2015 Board Candidate – Western District Vice President
Bio
Jim Agutter is the founder and director of the Multi-Disciplinary Design Program in the College of Architecture + Planning at the University of Utah, director of the Spark Design Initiative and CEO of Applied Medical Visualizations. He has worked on innovation and information design challenges for more than 15 years.
Agutter’s research has focused on the application of 2D and 3D design concepts to large scale, real-time data environments. He has published extensively in the area of information visualization and design challenges in healthcare and cyber-security. In addition, he has seven technology solution patents, many of which have transferred to industry and are currently being used in the field.
Agutter has received the 2004-2005 Creative Achievement Award by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, 2009 University of Utah Honors Professorship, 2013 Early Career Teaching Award and 2014 University of Utah Beacon of Excellence award for his work on transforming undergraduate education.
Statement of Candidacy
I am running for the position of IDSA Western District VP so that I can engage in meaningful discussions about the future of industrial design, be a strong advocate for the value of design and education and help shape the Western District Design Conferences.
I am the founder and director of the new Multi-Disciplinary Design Program at the University of Utah. This program is a Bachelor of Science focused on a front-to-back understanding of product design and development. In this position, I have developed a broad reaching vision for the program, obtained the necessary approvals and created and implemented the curriculum. Throughout this effort, I have promoted the value of design, raised design literacy, encouraged the use of empathic design principles, promoted the practice of making and expanded interdisciplinary collaboration between colleges at the University of Utah.
If I were elected as Vice President, I would continue my efforts to raise the value and visibility of design throughout the Western District. Particularly, I would focus on increasing interdisciplinary collaboration among the fields of design. In addition, I would like to expand connections with academic programs so that there are more conversations, activities and partnerships between industry and academia.
The Western District conference would be an ideal venue to pursue these agenda items through expanded inter-disciplinary themes, connections with academic programs and cutting edge research efforts.
This position also would allow me to invigorate the Western District IDSA chapters with new energy. I would bring together a growing group of industrial designers, educators and product design and development firms that call the west home.
