Biography:

EunSook Kwon Ph.D. is Professor and Chair of the School of Industrial Design at Georgia Institute of Technology. She was previously a Director of the Industrial Design Program at the University of Houston from 2003 to 2021. She established and developed the curriculum of the BS ID and MS ID program as the founding Director. She was recognized on DesignIntelligence’s list of “Most Admired Educators” for two years for “her insight to nurture and grow the program with her vision and passion.” Kwon has published and lectured throughout the world about creative design thinking and design strategy development. She has been a consultant to numerous corporations, and she has developed educational programs for government agencies and universities. Her research covers a wide range of product types, including healthcare, household products, and wearable computing systems. She was the Director-General of Seoul Design Olympiad 2008, a comprehensive design event; two million visitors participated in the 21 days design exhibitions and festival.

Kwon holds a BFA in industrial design from Seoul National University, two master’s degrees in industrial design from Seoul National University (MFA) and the Ohio State University (MA), and Ph.D. in arts education from the Ohio State University. She served as an editorial board member of Design Issues, a juror for many international design competitions including Microsoft Next-Generation PC Design Competition, International Housewares Student Design Competition, Singapore Design Competition, and the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).

Teaching Interest:

EunSook Kwon has taught design thinking, research methodology, and their application in design development. Her courses cover the history of design research and its relationship with the growth of education and industry over the past 100 years. Her design studios and research electives are grounded in research-based, strategy-driven design development, and these courses have garnered numerous awards in student design competitions and published papers. EunSook was recognized on DesignIntelligence’s list of “Most Admired Educators” for two years for “her insight to nurture and grow the program with her vision and passion.”  

Research Interest:

EunSook Kwon's research centers on design education and the development of design strategies and systems. Grounded in constructivism and the integration of advanced technology, her work encompasses a broad spectrum of educational programs, from K-12 and higher education to continuing education. With over three decades of experience, her research on developing design strategies has been diverse, spanning industries such as cosmetics, consumer electronics, robotics, and aviation.

List of Recent Scholarly Work:

2024    Kwon, EunSook, Nash, Andreina, Morgqn, Scott, and Yu, Yuchuan. “Empowering Design Students: A Participatory Approach and Mapping Tool for Evaluating Design Curriculum.” Cumulus International Conference, Monterrey, Mexico. October 16-18.
2021    White Cameron, Kwon, EunSook. “Enhancing Diversity Through Design Education with M.O.L.D:  Minorities’ Opportunities to Learn Design,” IDSA Education Symposium, Sept. 2021
2021    Love, S., Smith, J., Chow, G., and Kwon, ES. “WISHCYCLE: Reframing the Value of Plastics Through Educational Game Design,” IDSA Education Symposium, Sept. 2021
2018    Kwon, EunSook.  “Reflection on Participatory Action Research in Industrial Design Studio.” The International Journal of Design Education, Vol. 13, Issue 1, pp. 21-36. ISSN: 2325-128X, ISSN: 2325-1298 
2017 Lew, Erin, Alviando, Jebrin, Kwon, EunSook, and Camba, Jorge. “Gamifying The Eating Experience: An Interactive Companion for Children’s Nutrition Education and Behavior.”  The International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).  Vancouver, Canada.
2016    McEuen, Aaron, Proffit, John, Camba, Jorge, and Kwon, EunSook. “Design of a Sensor-Based Wearable Device for Use in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.” The 2016 International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE). Orlando. July 29.

Degrees with Year of Award:

Ph.D. in Arts Education, The Ohio State University, 2024
MA in Industrial Design, The Ohio State University, 1990, Graduation with Honors, Phi Kappa Phi
MFA in Industrial Design, Seoul National University, 1986, Graduation with Honors
BFA in Industrial Design, Seoul National University, 1984, Graduation with honors