My main research interest and practice are centered in social design – using design as a process to create change in areas and systems not normally served by design. I employ ethnographic and participatory research methods to get at the heart of a person’s or organization’s needs and believe that a collaborative approach to problem-solving is the most effective. Involving stakeholders in the design process from the beginning can produce tremendous results, whether the task at hand is rethinking an educational model, developing a communications strategy, or working with a rural family create new sources of income.

More recently, I have become interested in the micro economies created by local production of design and craft products and the way these new industries are creating innovative and desirable products that utilize America’s manufacturing history and infrastructure.