Alex Lobos, IDSA

Professor and Graduate Director of ID, Rochester Institute of Technology & Research Fellow Emeritus, Autodesk

Alex explores design, technology, sustainability and emotional attachment as means to elevate quality of life. He is Professor and Graduate Director of Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology, and Research Fellow Emeritus at Autodesk. At RIT, Alex leads a top-ranking program focused on interdisciplinary collaboration, accessible technology and applied design research. Alex and his students have partnered with Autodesk, AT&T, Colgate-Palmolive, General Electric, Makerbot, Stryker, Staples, and Unilever, in projects covering digital fabrication, sustainable behaviors, learning futures, generative design, and everyday living.

Enhancing Design (Neuro)diversity

Main Stage

Track 4

Thurs - Sept 23

12:30 am EDT

Design typically addresses neurodiversity by meeting users’ cognitive, sensory, and social needs. While these are solutions that can lead to a more inclusive society, there hasn’t been much discussion about how designers who are neurodiverse themselves can balance their personality and cognitive traits with the intensity of the design profession. This presentation will explore key strategies for integrating design and neurodiversity as well as understanding how traits common in autism, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, etc. can be reframed to enhance problem-solving, empathy, and creativity.