Matthew Wizinsky is an Associate Professor of Urban Technology at the University of Michigan, Associate Editor for the design journal Visible Language, and author of the book Design After Capitalism (MIT Press, 2022). He received a PhD in Transition Design from Carnegie Mellon University.
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︎ Summary
Matthew Wizinsky is an award-winning designer, educator, researcher, and author. He is currently Associate Professor of Urban Technology at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning; Associate Editor for Visible Language, the longest-running peer-reviewed design journal. He received a PhD in Transition Design from Carnegie Mellon University. He has practiced interaction, communication, and experiential design for over two decades. He has taught, studied, and written on the intersection of contemporary design and technology with issues of political economy, urbanism, public history, strategic foresight, and postcapitalism.
Wizinsky has lectured and conducted workshops at universities around the world, including the American University in Cairo (Egypt), Art Center College (USA), CENTRO (Mexico), Digital Society School (the Netherlands), Domus Academy (Italy), University of Málaga (Spain), Northwestern University (USA), Università Iuav di Venezia (Italy), Ontario College of Art and Design (Canada), and the University of East London (UK). He has curated, organized, and designed exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Cultural Center, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Cincinnati Art Museum and contributed lectures and exhibited projects at events such as the Smart Life Festival in Italy (2023), Milan Design Week (2022), Exhibit Columbus (2019), the Venice Architecture Biennale (2018), and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, NYC (2014).
Wizinsky’s creative practice and research have included interdisciplinary collaborations in Architecture, the Social Sciences, Digital Humanities, and Public Health. His research, scholarship, and creative works have been awarded, exhibited, published, and presented internationally. His work has been supported by grants, commissions, and sponsorships from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Humanities Without Walls, the MAC AIDS Fund, and other organizations.
He studied graphic design and design research at the University of Cincinnati (BS), the University of Illinois at Chicago (MDes), and the Institute of Visual Communication in Basel, Switzerland, and achieved professional certification in strategic foresight from the University of Houston.
From 2015–2023, Wizinsky was an Associate Professor at the Ullman School of Design at the University of Cincinnati. He served as Director of Graduate Studies for the Master of Design (MDes) program 2022–2023. From 2012–2015, he held dual teaching & research appointments at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). At UIC’s Innovation Center, Wizinsky was the Founding Director of the Responsive Media Lab. He led research collaborations with the Colleges of Medicine, Engineering, Business, and Learning Sciences that resulted in externally funded research, patents, and curricular offerings working with partners including the City of Chicago, Morningstar financial services, Ford Motor Company, Baxter medical products, Herman Miller, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Arts Alliance of Illinois to name a few.
In 2022, Wizinsky published his first book Design After Capitalism (MIT Press). The book diagnoses challenges for design practices operating in an evolving information and service economy and proposes a modified disciplinary model, blending design entrepreneurship with social empowerment. To support the book, he produced the accompanying website designaftercapitalism.org, which contains a variety of tools to help translate the ideas in the book into practice.
︎ Curriculum Vitae overview
EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy, Transition Design, Carnegie Mellon University / 2025
Master of Design; University of Illinois at Chicago / 2012
Bachelor of Science, Graphic Design; University of Cincinnati / 2001
Certificate: Strategic Foresight; University of Houston, College of Technology / 2019
Certificates: Design Inquiry, Type Design, Poster Design; Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst, Institute of Visual Communication, Basel, Switzerland / 2011
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
2023–PRESENT
University of Michigan
Clinical Associate Professor of Architecture & Urban Planning; Urban Technology
2015–2023
University of Cincinnati
2022–2023
Graduate Program Director, Master of Design (MDes).
2018–PRESENT
Associate Professor, Ullman School of Design, College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning. Teaching appointments in Communication Design, Master of Design, and Honors College programs.
2015–2018
Assistant Professor
2019–PRESENT
Visible Language
Associate Editor. Visible Language is the oldest peer-reviewed journal of design, in publication since 1967
2012–2015
University of Illinois at Chicago
2013–2015
Assistant Professor, School of Design, College of Architecture, Design & the Arts.
2012–2013
Visiting Assistant Professor
2012–2015
UIC Innovation Center. Research Specialist & Director, Responsive Media Lab,
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2023–PRESENT
Independent Practitioner & Consultant, Ann Arbor, MI
2009–2023
Principal & Designer, Studio Junglecat, Chicago, IL & Cincinnati, OH
2007–2009
Senior Graphic Designer, FRCH Design Worldwide, Cincinnati, OH
2003–2007
Exhibition Designer & Department Head (Design), Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH
2001–2002
Interaction Designer, Hyperquake, Cincinnati, OH