Hyejin Lee

Associate Professor of Practice

Brief Introduction

Hyejin is an Associate Professor of practice at the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University. Her research areas are Design Driven Entrepreneurship, Design thinking and Industry 4.0,  AI and its practical applications, etc. Before joining Tongji, she founded THE MEME, foresight design strategy consultancy in 2006 in Boston USA which helps companies to define business opportunity and design new product and service strategies by conducting rigorous qualitative and quantitative research.

As founder and thought leader Hyejin has over 20 years of professional and academic experience in various design disciplines. She provides an expert’s design perspective to clients across a wide range of industries including consumer electronics, healthcare, robotics, automobiles and many start-ups. The clients includes Microsoft, iRobot, Samsung Electronics, LG, Georg Fischer, Boeing and other innovation-centric firms, developing design strategy at the intersection of emerging technology and customer experience.

Aa a frequent invited speaker and lecturer, she has a special interest in design leadership, innovation, and interaction with technology and user experience. Her recent speaking engagements include Harvard Kennedy School, School of Engineer and Applied Science at Harvard University, MIT IDM(Integrated Design Management), CKGSB(Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business)  etc. She also taught at Seoul National University, Yonsei University. He was appointed as a Global Leader Mentor of Korean Innovation Center from Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.

Hyejin earned a BFA (Bachelors of Fine Arts) degree in Industrial Design from Faculty of Design at Seoul National University, MFA in Environmental design from Ewha Womans University in Korea and a MDes (Master in Design Studies) at the Graduate School of Design from Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts in USA.

Selected Research Project

•     Residential and commercial building facilities strategy including service strategy for a real estate development organization in Guangzhou China_2022

•     Industry wastewater treatment system innovation with industry 4.0 technology : Georg Fischer_2020

•     Envisioning new business model for the Future Aviation Food Service System : Boeing_2019

•     Augmented and Alternative Communication platform : Gyeonggi-do Rehabilitation Service center_2017

•     Product strategy for the new generation television : LG Electronics _2016

•     Connected Car User Experience : Samsung  Electronics_2016

•     Sleep tracking platform UX strategy : Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical school_2015

•     UX strategy for Spacial awareness robotic vacuum cleaner : iRobot _2014

•     Medicine Adherence user experience strategy : ETRI_2014

•     Wearable Robot : Samsung Electronics_2014

•     Inclusive User Experience for Mobile device : Samsung Electronics_2014

•     Multi-modal UX Design for In-vehicle Infotainment : Samsung Electronics_2013

•     Future cooking experience archetype : Samsung  Electronics_ 2012

Teaching Experience

•     Tongji University(同济大学) Shanghai, China  2017-present               
- Business model(Design Driven Entrepreneurship)
- Open Design       
- Global design course-SUGAR ME310                            

•     Kookmin University Seoul, Korea 2001-2002
Adjunct Professor/ Graduate School of Technology and Design
Department of Interior Architecture Design

•     Seoul National University Seoul, Korea 1996-2000

     Adjunct Professor/ Department of Design

•     Yonsei University Seoul, Korea 2001-2002

     Visiting Professor/ College of Liberal Arts

•     Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea 1991-1994

     Visiting Professor/ Department of Design

Education Background

•     Master in Design Studies Harvard University May, 2003
Majored Digital media and production environment

•     Master of Fine Art  Ewha Womans University February, 1991
Majored Environmental design

•     Bachelor of Fine Arts Seoul National University February, 1989
Majored Industrial design

Work Experience

•     THE MEME incubator Shanghai in China CEO 2018~ present

•     THE MEME Inc. Cambridge, USA CEO 2006 – 2020

•     Organic Parking Inc. Cambridge, USA Co-founder 2013 – 2018

•     Invivia Cambridge, USA Director 2004 – 2006

•     Cheil Worldwide Seoul, Korea Senior manager 1995 – 2000

Publications 

•     Terzidis, Kostas, Filippo Fabrocini, and Hyejin Lee, "Deep permutation design", Leonardo Journal (forthcoming)

•     Terzidis, Kostas, Filippo Fabrocini, and Hyejin Lee, "Unintentional Intentionality: Art and design in the age of artificial intelligence", AI & Society Journal (forthcoming)

Contact

Email hyejin@tongji.edu.cn