David M. Kelley
Encyclopedia
David M. Kelley is an American
businessman, entrepreneur
, designer
, engineer
, and teacher
. He is founder, chairman, and managing partner of the design firm IDEO
and a professor
at Stanford University
. He has received several honors for his contributions to design and design education.
. His brother is Tom Kelley the General Manager of IDEO and author of The Art of Innovation and The Ten Faces of Innovation.
He is married to Kc Branscomb, a former CEO of IntelliCorp
, whom he met through mutual friend Steve Jobs
.
at Carnegie-Mellon University in 1973. and began work as an engineer, first at Boeing
and later at NCR
.
At Boeing, he was responsible for the design of the Lavatory Occupied sign for the 747
airplane.
This experience led him to return to school. In 1978, he earned his master's degree from the Joint Program in Design
at Stanford University
, popularly called the Product Design program.
In 1978, he partnered with another Stanford Product Design graduate, Dean Hovey, to form Hovey-Kelley Design. Hovey left to pursue other interests and the firm was renamed David Kelley Design DKD.
In 1984, he was a cofounder of Onset Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm.
He also cofounded Edge Innovations, a special-effects company responsible for the whales in the Free Willy
movies, among many other film credits.
In 1991, Kelley merged DKD with three other design firms (Mike Nuttall's Matrix Product Design in Palo Alto, ID TWO in San Francisco, and Moggridge Associates in London, both founded by Bill Moggridge
) to create IDEO, which he ran as CEO until 2000. As chairman and managing partner, Kelley continues to play an active role at IDEO.
In 1991, he became a tenured professor, and was named the Donald W. Whittier Professor in Mechanical Engineering in 2002.
In 2004, David led the creation of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, known as the "d.school."
In 2009, he was awarded the Edison Achievement Award by the Thomas Edison Papers at Rutgers University
for his “pioneering contributions to the design of breakthrough products, services, and experiences for consumers, as well as his development of an innovative culture that has broad impact.”
In 2005, he was recognized for his "distinguished contribution to design education" with the Sir Misha Black Medal.
In 2001, the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
presented David Kelley and IDEO with the National Design Award in Product Design.
In 2000. he was honored with a Chrysler Design Award
,
and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
for "affecting the practice of design."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. He is founder, chairman, and managing partner of the design firm IDEO
IDEO
IDEO is an international design and innovation consultancy founded in Palo Alto, California, United States with other locations in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Boston, London, Munich, Shanghai, and Singapore, as well as Mumbai, Seoul, and Tokyo. The company helps design products, services,...
and a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He has received several honors for his contributions to design and design education.
Personal life
Kelley was born in 1951 in Barberton, OhioBarberton, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,899 people, 11,523 households, and 7,443 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,095.2 people per square mile . There were 12,163 housing units at an average density of 1,349.4 per square mile...
. His brother is Tom Kelley the General Manager of IDEO and author of The Art of Innovation and The Ten Faces of Innovation.
He is married to Kc Branscomb, a former CEO of IntelliCorp
IntelliCorp (Software)
IntelliCorp is a software company that provides, develops, and markets SAP application lifecycle management, business process management and data management software for SAP customers and partners...
, whom he met through mutual friend Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
.
Work in Industry
He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineeringElectrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
at Carnegie-Mellon University in 1973. and began work as an engineer, first at Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
and later at NCR
NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation is an American technology company specializing in kiosk products for the retail, financial, travel, healthcare, food service, entertainment, gaming and public sector industries. Its main products are self-service kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, automated teller machines, check...
.
At Boeing, he was responsible for the design of the Lavatory Occupied sign for the 747
747
Year 747 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 747 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Abu Muslim unites the Abbasid Empire against...
airplane.
This experience led him to return to school. In 1978, he earned his master's degree from the Joint Program in Design
Stanford Joint Program in Design
The Joint Program in Design is one of the professional schools of Stanford University, in Stanford, California. It is generally considered a leading design school in the United States. The school offers degrees in Mechanical Engineering and in Fine Arts/Design.-Background:The school was founded in...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, popularly called the Product Design program.
In 1978, he partnered with another Stanford Product Design graduate, Dean Hovey, to form Hovey-Kelley Design. Hovey left to pursue other interests and the firm was renamed David Kelley Design DKD.
In 1984, he was a cofounder of Onset Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm.
He also cofounded Edge Innovations, a special-effects company responsible for the whales in the Free Willy
Free Willy
Free Willy is a 1993 family film directed by Simon Wincer, and released by Warner Bros. under its Family Entertainment label. The film stars Jason James Richter as a young boy who befriends an orca whale, named "Willy."...
movies, among many other film credits.
In 1991, Kelley merged DKD with three other design firms (Mike Nuttall's Matrix Product Design in Palo Alto, ID TWO in San Francisco, and Moggridge Associates in London, both founded by Bill Moggridge
Bill Moggridge
William Moggridge, an industrial and interaction designer, is co-founder of the Silicon Valley-based design firm IDEO and the current director of the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York. He designed what was the first laptop computer, the GRiD Compass...
) to create IDEO, which he ran as CEO until 2000. As chairman and managing partner, Kelley continues to play an active role at IDEO.
Work in Education
Kelley began teaching in Stanford Product Design program in 1978, after earning his master's. He was briefly a PhD student.In 1991, he became a tenured professor, and was named the Donald W. Whittier Professor in Mechanical Engineering in 2002.
In 2004, David led the creation of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, known as the "d.school."
Honors
David Kelley has been recognized as one of America's leading design innovators.In 2009, he was awarded the Edison Achievement Award by the Thomas Edison Papers at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
for his “pioneering contributions to the design of breakthrough products, services, and experiences for consumers, as well as his development of an innovative culture that has broad impact.”
In 2005, he was recognized for his "distinguished contribution to design education" with the Sir Misha Black Medal.
In 2001, the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum, a subsidiary of the Smithsonian Institution, is the United States' national museum of design history and contemporary design and the only museum in the U.S. whose collection is solely focused on contemporary and historic design...
presented David Kelley and IDEO with the National Design Award in Product Design.
In 2000. he was honored with a Chrysler Design Award
Chrysler Design Award
The Chrysler Design Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals in innovative works of architecture and design which significantly influenced modern American culture.- 2002 :*Red Burns*Mildred Friedman*Steve Jobs*Phyllis Lambert*Murray Moss...
,
and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
for "affecting the practice of design."