Video: John Maeda
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Filmed on: October 15, 2010
About this
video
In this current moment of economic uncertainty, we are
all taking stock and once again turning to innovation as the silver
bullet that will guide us forward. Yet in the eyes of many leaders,
innovation seems tightly coupled with science, technology, engineering
and math—the STEM subjects. Maeda posits that we need to add STEAM to
STEM by adding art. Through an on-the-ground exploration at leading art
and design college Rhode Island School of Design, Maeda argues that the
critical thinking, critical making and creative leadership embodied in
the arts and design can lead us to an enlightened form of innovation
where art, design, technology and business meet. By way of this
post-digital renaissance, Maeda envisions a world where a bit of our
humanity will be restored.
Speaker bio
John Maeda is a
world-renowned artist, graphic designer, computer scientist and educator
whose career reflects his philosophy of humanizing technology. For more
than a decade, he has worked to integrate technology, education and the
arts into a 21st century synthesis of creativity and innovation. Maeda
became president of the Rhode Island School of Design
in June 2008. At RISD, Maeda seeks to champion the necessary role that
artists and designers play in the 21st century creative economy.
A former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Maeda taught media arts and sciences there for 12 years and served as
associate director of research at the MIT Media Lab. He has published
four books, including his most recent, The Laws of Simplicity. In 2008 Maeda was named one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century by Esquire magazine and in 2010 was named an AIGA Medalist
for his exceptional contribution to the field of design. A native of
Seattle, Maeda earned bachelor's and master's degrees in computer
science and electrical engineering from MIT, followed by a PhD in design
science from the University of Tsukuba Institute of Art and Design in
Japan and a MBA from Arizona State University.