Collaborators
Despite its curious name Big Red Rooster is one of the premier innovation firms, with strengths in product, communications and retail design. It is also my former employer.
Shiny Object Design is the Interaction Design firm started by Jason Wintersteller and Paul Rothrock, previously of Big Red Rooster and Fitch. They focus on the design of small screen displays for handheld products, web-based applications and other interaction design issues.
Peacock Nine is a market research and strategy firm that uses some remarkable methods to understand consumers, and enable clients to make informed decisions. They do some very interesting work.
Herbst Lazar Bell is one of the oldest, most successful, and still most innovative product design firms in the industry.
Northwestern University has one of the only Master's of Product Development programs in the US. It is an intense, hands-on, executive program focusing on all aspects of product development including innovation, manufacturing, project management, industrial design, intellectual property and human factors. I teach the human factors portion.
Bruce Claxton, Mark Palmer, Craig Siddoway and a very talented team of designers and social scientists at Motorola Design Integration seem to be getting design right. They have integrated their design research, industrial design, interaction design and human factors into one department that does some fantastic work.
Mark Nagy at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio has been developing a very good industrial/organizational master's degree program. Students have had good success transitioning into jobs as well as further doctoral study.
