Professor of Industrial Design, James Madison University
Audrey Barnes is deeply invested in exploring the underlying reasons behind societal structures and mobilizing communities towards action. Her interdisciplinary work focuses on addressing issues related to community, equity, design justice, climate action, and sustainability. As a Professor of Industrial Design at James Madison University (JMU), where she established the NASAD accredited major, Audrey maintains a diverse portfolio encompassing a robust teaching practice, scholarly publications, successful grant applications, notable design competition entries, and acclaimed design/build projects. Her collaborative, making-centric creative practice focuses on underrepresented populations, play and children in nature, and the creation of thought provoking bespoke objects crafted using traditional and computer-aided design tools. Currently on sabbatical, she is dedicated to producing an episodic documentary illuminating the diversity deficit within industrial design, employing storytelling as a tool to share best practices and advocate for change.
Prior to her tenure at JMU, Audrey held design roles at a variety of manufacturing-centric companies. Since 2006, Audrey has also been the Principal of a her own vigorous design consultancy. She specializes in leading edge technologies, consumer products, system and service design, branding, and design research with a wide array of clients, from nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies. Audrey holds a Master of ID degree from Rhode Island School of Design and a Bachelor of ID degree from NC State University.
Audrey is a transformative educator who has built the Industrial Design program at James Madison University from the ground up. In her tenure, she has pioneered innovative curriculum development, secured NASAD accreditation, and fostered a human-centered design approach that emphasizes empathy, emotional intelligence, and participatory design. A colleague described Audrey as “dynamic and engaging in teaching every part of the design process.” Audrey’s leadership also extends to her groundbreaking research project, Shrink It & Pink It, which sheds light on the complex dynamics of gender identity in industrial design. Through this work, she amplifies diverse voices and highlights the critical need for inclusivity in the field. Her dedication to education, leadership, and inclusivity in design continues to inspire and shape the future of our field.
