Ph.D; Chair Professor of Design Theory, Practice and Entrepreneurship

Research Interests

design philosophy, design theory and research, design management, interactive design

Social and Academic Positions

[1] 2014-present  Advisory Board  She Ji: Journal of Design, Economics and Innovation published by Tongji University.
[2] 2014.9  Member of External Advisory Board ESMA (EU-funded Initial Training Network in Design Management), London, UK.
[3] 2014.6  Member of International Advisory Board  Faculty of Art and Design, Kadir Has UniversityIstanbul, Istanbul, Turkey.
[4] 2011.3  Member of International Advisory Board  Designskolen Kolding, Kolding, Denmark.
[5] 2010  Member of International Advisory Board  Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), Milan, Italy.
[6] 2009  Member of International Advisory Board Corporate Design and Cultural Diversity.
[7] 2008.9-11  Chair of Panel  International Panel for Evaluation of Arts Research in Finland  Academy of Finland.
[8] 2007-present  Associate Editor  Journal of Writing in Creative Practice published by Intellect Books UK
[9] 2006-present  Editorial Board  International Journal of Design  A publication of the Chinese Institute of Design. Taipei, Taiwan.
[10] 2006.3  Member of Expert Committee  Canada Foundation for Innovation. Toronto, Canada.
[11] 2005.10-2008.11  International Panel Member  Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)
[12] 2002-present  Associate Editor  CoDesign: International Journal of Co-Creation in Design and the Arts published by Taylor & Francis Group, UK.
[13] 2002.9.1-2006.8.31 Departmental Academic Advisor  First Term. School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.

[14] 2002-2003  Member  Design Task Force  Task force to advise on strategic policies for the development of design and design education in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
[15] 2002.3 External Review Committee  “Product Design and Innovation,” an interdisciplinary program of Engineering, Architecture, and Science and Technology Studies. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Troy, New York.
[16] 2001-2009  Editorial Advisory Board  Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education published by Intellect Books UK.
[17] 2001.3  External Referee  Arts and Humanities Research Board, United Kingdom.
[18] 2001.8  External Reviewer  Hong Kong Research Grants Council.
[19] 2001  Art and Design Assessment Panel.
[20] 2000.7-2001.10  Steering Committee  Advance for Design Summit. A forum for the advance of experience design in the networked economy. American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).
[21] 2000.1-2002.1  Advisory Board  “Alliance for Technology, Learning, and Society” (ATLAS). University of Colorado, Boulder.
[22] 1999.10  Member of Jury  Enric Bricall International Design Research Scholarship. Escola Superior de Desseny Elisava. Barcelona, Spain.
[23] 1999.4-5 (also 2001.3-5, 2003.3-5, 2005.4-5, 2006.12-2007.2)  Member of Jury  Primio INTEL Design Award Jury, Milan, Italy.

[24] 1993-present  Co-Editor  Design Issues: A journal of History, Theory, Criticism published by MIT Press.

[25] 1991-1998  Steering and Selection Committees  Revue des sciences et techniques de la conception (The Journal of Design Sciences and Technology) published in French and English by Hermes Press, Paris, France.

[26] 1989-1993  Coordinating Editor  specific numbers of Design Issues.

[27] 1989-1993  Editorial Board  Design Issues.

[28] 1985-1989  Consulting Editor  Design Issues

[29] 1979-1984  Member of Jury  Chicago International Film Festival.

Education Background

1964-1968  University of Chicago  A.B. in Philosophy and Rhetoric

1968-1973  University of Chicago  Ph.D. in Philosophy, Rhetoric & the Arts

Working Experience

2013-present  Department of Design & Innovation, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Professor and Chair

2008-2013  Department of Design & Innovation, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Professor

2007-2013  University of Brighton  Visiting Professor

2006-2009  Univeristy of the Arts London (the London Institute)  Visiting Professor

2003-2008  Carnegie Mellon University School of Design  Professor; Director of Doctoral Studies

1993-present  Design Issues  Co-Editor

1992-2002  Carnegie Mellon University School of Design  Professor; Head

1992  University of  Illinois at Chicago School of Design  Adjunct Assistant Professor

1990-1992  The School of the Art Institute of Chicago  Visiting Designer

1981-1989  University of Illinois at Chicago Department of English  Adjunct Assistant Professor

