Assistant Professor, Industrial & Interaction Design, Syracuse University
Louise Manfredi, PhD, joined the industrial and interaction design program within the School of Design as an assistant professor in 2017.
Before joining Syracuse University, Manfredi was an assistant professor at Millersville University of Pennsylvania in applied engineering, safety, and technology. She has also held non-teaching positions as a grant manager at the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) and as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Chicago, studying the influence of finger skin biomechanics on somatosensory processing.
Manfredi’s primary research interest centers on sustainable product development and how the decisions designers and engineers make affect the environment during the life cycle of these products. She is particularly focused on the development of sustainable/environmentally conscious toolkits that give future designers access to cutting-edge techniques in product development and manufacture. She is also interested in the assessment and development of polymer alternatives in the prototyping phase of product development. These materials should be biodegradable, unlike the polystyrene-based materials that are commonplace in the field of design.
Manfredi is an active member in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), and the Design Research Society (DRS). She holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering (2011) and a B.Des. in product design (2006) from the University of Leeds, UK.
Statement of Candidacy (Education Council – Northeast | 2022-2023 term)
I care deeply about promoting the educational achievements of our students and faculty across the region. I believe that I have exemplified my dedication to teaching by being awarded a 2020 IDSA Young Educator of the Year Award, and now I would like the opportunity to contribute to the broader organizational mission.
In particular, I would like to join the education team to build on the excellent work of those leaving the position, to strategize ways to connect student groups across districts and create networking opportunities for faculty to connect beyond the conference circuit. I would also enjoy the opportunity to work with the IDSA Education Committee leadership to strengthen the academic output from the International Design Conference, such as a special issue journal, or an edited book.
Design for Sustainability Ability: Exploring Supply and Demand
This presentation discusses research-in-progress that seeks to understand the relationship between what design for sustainability (DfS) skills are taught in higher education, and what DfS skills are desired by industry. Sharing our preliminary results that look at the prominence of Design for Sustainability in universities in Australia, the UK, and the USA, we evaluate how academia has responded to the call to action from thought leaders in the circular economy, green capitalism, and cradle to cradle methodologies. We compare the current data with data collected a decade ago to track progress and now seek to open a dialog with design practitioners to understand DfS demand.
Does industry want industrial designers who have DfS ability? How highly is the ability prioritized? Is focused knowledge in sustainability preferred to a broader understanding? Ultimately, we want to understand how wide the chasm between Design for Sustainability supply and demand is, and strategize ways in which academia and industry can work together to bridge the gap.
Since arriving at Syracuse University as an Assistant Professor in the School of Design’s Industrial and Interaction Design (IID) program about three years ago, Dr. Louise Manfredi, IDSA, has made a significant impact.
She has worked on connections between SU’s School of Engineering and IID departments, resulting in a major increase of Engineering students taking IID classes. She also has involved many students in research projects, greatly adding to their educational experience, and is currently developing a new curriculum for the IID program with a focus on trans-disciplinary classes.
Dr. Manfredi has been instrumental in developing and growing Invent@SU, a program pairing Engineering students with Industrial Design students. Invent@SU helps transform undergraduate students into inventors as they design, prototype and pitch original devices. Students learn about design, ideation and intellectual property, then conceive an original invention, prototype and refine it in response to weekly feedback from diverse audiences of guest evaluators. Each year, this program continues to grow under her leadership. As a follow-up to Invent@SU, several student start-ups have moved into the Blackstone LaunchPad, which has allowed them to further develop their ideas and successfully compete in national business competitions.
Additionally, Dr. Manfredi helped pilot and is an advisor to Women in Design: a student group focused on empowering women, encouraging creativity and advocating for equality in every field. Having received her Bachelor’s in Product Design and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds, she is respected and admired by her students as a professor who cares, listens, and leads by selfless example.
Panel Discussion: Design Exchange, Crossing Disciplines & Professions
Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial in the design industry, so why don’t we teach that way more often in higher education? Starting with case studies of two successful collaborations in industrial design education, with occupational therapy and with engineering, we will explore a variety of issues.
How do the various lenses on “users” overlap and complement each other to prepare students for industry success? How do you overcome academic silos to create and maintain an interdisciplinary program? How does the educational experience change? And what foundations of ID education need to change to support these better ways of learning?
Moderator: Keith Instone – Founder, Dexterity User Experience
Panelists:
