Don Norman Design Summit in San Diego to accept the Don Norman Design Award, which honors the program for its commitment to shaping the next generation of industrial designers.
Angarita also served as a keynote speaker at the summit.
The award recognizes programs that have “demonstrated successful training in human-centered design” and pays tribute to their roles in cultivating “leaders poised to positively impact our global community.”
"We’re living in a unique moment in history where everything needs to be reimagined to create real impact and inclusive prosperity that benefits our planet,” Angarita said. “This recognition is a testament to all the hard work of our program and its mission to place humanity and life on Earth at the center of our discourse and education. This award is also a tribute to our outstanding faculty and students who work every day with the intention of creating a better planet.”
The Don Norman Design Award was created by Don Norman, an influential figure in the industrial design space. Norman, whose career includes roles at Apple and HP, co-founding the Nielsen Norman Group and authoring 21 books, established the award to give back to emerging industrial designers who are focusing on human-centered and sustainable design.
The award’s mission is to provide “a global platform for early-career practitioners and educational organizations to showcase projects that impact society. ”
The industrial design program at The Design School stood out in this international competition for its innovative, faculty-led initiatives, interdisciplinary approach, and commitment to creating impactful designs, as noted by the award's jury and committee, who evaluated each submission.
Among the program’s key initiatives are the Social Innovation Lab (SoiLab), the Fixer Studio and Mycelium Futures in Design Education.
These initiatives create an interdisciplinary learning environment in which industrial design students work alongside professionals from diverse disciplines, including other designers, scientists and entrepreneurs. By participating in these collaborations, students gain a deeper understanding of regenerative, research-based design that addresses current global challenges.
In addition to these initiatives, the industrial design program has partnered with the Biomimicry Lab, STEAMtank and the Center for Life-Inspired Design (COLĪD) Studio. These collaborations, along with programs like InnovationSpace, align with the values embodied by the Don Norman Design Award: to design a sustainable and better future.
"Winning the Don Norman Design Award is an honor,” said Paola Sanguinetti, director of The Design School. “It highlights the extraordinary work being done by our students and faculty, who are dedicated to designing with purpose and committed to shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future through design."
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