Projects

[1] 2010.6.18-2010.6.19 Convergence: Managing + Designing. A by-invitation international working conference, sponsored by the Weatherhead School of Management and the Cleveland Institute of Art. Organizer.
[2] 2009.3.37-2009.3.29 Fourth Order Design: Service Design, Interactions, and Social Environments. A by-invitation working conference sponsored by the Weatherhead School of Management and the Cleveland Institute of Art. Organizer.
[3] 2008-2010. Service Experience & the Industrialization of Services: A Theme for Management by Design. Co-Principal Investigator.
[4] 2003-2005. Transformation of the Domestic Mail Manual. Project Director.
[5] 2001. Designing the Australian Tax System. Project’s Chief Design Mentor.
[6] 2001. Transformation of the Domestic Mail Manual: Strategy and Methodologies. Principal Investigator.
[7] 1998.10. Doctoral Education in Design. Sponsored by the Department of Industrial, Interior, and Visual Communication Design at Ohio State University, the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University, and Design Issues. Organizer and Keynote Speaker.
[8] 1998.3.19-1998.3.23. The Republic of Information: An International Symposium on Design for Global Communication. Organizer.
[9] 1996-2002. Managing Design for Customer-Valued Quality: An Interdisciplinary Study of the Role of Engineering Design and Industrial Design in Customer-Valued Quality Innovations. Co-Principal Investigator.
[10] 1994. Communication Strategies in Legislative Design: A Formative Study of Visual and Verbal Communication in Prototypes of New Australian Income Tax Legislation. Principal Investigator.
[11] 1991-1992. Pluralism and Objectivity in Contemporary Culture: Departures from the Philosophy of Richard McKeon. Organizer and Principal Investigator.
[12] 1990.11. Conference on “Discovering Design”. University of Illinois at Chicago. Organizer.

Recent Publications

Books
[1] Buchanan, R., & D. Doordan and V. Margolin (2010). The Designed World: Images, Artifacts, Environments. Berg Publishing.
[2] Buchanan, R., E. Garver (2000). Pluralism in Theory and Practice: Richard McKeon and American Philosophy. Vanderbilt University Press.
Articles
[1] Buchanan, R. (2015). Design on New Ground: The Turn Toward Action, Services & Management. In Jurgen Faust & Sabine Junginger (eds.), Designing Business and Management.
[2] Buchanan, R. (2009). Thinking About Design: An Historical Perspective. In Anthonie Meijers (ed.) Philosophy of Technology and the Engineering Sciences. In Dov Gabbay, Paul Thagard, & John Woods (eds.), Handbook of the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 12. Elsevier.
[3] Buchanan, R. (2008). Introduction: Design and Organizational Change.Design Issues, Vol. XXIV, No. 1.
[4] Buchanan, R., and Breslin, M. (2008). On the Case Study Method of Research and Teaching in Design. Design Issues, Vol. XXIV, No. 1.
[5] Buchanan, R. (2007). Strategies of Design Research: Productive Science and Rhetorical Inquiry. In Ralf Michel, et al. (eds.), Design Research Now: Essays and Selected Projects. Basel, Switzerland: Birkhäuser Board of International Research in Design.
[6] Buchanan, R. (2007). Design. In Wolfgang Donsbach (ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Communication. London: Blackwell Publishing and the International Communication Association.
[7] Buchanan, R. (2006). Anxiety, Wonder and Astonishment: The Communion of Art and Design. In Proceedings of Enhancing Curricula: contributing to the future, meeting the challenges of the 21st century in the disciplines of art, design and communication. London: The Third International Conference of the Centre for Learning and Teaching in Art and Design.
[8] Buchanan, R. (2005). Design Ethics. In Carl Mitcham, et al. (eds), Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics. New York: Macmillan Reference USA.
[9] Buchanan, R. (2005). Design as Inquiry: The Common, Future and Current Ground of Design. In John Redmond, et al. (eds.), Future Ground: Proceedings of the International Conference of the Design Research Society, November 2004. Melbourne: Monash University.
[10] Buchanan, R. (2004). Management and Design: Interaction Pathways in Organizational Life. In Richard Boland and Fred Collope (eds.), Managing as Designing. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press..
[11] Buchanan, R. (2004). Design, Making, and a New Culture of Inquiry. In Daniel P. Resnick and Dana S. Scott (eds.), The Innovative University. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Mellon University Press.
[12] Buchanan, R (2003). Human-Centered Design: Changing Perspectives on Design Education in the East and West. Design Issues, 20(1).
[13] Buchanan, R. (2001). Design Research and the New Learning. Design Issues, Vol. XVII, No. 4.
[14] Buchanan, R. (2001). Design and the New Rhetoric: Productive Arts in the Philosophy of Culture. Philosophy and Rhetoric, 34(3).
[15] Buchanan, R. (2001). Human Dignity and Human Rights: Thoughts on the Principles of Human-Centered Design. Design Issues, Vol. XVII, No. 3.

