Dean, College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, Virginia Tech
Tsai Lu Liu brings his expertise from both the academic and corporate arenas as the new dean of the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD) at Virginia Tech. As Head of the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design at North Carolina State University from 2012-23, Liu fostered a culture of faculty and student research, established corporate-sponsored research and partnerships, and enhanced faculty and student diversity. New student internships, experiential learning, and professional career opportunities flourished at NC State under Liu's leadership. He began his career in academia in Auburn's School of Industrial and Graphic Design in 2004. Liu and his students have conducted numerous research and design projects for corporate sponsors such as Becton & Dickinson Medical, Bosch-Siemens, Coca-Cola, Eastman Chemical, Hanes Brands, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Lowe's.
Liu received the Southern Governors' Association's Innovator Award and has been recognized with several other awards for outstanding teaching and service. An active presenter and lecturer at many national and international conferences, Liu's scholarship and teaching interests include human-centered design, design thinking, inclusive design, new product development, and design education.
A human-centered innovator and entrepreneur, Liu spent the first 13 years of his career in private industry. He led and collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to create solutions in health care and telecommunications as well as the design, production, and marketing of semiconductors, toys, and electronic gaming systems.
Liu earned his Bachelor of Science from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan and added an MBA from Georgia State University and a Master of Industrial Design from Auburn University.
You Think You Know Ethnography? Ask an Anthropologist!
Designers realize that a deeper understanding of people can inform and inspire better designs. To gain insight into their users, many have turned to ethnography—a research strategy originally borrowed from anthropology. But are there still areas that designers could learn from anthropologists to elevate the quality and effectiveness of their research?
To find out, Tsai Lu Liu, IDSA, invited Shea McManus, an applied cultural anthropologist, to spend two semesters embedded in industrial design studio classes at NC State University, observing and assisting with the ethnographic research of the faculty and students.
Now, they will share how a more comprehensive approach to ethnographic research may lead designers to discover deep, meaningful patterns that could inspire impactful designs.
Product Portfolio Strategies in Industrial Design Education
Product Portfolio Strategies proposes the integration of a product portfolio framework—a common marketing and business planning tool—in an industrial design curriculum. Design educators often plan studio projects focused on a single product. Businesses, however, tend to build upon product portfolios and evaluate the market comprehensively and strategically. A good designer is expected to look at an entire ecosystem rather than at isolated problems or opportunities.
