e
Playful Designer and Researcher
Collin Smith
Mesa, AZ
- Contact
- Save to list
-
About
My varied interests in puppetry, ping pong, modularity, new socks, kids, stop motion, family bonds, wood, surprise endings, sewing, the unattainable definitions of random words that some how seem to always pop into my mind, sticky-notes, retro furniture, playful artifacts, and fresh pillows, basically boil down to two main complementary pursuits I call Playful Innovation:
1. helping designers have fun through playful user-centered design methods
2. creating engaging experiences for kids and their parents through participatory research methods. -
Education
-
Masters of Design Design ResearchIllinois Institute of Technology2011 - 2013Studying design research is helping me deepen my empathy for others, make sense of their behaviors, and design more meaningful products.
-
Bachelor of Science Industrial DesignArizona State University2004 - 2009
-
-
Experience
-
Design Facilitator & Toy BloggerPlayful Factory (Sole Proprietorship)Aug 2010 - Present (15 years 10 months)Facilitating monthly toy design projects through this interactive blog allows me to help children explore their creative abilities as I guide them through a simplified design process developing and building their own toys.
-
Senior Associate DesignerSC JohnsonSep 2013 - Sep 2014 (1 year)Improving the lives of people around the globe through home cleaning innovations and other epic international design adventures. Let's grab a muffin and talk about it sometime.
-
iPRO Assistant InstructorIllinois Institute of TechnologyAug 2012 - May 2013 (9 months)I am assisting two Interprofessional Projects Program (iPRO) teams made up of various undergraduate concentrations and disciplines. We are work together to solve a real-world problem using a condensed innovation process. This role has been just as much innovation project management as it has been teaching.
-
Design Research & Strategy InternIA CollaborativeFeb 2012 - Jul 2012 (5 months)Assisting the research and strategy team is providing me with hands-on experience and exposure to the challenges and excitement of helping our clients innovate. It is a great opportunity to be able to work with multi-disciplinary designers, ethnographic researchers, and strategists as we go through user-centered design activities including; user research, contextual research, data analysis, framework creation, insights generation, concept development, and strategic planning.
-
DesignerPlayful StudiosAug 2008 - Aug 2011 (3 years)As a design consultant, I help make business fun by developing new products, brands, websites, interactions, and experiences.
-
DesignerTenshonNov 2009 - Mar 2011 (1 year 4 months)I managed the design, marketing, production, and purchasing process in the manufacturing and distribution of tensile shade for commercial and residential use, including; shade sails, shade canopies, shade umbrellas, and shade structures.
-
Guest DesignerModerncat StudioSep 2009 - Jan 2010 (4 months)Working with Kate Benjamin at Modercat Studio gave me the opportunity to design and hand-make a chew toy line for cats.
-
DesignerSquint StudioAug 2008 - Jan 2010 (1 year 5 months)I leveraged my industrial design experience, along with my partners' intellectual property and business smarts, to help turn people's thoughts into things.
-
DesignerBoon Inc.Feb 2008 - Sep 2009 (1 year 7 months)At Boon I started as an intern and was later hired as a staff industrial designer and project manager. Working as a team we developed product 'Innovations for Modern Parents'.
-
Designer and FabricatorCreative Home EngineeringMay 2007 - Feb 2008 (9 months)As part of a team of mechanical engineers and industrial designers I experienced extreme problem solving as we designed and built custom secret passageways for residential and commercial use.
-
-
Awards
Student Merit Award Candidate (IDSA 2009) / Honorable Mention (2008 IHA Housewares Competition) / Dean's List for College of Design (2006-2009)
-
Affiliations
IDSA, IxDA
-
Industries
-
Skills
-
Elsewhere on the Web
-
On Coroflot@CollinGlennSmith, member since 2007