Honors and Awards

[1] October 29, 2009  Honorary Degree Doctorat Honoris Causa, Université de Montréal.
[2] 2002-2003  Award of Excellence in Technical Communication: Informational Materials. International Technical Publications Competition.
[3] 2002  Distinguished Award. Technical Publications Competition. Society for Technical Communications, Washington, D.C. Chapter. For “A Customer’s Guide to Mailing.”
[4] 2002  Merit Award. Technical Art Competition. Technical Publications Competition. Society for Technical Communications, Washington, D.C. Chapter. For “A Customer’s Guide to Mailing.”
[5] 1973  Ph.D. Examination with Honors
[6] 1969-1973  Fellowships (educational honors).
[7] 1968-1969  Danforth Tutor in the Humanities.
[8] 1964-1968  Dean’s Lists Scholarships.

Internatioal Academic Presentation

[1] February 26, 2015. “Design Education and the Public Good.” Concluding presentation at “International Symposium 2015: Design Thinking for Public Good.” Organized by the Macromedia University of Applied Sciences (MHMK). Munich, Germany.
[2] September 30, 2014. “Leading Design: The Challenge of Innovation.” 11th P&D Design—Brazilian Conference on Design Research and Development. Gramado, RS, Brazil.
[3] May 22-25, 2014. “The Central Concepts of Design: What Should We Teach Our Students Today?” Keynote address at “Re-designing Design Education (III): Design Philosophy” Conference organized by the School of Design, Jiangnan University.
[4] February 7, 2014. “The New Department of Design & Innovation at the Weatherhead.” Presentation in the “Think Again Speakers Series” sponsored by the Houston Alumni Association. Houston.
[5] May 24-26, 2013. “Design: Scope, Method, and Principles.” Keynote address at “Re-designing Design Education (II): Scope, Method, and Principles” Conference organized by the School of Design, Jiangnan University.
[6] March 3, 2013. “Design in Management.” Keynote address. MX 2013: Managing Experience. Organized by Adaptive Path. San Francisco.
[7] May 31 - June 2, 2012. “Experience, Human Interaction, and Service Design.” Keynote address. 2nd Annual Midwest UX Conference, 2012. Columbus, Ohio.
[8] March 8-10, 2012. “Design Research: Problems and Perspectives.” Keynote address. Forum on the Future of Design Education organized by the “Consejo Mexicano para la Acreditación de Programmas de Diseño, A.C.” Held at Centro Universitario de la Costa, Mexico.
[9] December 3-5, 2011. “Leading Design in Organizations.” Keynote address. “Design Management: Towards a New Era of Innovation,” the 2011 Tsinghua-DMI International Design Management Symposium. Organized by the School of Design, Tsinghua University, and the Design Management Institute. Held at Hong Kong.
[10] November 17-18, 2011. “The Expanding Role of Design in Management and Organizational Life.” Keynote address and the Closing Summary Address. Design Business Conference 2011. Organized by the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), Milan, Italy. Held at the IED Barcelona campus. Barcelona, Spain.
[11] November 9-11, 2011. “Interaction Design and the Four Orders of Design.” Keynote address. “International Conference on Interaction Design (ICID): Delight and Responsibility.” Organized by the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Tsinghua University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Held at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Hong Kong.
[12] October 20-21, 2011. “Service Design as Social Communication: Residual, Dominant, and Emergent Practices.” Keynote address and closing summary remarks. “From Sketchbook to Spreadsheet,” the Service Design Global Network Conference of 2011. San Francisco.
[13] May 29, 2011. “The New Place of Design in Management.” Keynote address. “Management Design Forum: Branding, Design, Strategy,” an international conference held at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.
[14] February 10, 2011. “Who Are We, Where Are We, and Where Are We Going?” Keynote address for “IxDA Eleven,” the international conference of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA). Boulder, Colorado.
[15] November 5, 2010. “Design, Management, and Entrepreneurship.” Keynote address at “Design Management: From Education to Enterprises.” Conference and Opening Ceremony for the Design Management Research Lab (DMR). Academy of Art and Design, Art and Science Research Center, Tsinghua University. Beijing, China.
[16] October 18, 2010. “Design Entrepreneurship.” Keynote for the “Design for Social Business (D4SB) Conference, Milan 2010.” Istituto Europeo di Design (IED). Milan, Italy.