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Speaker Bios

Ezio Manzini

Distinguished Professor of Design for Social Innovation, Elisava-Design School and Engineering

For over two decades he has been working in the field of design for sustainability. Most recently, his interests have focused on social innovation, considered as a major driver of sustainable changes. In this perspective, he started DESIS: an international network of schools of design, active in the field of design for social innovation and sustainability.

Presently, he is a Distinguished Professor of Design for Social Innovation at Elisava-Design School and Engineering, Barcelona, Honorary Professor at the Politecnico di Milano and Guest Professor at both, Tongji (Shanghai) and Jiangnan (Wuxi) Universities. In addition to his continuous involvement in the design for sustainability arena, working at the Politecnico di Milano, he has explored and promoted design potentialities in different fields, such as: Strategic Design and Service Design.

Most recent books: “Design, When Everybody Designs. An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation”, MIT Press 2015 (currently translated in 7 languages); and “Politics of the Everyday.” Bloomsbury (February 2019).

Awarded the Sir Misha Black Award 2012. Awarded the Compasso d'Oro ADI alla Carriera 2016. The oldest and most influential international design award established in 1954 in Italy.

Dr Rob Phillips

Senior Tutor, Design Products & Futures Programme, RCA

A Product Designer with eighteen years’ experience, working commercially and independently with broad experience (to date) including; five international patents, large scale manufacture with 3+ million products in retail, leading research papers, live saving fire and ballistics equipment, revolutionary material developments, user orientated proposals and involvement in design for team GB. His RCA MA students have raised in excess of £1.5 million through crowdfunding (for their projects). His PhD informed the relationship between Open Design and Citizen Science, resulting in methods taught at MIT Media Lab, Stanford, Cornell and the BBC.

Download the Q&A, Poll question & results here

Useful links and information shared by the panelists:

Ezio Manzini's books: “Design, When Everybody Designs. An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation”, “Politics of the Everyday.”

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Executive Education