Isis Shiffer, IDSA

Founder, Spitfire Industry

Isis is a Brooklyn based industrial designer. She founded Spitfire Industry in 2016. After earning a BFA from the University of Pennsylvania and working as a bicycle frame builder for a few years, Isis returned to school and completed her Master's of industrial design at Pratt Institute. While there she won the international James Dyson Award for her folding paper ecohelmet.

At Spitfire, Isis and her team focus on function-forward products in the sustainability and urban-living spaces. Spitfire's clients include All-Clad, Blix Bicycles, Circadian Optics, Hunter Douglas, Gotrax, T-fal and many more. No matter the project, Isis tries to approach every design with technical rigor and humanism. She believes that it's a designer's responsibility to leave the planet better than they found it, and that designers have the best job in the world.

Isis also teaches industrial design and design business at Pratt Institute and occasionally lectures elsewhere. Outside the studio, she enjoys sailing, cycling, fine art, mountains, and underground music.

Designing your Niche

IDC

Workshop

August 24, 2023

9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Breakout - Plymouth

Presenting with Divya Chaurasia, IDSA

As new technologies and AI gain prominence, it can be a challenge to understand where we fit as creative professionals. Traditional disciplines like industrial, UX and graphic design are evolving, and we must learn to reframe our skillsets to make sense in a changing world.

Fortunately, the core design principles of empathy, functionality and aesthetics remain crucial. As designers, we have the opportunity to use these principles in a widening array of contexts to build long, resilient careers.

This session is geared towards any designer seeking to redefine their practice. Participants will work to distill the real value they bring to their practices in the context of new technology, whether it’s designing an AI protocol or rewriting their resume to apply to jobs outside of the traditional design landscape."

The audience will learn. . .

1. How to reframe traditional design skills for our new professional landscape

2. Core principles to keep in mind when building resumes and portfolios

3. How to define and future-proof yourself as a designer beyond traditional disciplines

Isis Shiffer, IDSA

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