Assistant Professor Product Design (Tenure-Track)

University of Louisville•Louisville, KY

60d

About The Position

The Hite Institute of Art + Design at the University of Louisville invites applications for an assistant professor, tenure-track position in Product Design. We seek a practitioner-scholar whose work bridges human-centered design, three-dimensional form development, and hands-on fabrication. The successful candidate will play a central role in shaping an emerging BFA in Design (Product Design track) and will collaborate closely with faculty and facilities at UofL’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering. This position starts August 2026. We are especially interested in colleagues who can connect rigorous form-giving with user research, iterative prototyping, sustainable/materially responsible practices, and systems-level thinking—preparing students to contribute meaningfully to contemporary design practice and interdisciplinary teams. Program & Institutional Context The Hite Institute of Art + Design is the most comprehensive art and design program in Kentucky, offering BA, BFA, MA, and MFA degrees across multiple disciplines. The Design program is expanding with coordinated tracks in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, and Interior Design, grounded in a shared first-year foundation and advanced, discipline-specific studios. The Institute is supported by robust campus partnerships, an active internship network, and community-engaged initiatives across Louisville’s cultural and innovation ecosystem. The University of Louisville is a Carnegie R1 research university located in a dynamic metropolitan region with strong connections to manufacturing, health, logistics, and civic innovation—sectors that provide rich contexts for applied product design research and student opportunities. Facilities & Collaboration Opportunities Faculty in Product Design have access to: J.B. Speed School Student Success & Research Building — a new, 114,000 sq. ft. facility that includes advanced makerspaces, fabrication labs, high-tech research spaces, and collaborative studios (opened following a $90M investment). AMIST (Additive Manufacturing Institute of Science & Technology) — a world-class institute with metal, polymer, and ceramic 3D printing capabilities and a long history of academic-industry collaboration. These resources support interdisciplinary teaching, sponsored research, and externally engaged projects that connect design students to engineering practice and industry partners.

Requirements

Terminal degree (MFA, MDes, PhD, or equivalent) in Product/Industrial Design or a closely related field by the start date; ABD considered.
Demonstrated excellence in conceptual development and three-dimensional form-giving.
Hands-on fabrication expertise (shop safety and practices; materials knowledge; relevant manufacturing processes).
Foundation in human-centered design research and application.
Commitment to sustainable and materially responsible design practices.
Strong drawing skills and the ability to teach drawing as a tool for ideation, analysis, and communication.
Record of creative/scholarly achievement commensurate with rank.
Demonstrated commitment to inclusive pedagogy and mentoring.

Nice To Haves

Professional practice experience in product/industrial design.
Successful university-level teaching.
Breadth across fabrication methods (e.g., wood, metal, plastics, composites, textiles).
Facility with digital fabrication (CNC, rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing) and potentially emerging technologies (IoT, smart materials, interactive systems).
Foundation in systems thinking to situate products within broader contexts and lifecycles.
Record of interdisciplinary collaboration, especially with engineering or technical fields.
Community-engaged or socially responsible design work.
Experience with grant writing, industry sponsorships, or external funding.
Portfolio evidencing conceptual depth, formal sophistication, material exploration, and user-centered problem solving.

Responsibilities

Teach, develop, and refine BFA courses in Product Design, emphasizing concept development, form-giving, drawing as a communication/thinking tool, materials, and fabrication.
Integrate human-centered methods, iterative prototyping, sustainable practices, and systems thinking across studios and critiques.
Contribute to foundation-level courses (e.g., 3D Design, Drawing) that build students’ visual thinking and shop literacy.
Mentor students through portfolio development, internships, competitions, and capstone projects.
Maintain an active scholarly/creative agenda demonstrating conceptual rigor and material sophistication.
Disseminate work through appropriate venues (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, exhibitions, conferences, patents, juried shows, industry partnerships).
Seek external funding or sponsored collaborations when appropriate.
Partner with Speed School faculty to create joint learning experiences, co-taught studios, and/or applied research initiatives at the design–engineering interface.
Engage in service to the department, college, and university; participate in professional organizations (e.g., IDSA) and regional/national design communities.

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