Doreen Lorenzo
Thinking About Design
Opening Keynote
Tuesday 17 October, 3PM
@ MIL Auditorium
Design Thinking is a current buzz phrase, and yet it’s harder than ever for organizations to do. Everyone is under constant pressure to do more with less. As more companies fail to become the next big thing, and as we watch a freeze descend on the unicorns of Silicon Valley, the risk is that Design could be cast aside as another empty, meaningless phrase. But we can’t let Design fade away, just when we were finally beginning to appreciate the value of creativity and commerce combined. To make a difference in the world, we need to understand what Design is, and what it is not. Higher Education can play a valuable role in teaching people how to use Design effectively. We need to make sure that we have an interdisciplinary approach to Design to make sure it is effective. We need to understand the changing nature of Design and adapt our curriculum accordingly and most importantly we need to instill empathy as a core principle.
A successful leader of global creative firms, Lorenzo has advised Fortune 100 companies on design and innovation issues for decades. She is the former president of the global design firms frog and Quirky, co-founder of the mobile video insights firm Vidlet, a board member and adviser to several startup companies, and a columnist for Fast Company Co.Design and Medium. A thought leader on business and design issues, she speaks publicly about her signature leadership style and the power of empathy to drive business results.
As Director of the Center for Integrated Design, Lorenzo leads an advisory group tasked with integrating design studies curricula in the College of Fine Arts, the McCombs School of Business, the School of Information, the Cockrell School of Engineering, the School of Architecture and the Department of Computer Science in the College of Natural Sciences. New curricular options will offer students opportunities to study design from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Lorenzo also works to create corporate and industry partnerships that connect students and faculty members to local, national, and international firms seeking design-savvy graduates.
