Assistant Professor of ID and Interaction Design, Rochester Institute of Technology
Tim Wood is assistant professor of industrial design and interaction design at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He’s focused on emerging technologies, frontiers of interaction design and how these areas are changing the nature of the human experience.
With experience in design strategy, the architecture of interactive systems and the design of digital products, Wood is keenly aware of the changing nature of design and new roles designers are being asked to fill. In his role at RIT, he is committed to ensuring that the next generation of designers has the right skills to shape the future of our world.
“Statefulness” and Tangible Interaction in Industrial Design Education
Alex Lobos, IDSA, and Tim Wood, of Rochester Institute of Technology share the framework in which interaction design provides an innovative approach to traditional industrial design. This includes the concept of “statefulness,” in which dynamic changes of complex systems are broken down into states that can be defined and manipulated in order to achieve a desired user experience (UX).
The framework goes beyond physical components of product control digital interfaces and develops experiences that jump between physical and virtual realms. Interaction and industrial design collaborations are put into practice in a graduate-level studio course, in which students are directed by instructors with expertise in both disciplines—all working together in exploratory assignments.
