Kerstin Nelsen Strom, IDSA | Strom Studios

Ecodesign Section Chair: 2010–2013
Minnesota Chapter Chair: 2010

As soon as she figured out she could design a car for homework, Kerstin Strom gave up a career in law in favor of design. Since then, she's pursued a career based, in part, on connectivity. She talked to us about that as well as sustainability and "the proprietary mindest" of some designers.

By drawing animals in motion, Alex Diener learned how to draw quickly with a strong gestural sense. That’s not all it taught him, though. And it’s not the only lesson he’s acquired thus far in his career. Pensar’s Creative Director shares several others in this conversation.

APRIL 2009 - After a chance brush with design, Alex Diener chose to study ID at Western Washington University under Arunas Oslapas and Indle King. He’s since worked for SonoSite Ultrasound and Ziba; and is now creative director for Pensar.

DECEMBER 2008—In advance of an IDSA-sponsored presentation that Smart Design’s Femme Den group will deliver in Las Vegas at the 2009 CES, this edition of the WHOSNEXT series engages with the group and drills into the challenges of being a female consumer as well as the design opportunities their currently unmet needs present.

What is the Femme Den and how did it come about?

A Luc Besson film led him toward ID. Now, he’s helping to redesign the craft industry. Among other things. Braden Jones, IDSA shares with us his thoughts on visual communication, design management and the state of ID in AZ.

Jessie Storey | Steelcase

If you can make an award-winning movie, then you should also be qualified to help design the office environment of the future, right? After all, a good designer should be a good storyteller, too. Jessie Storey certainly has a lock on both.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Maruja Fuentes tragically lost her battle with leukemia on June 28, 2010. She was 32.

She took the 2008 International Conventional Furniture Fair (ICFF) by storm with her leaning mold design that mixes biomimicry with architecture to provide a new solution for how public resting spaces can be constructed. Meet Maruja Fuentes.

He’s a serial entrepreneur. He’s an advocate for “human sustainability.” And he’s the guy who designed a more comfortable way for you to endure a crit—or anything else that requires lengthy periods of sitting. Meet Joe Gebbia, IDSA. He’s the first subject of our new interview series, WHOSNEXT.

Some designers begin their design careers very early. But few get their start while they’re still wearing diapers. Asher Dunn is one of those few. The founder of Keeseh Studios reveals a bit more of his own life story and discusses a new way to build a collaborative design environment.