Renowned educator and designer Leslie Speer is the Chair of Product Design at MICA and the other faculty come from leading industry and organizations such as Stanley Black & Decker, Booz Allen Hamilton, and more. Regular visits from practicing designers in the studio enhance student exposure to a diversity of design practices and perspectives. If you are interested in learning more about the department and the faculty, come visit us. Reach out to our administrative assistant and she will help you to plan your visit.
Leslie Speer is a designer and educator with over 20 years experience working for companies and clients in the U.S., Europe, Central America and Mexico, such as Dupont, Philips, Oracle/Sun Microsystems, Frog Design, the Costa Rican Ministry of Culture, Banamex and various non-governmental organizations.
Juan Carlos Noguera is an Industrial/Product Designer, he holds a Masters of Industrial Design (MID) from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and a Bachelors of Industrial design (BID) from Universidad Rafael Landivar, in Guatemala city. A native Guatemalan, he was raised in a colorful and vivid culture. He quickly developed an interest in how things were made, tearing everything he owned apart, and putting it back together, often with a few leftover pieces. After graduation and a succession of projects related to design for development, Juan was chosen as a Fulbright fellow for the class of 2013 by the U.S. Department of State. He went on to be the lead designer for Voxel8, helping create the world’s first 3D Electronics printer. Juan was awarded as one of MIT Technology Review’s “Innovators under 35” LATAM in 2017. Juan Noguera website: https://www.no.com.gt/
Creative, high-energy designer with 11 years of design experience, including 5 years developing high end cycling equipment at Specialized Bicycle Components. Specialized in industrial design, model making, CAD modeling and design development of consumer electronics, medical devices, cycling equipment and power tools. First hand experience facilitating design development and manufacturing with both local and international suppliers. Maintains a focus on improving the interaction between users and their environment and how design can better facilitate positive user experiences. Currently working as a Sr. Industrial Designer at Stanley Black & Decker for their product expansion division.
Gabriel Concari is a highly accomplished professional industrial designer and strategic thinker with leadership experience and effective communication skills. Gabe is fluent in Spanish and has a solid track record of more than 60 products in production for top brands such as Stanley Black and Decker, DeWalt, Porter Cable, Bostich, and Fiskars. He has been a guest lecturer and student project advisor at a number of colleges and universities in the mid-Atlantic. He brings a unique point of view to the product design studio at MICA, with an expertise in human factors, ergonomics, and user-centered design. His years of industry experience provide students with a resource that helps them make the transition from college to a professional career.
Timothy DeVoe is an artist working in the media of sculpture, installation and interactive art. Tim received a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and an MFA in sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has exhibited work internationally as well as across the continental United States. Tim Devoe website: http://timothydexterdevoe.com/
With a Masters in Industrial Design from Cranbrook and a Masters in Architecture from Tulane, Mike has combined his background to create positive solutions in the built environment of Baltimore. With a family history in higher-education & the building trades, his career is based on the notion that the reunion of planning & execution can integrate processes, grow competencies, inform creativity & help improve the built environment. His long career in the military brings an extra added "can do" perspective to the studio.
As a user-centered designer who claims to be able to get along with nearly anyone, Julie has spent her career arguing. Arguing to have user needs be the top design priority with program managers and technical staff. Advocating human centered solutions ranging from military helmet designs, special operations aircraft systems and personal communications gear to government IT systems. Doing this work with Booz Allen Hamilton over the past 13 years has given her a rich understanding of design and research techniques for a wide range of clients. Julie's work can be traced by the evolution of her career identity - from user centered product designer to army maintenance officer to human factors psychologist to human systems integration (HSI) analyst to a user experience (UX) strategist to design thinking facilitator. The common link has always been user advocacy based and he is excited to see what she will be called next. Moving forward, Julie still hopes for a world where everything can be used intuitively without directions, where every device’s unsightly wiring is unseen and where she arrives early for all meetings, kids sporting and scouting events.
Jessica is a Senior Industrial Design 3D Specialist at Stanley Black and Decker, where she designs professional power tools for the DEWALT brand. Outside of her work, she has instructed at regional makerspaces ( Open Works and The Foundery) provided technical support at digital fabrication labs and assisted in the design of a range of products. One of her most notable projects is public sculpture design for Light City Baltimore; America’s first large-scale festival of art, music and innovation. Jessica Searfino website: https://www.jessicasearfino.com/