David Kelley

David Kelley's EE degree from CMU landed him in the engineering departments of NCR and Boeing, where he eventually discovered that the rigid world of corporate design was not for him. Through a friend, he learned about Stanford's Joint Program in Design, and happily returned to school.

After earning his master's in 1978 he started his own design firm, vowing to only work on cool projects with people he liked. The company he founded became IDEO, a worldwide leader in the user-centered design of products, services, and environments. IDEO is recognized as much for its process and culture as for its work. In May 2004 a Business Week cover article, "The Power of Design," profiled IDEO and its work helping companies change the way they innovate.

David also began teaching design at Stanford in 1978, and became a tenured professor in 1991. David now heads Stanford's d.school, and he is on a mission to add "design thinking" to Stanford's existing competence of teaching analytical thinking. This will result in students who create delightful design experiences and embrace and promote a culture of innovation.

He's been a guest teacher at the D-School in early spring 2009.