John Swansey, IDSA | Director, Design & User Experience | Lenovo
As Director of Design and User Experience at global computer-maker Lenovo’s US headquarters, John oversees design for a dynamic worldwide product portfolio under the ThinkPad, ThinkCentre, ThinkVision, ThinkStation and ThinkServer brands including portable and desktop computers, workstations, servers, peripherals and accessories in collaboration with designers in China, Japan and the US.
John has held a variety of design leadership positions at Lenovo and IBM, leading design of high-profile consumer and commercial product lines, advanced concepts, graphic design and corporate identity.
His work in collaboration with Richard Sapper has appeared in numerous museum exhibitions and publications including Domus magazine, Design Secrets:
Products, the Chicago Athaeneum and New York’s Museum of Modern Art. John has lectured on design, innovation and global business at the Rhode Island School of Design, Duke University, University of North Carolina’s Kenan School of Business, and North Carolina State’s School of Design. His designs have won over 30 dozen national and international design awards including IDEA Gold, CES Innovations Best of Category, Red Dot Best of the Best, iF Best of Category, G-Mark, and Red Star. With a portfolio of over two dozen design and utility patents he has attained the rank of Master Inventor.
John earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Harvard, a master’s degree in industrial design from RISD, and has studied at MIT and Domus Academy in Milan, Italy.
