Master of Design: John Maeda at RISD

FastCompany featured John Maeda in their Masters of Design Issue, with a focus on his new appointment as President of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). I've known about Maeda for some time now, as my sister, Sami Nerenberg, is not only a recent graduate of the Industrial Design Department but also the first RISD Professor of Sustainable Design. (Her class website can be found here).

The FastCompany article explores the intersection and challenges of bringing someone on board from the "techie" world of MIT. I couldn't be happier about the appointment. I agree with a thread of the article insisting that the blend of the digitally-conscious, technologically motivated, systems-thinking world of MIT with the fine arts-appreciating, design-conscious, detail and product-oriented nature of RISD is a powerful concoction. Furthermore, I don't think that the depiction of RISD as only a creative-focused, fine arts appreciating environment is entirely accurate. Such traditional "arts" appreciation might be the focus in the Foundation Year and I could be biased by the fact that my sister was in the ID Department and is, along with Maeda now, trying to influence the School in a more "systems"-thinking direction, but I think that there is a receptiveness already inherent in designers and in the design world to thinking holistically and ecologically about products, how they are designed, and how they fit into the greater ecosystem that is our global society.

I am absolutely looking forward to seeing where Maeda takes the School and I am so proud of my sister for being such a positive force in RISD's historic change.