Bio
Background
Dan joined Iowa State College of Design in 2015 as a lecturer after having worked in the furniture industry with a focus on creating furniture designs that optimize the manufacturing process. He graduated from Iowa State with a Masters in Industrial Design and began work with the Forward Learning Experience. The Forward Learning Experience (FLEx) allows for K-12 students, teachers, and local business to receive hands-on experiences with virtual reality, immersive visualization, interactive circuit building, and 3-D printing.
Research and Teaching
Dan's research interests include: Collaborative Design Processes for Non-designers and "Makers", additive manufacturing and new materials, and how augmented and virtual reality are shaping the design process. He is teaching the Sophomore studio for Industrial Design in which the students learn the core skills to develop as industrial designers.
Research Interests
Material optimization, exploration, and new material use; 3D printing for model making and rapid prototyping; CAD as a generative ideation tool; Product Photography; Virtual Reality for Empathy Development and product development; Toys - specifically Action Figures; Soft Good development; Assistive technology and products.
Current Projects
I am passionate about making, experimenting, and how people interact with and experience designed products. Along with this, I am always curious about the memories we as designers can evoke through our desired products and experiences. This passion allows me to develop learning experiences for my students they will enjoy and get the most out of. I work hard to create and bring in industry/ real world projects, applications, and experiences for my students. I truly enjoy sharing my knowledge of design, making, and materials with my students.
I have worked as a furniture designer and freelance designer though many fields. Including soft good development, assistive device development and production, synthetic anatomical teaching models, etc. I am thrilled when I can apply experimentation to the making process, through exploring “new” materials, regenerative materials (including plastics), and circular approaches to material use and product development.