Babette Strousse in the interim Chair for the Product Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design. Babette is an experienced design practitioner and educator, having a career that has spanned several decades and multiple iterations. Working at the intersection of design and business for much of her career has given her a foundation for helping aspirational designers train for successful careers in design and as leaders. Babette has led the INSEAD MBA collaboration with ArtCenter for many years, providing design students with valuable insights into the world of business. Babette believes that the opportunities that a design education and career have provided her have been both bountiful and rewarding and therefore strives to help others find success and satisfaction using design as a foundation and launch pad.
Designing the Future: Preparing Women for Successful Careers in Industrial Design
In this interview, Babette will share her insights on improving educational and career outcomes for women in industrial design, drawing from her vast experience as a product designer working in consultancies, multinational corporations, freelance work, strategic design consulting, entrepreneurship, and as an educator, department chair, and mentor. She will help attendees understand the unique challenges women experience in the design industry, so that they can develop and adjust their career paths accordingly. Attendees are encouraged to share their insights and perspectives, bringing their lived experiences to the table for this interactive session.
Babette will share her insights on how practitioners and educators can help young designers navigate their careers and move into leadership positions. Design practitioners, educators, and students alike can work together to ensure young designers are prepared for the competitive and ever-evolving design industry. Babette’s experience as both a practitioner and educator will guide attendees in forging successful careers. Through conversation and dialogue, attendees will gain valuable insights into the world of design, from both a practitioner and educator’s point-of-view. By the end of the session, students and early-career designers will be equipped with a range of strategies to ensure successful outcomes in their careers, while practitioners and educators will gain new insight into strategies for collaboration that can help young designers reach their full potential.
