SYMPOSIUM Universal Design: Design for All People

5:30 – 8:30 pm

Universal Design is the design of products and environments intended to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need of adaptation or specialized design. The concept of Universal Design was first created by Ronald Mace, internationally recognized architect and designer in the 1980s, and has since spread around the world. In Japan, one of the world’s most rapidly aging societies, the universal design approach has been adopted by numerous companies and has become part of everyday life. The symposium aims to offer a deeper understanding of universal design by investigating how demographics, design initiatives and businesses intersect as key factors and players in the development of user-friendly, inclusive products for all people.

Panelists include:
Sam Farber, Founder, OXO International Inc.
Dr. Daniel Fechtner, Director of Stroke Services, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, and Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at New Jersey Medical School
Bruce Hannah, Professor of Art & Design, Pratt Institute
Scott Henderson, former Vice President of Industrial Design, Smart Design, Inc., and Principal, Scott Henderson, Inc.
Hitoshi Kanamori, Project General Manager, Vehicle Engineering Group, Toyota Motor Corporation
Dr. Patricia A. Moore, President, Moore Design Associates and Adjunct Professor of Industrial Design at Arizona State University
Satoshi Nakagawa, Principal, Tripod Design, Inc.
Bruce Nussbaum, Managing Editor and Editorial Page Editor, Business Week
Dianne Pilgrim, Director-Emeritus, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

Download the Participant Bios (PDF format)

Download the Symposium Schedule (PDF format)

Followed by a reception.

Tickets: $20. Members of Japan Society; Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum; and The Industrial Designers Society of America, New York Chapter (IDSANY), $15. Students, $10.