Assistant Professor of Industrial Design, University of Cincinnati
Steven is an expert in User Experience Design and User-Centered Product/ Service Development. He received a BFA from the University of Illinois Chicago and an MA from Ohio State University. His industry credentials include design and leadership positions in consulting, corporate, and entrepreneurial ventures. His current research focuses on "remote work" and its implications on workers' health and well-being.
As an Industrial Design faculty member at the University of Cincinnati, his research and scholarly work focuses on well-being and design entrepreneurialism. He collaborates actively with faculty and students from the College of Nursing, Business, and the regional startup ecosystem. His numerous publications/presentations are internationally recognized, and his students have won several design awards and are members of many of the world's top design organizations.
Statement of Candidacy
The field of Industrial Design is moving into an ever-expanding universe of opportunity. The discipline has matured from a situational development resource to a critical component and competitive edge in creating memorable brand experiences. As the field advances in its versatility, education institutions are constantly reimagining how to provide curriculums that optimize the knowledge and skills needed for integration into the workforce.
I’ve been teaching Industrial Design for the past 16 years. In that time, I have seen a shift from hard goods, product-based solutions to an increasingly growing entrepreneurial spirit whose design solutions strategies center on why a problem should be solved rather than how. While most students I’ve encountered are still securing full-time employment in traditional ID positions, many find opportunities in more design-agnostic areas such as user experience design (not UXUI, just UX), pure design research, and service design. These new opportunity areas come with broader borders to solve wicked problems and, in many instances, a more lucrative future.
On the horizon for our new students and graduates are increasingly lower barriers to entry into entrepreneurial ventures. With outlets like Etsy, Kickstarter, university accelerators, and regional start-up ecosystems, students are exposed to the new realities of taking an idea to market with reduced risk. I view Industrial Design as THE primary discipline to take advantage of this opportunity. From putting our souls on the pin-up board for every critique to losing our bias and becoming user advocates, we educate and prepare our students better than any other discipline to develop and present compelling ideas. The only thing we are missing is a change of attitude from I’m going to work for someone to I’m going to start something.
These two areas, advanced frontiers of ID opportunities and Design Entrepreneurialism, are my passion points. I’ve dedicated my career as an educator to encourage exploration and calculated risk-taking. As a member of the education council, I will bring the knowledge I’ve gained and the network I’ve built to assist IDSA in mapping a pathway of success for our schools and, most importantly, the up-and-coming leaders of our profession.
Steven went above and beyond for IDSA in 2023: He was one of 8 of IDSA’s first pilot program company managers, an Educator Peer Group Facilitator, and speaker at IDSA’s Design Entrepreneurship Deep Dive.
The Water’s Fine! Trust Me: A Candid Discussion on Navigating Design Entrepreneurialism
This panel discussion assembles creative professionals who started their careers graduating from Industrial Design programs and matured in design entrepreneurial pathways. The panelists are experts in successful agency operations, bringing personal projects to reality, and securing funding for big ideas. Our panelists will shed light on key situations that allowed them to submerge themselves into entrepreneurialism’s deep waters, stories of their journeys, and pointed takeaways for all of us who are contemplating going it on our own. When our talk is completed, you will have a chance to ask questions that will assist you in deciding whether to jump…or stay put.
