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Illinois Tech - School of Design and Society Official account of Illinois Tech's School of Design and Society. Design, policy, media & social impact.

In his latest story, Associate Industry Professor Tony Bynum (MBA, MDM ‘07), explores kinetic learning, an approach that...
10/19/2026

In his latest story, Associate Industry Professor Tony Bynum (MBA, MDM ‘07), explores kinetic learning, an approach that embeds professional development into the work itself, allowing teams to build new capabilities while solving real business challenges.

Drawing parallels to Formula 1 racing, Bynum explains why success isn't just about moving fast, but about adapting quickly. Rather than pulling employees away from their work for traditional training, organizations can use live projects, experimentation, and reflection to turn learning into measurable progress.

With 39 percent of core job skills expected to change by 2030, the ability to learn, adapt, and apply new knowledge in real time is increasingly important. Bynum highlights how organizations can bridge the gap between learning and ex*****on while building the agility needed to stay competitive.

Read the full story to explore why kinetic learning matters and how organizations can build capabilities without slowing down: https://id.iit.edu/story/why-learning-while-doing-is-now-a-leadership-imperative/

School of Design and Society Professor Carly A. Kocurek explores the history, design, and cultural influence of the Ulti...
10/15/2026

School of Design and Society Professor Carly A. Kocurek explores the history, design, and cultural influence of the Ultima series in "Ultima and Worldbuilding in the Computer Role-Playing Game," co-authored with Matthew Thomas Payne.

The book examines how tabletop role-playing, computer programming, storytelling, marketing, and fan communities came together to shape the computer RPG genre. Through archival research, analysis of the games and their surrounding media, and insights from fan communities, Kocurek and Payne explore the creative choices and cultural forces that helped establish Ultima's lasting influence on gaming.

Interested in the research behind the book? Listen to Kocurek and Payne discuss their work with host Rudolf Thomas Inderst: https://newbooksnetwork.com/ultima-and-worldbuilding-in-the-computer-role-playing-game

What does it look like to use design to create change at a systems level?Masha Safina (MDM 2013) is a service design dir...
10/13/2026

What does it look like to use design to create change at a systems level?

Masha Safina (MDM 2013) is a service design director at Accenture Song, where she works across technology, business, and social impact, primarily with public sector clients.

In her alumni story, Safina reflects on her journey from architecture to strategic design and how human-centered design, systems thinking, and research have shaped her work. She also shares how her experience at the School of Design and Society prepared her to navigate complex challenges across health care, public services, and digital transformation.

Read the full story to learn more about Safina’s career and perspective on the evolving role of service design: https://bit.ly/4ybVAsN

One of our favorite spots on campus, a place for community and connection. Where are some of your favorite spots on camp...
10/07/2026

One of our favorite spots on campus, a place for community and connection. Where are some of your favorite spots on campus?

What does it mean to design for AI when the technology is evolving faster than we can predict?For Tanvi Waghray (MDes 20...
10/06/2026

What does it mean to design for AI when the technology is evolving faster than we can predict?

For Tanvi Waghray (MDes 2025), it means thinking beyond interfaces and focusing on how people and intelligent systems can work together with clarity and confidence.

Now an Experience Designer at Grainger, Tanvi designs AI-powered tools for call center teams while exploring questions around trust, communication, collaboration, and the evolving role of UX.

Reflecting on how her experience at the School of Design and Society prepared her to navigate this work, Tanvi shares what she has learned early in her career, and why curiosity remains one of the most valuable qualities a designer can have.

Read the full interview to learn more about Tanvi’s journey and her perspective on the future of design: https://bit.ly/4ywE8Ae

What can design do for the people and systems it serves?The School of Design and Society highlighted "What Are People Fo...
10/01/2026

What can design do for the people and systems it serves?

The School of Design and Society highlighted "What Are People For," a multimedia legacy project honoring former Dean Patrick Whitney and his enduring influence on the field of design.

The project brought together a documentary by filmmaker Gary Hustwit, a book designed by Rick Valicenti, and a series of conversations and public programs exploring Whitney’s vision of design as a force for more humane, resilient, and democratic systems.

The documentary also premiered at World Design Capital Open Design Week 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany, continuing a conversation about the role design can play in addressing some of the world’s most complex challenges.

Read the full story to learn more about Patrick Whitney’s legacy and "What Are People For": https://bit.ly/3W0peE0

Different years, familiar scenes.Students designing, sharing ideas, getting feedback and learning together. A look at so...
09/29/2026

Different years, familiar scenes.
Students designing, sharing ideas, getting feedback and learning together. A look at some of the moments that made these years memorable.

What happens when a design framework has been around for more than 30 years? You test it, challenge it, and ask what mig...
09/24/2026

What happens when a design framework has been around for more than 30 years? You test it, challenge it, and ask what might be missing.
In a new piece from the School of Design and Society, Andrew Russell, Michael George, and Jeremy Alexis explore whether the 5E Framework is still relevant to experience design today.
After speaking with 14 experience designers, innovation strategists, and design researchers, the answer was clear: yes. But their conversations also revealed opportunities to build on the framework, particularly when it comes to capturing the human, social, and cultural layers of experience.
The authors explore what designers love about the 5E Framework, where it falls short and how complementary frameworks could help designers better understand and shape human experiences.
Read the full story to explore their findings and what could come next for experience design:https://id.iit.edu/story/beyond-the-5e-framework/

Professor Weslynne Ashton joined The Provocateurs podcast—hosted by Thinkers50’s Des Dearlove and Deloitte’s Geoff Tuff—...
09/22/2026

Professor Weslynne Ashton joined The Provocateurs podcast—hosted by Thinkers50’s Des Dearlove and Deloitte’s Geoff Tuff—to talk about rethinking value in business through the lens of sustainability, circular economy, and multi-capital frameworks.
Listen in as she shares insights from her work in industrial ecology to systems-level thinking: https://bit.ly/4ir3Ayz

09/16/2026

What happens to specialized design knowledge when the person who developed it is no longer around to teach it?

That question sparked AskChuck, a research project by Anurag Duddu (MDes 2025) at the School of Design and Society. The project explores how AI can make the systems thinking methods of Charles L. Owen, who spent four decades developing design methodologies, more accessible to new generations of designers.

AskChuck uses AI to make Owen’s 20 published papers, 176 pages of frameworks and more than 70 original diagrams searchable and interactive. Unlike a general AI tool, the system is grounded specifically in Owen’s work and provides responses with citations and references to his original methods.

The research found that AI can help preserve and extend specialized design knowledge while maintaining the terminology, structure and precision that make those methods useful. It also highlights what AI cannot replace, including the judgment and experience of a teacher.

Learn more about AskChuck: https://bit.ly/4xo6r2K

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School Of Design And Society, 3137 S Federal Street
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60616

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