Linking Design to Outcomes: A Meaningful Path to Innovation

You are cordially invited to attend the guest lecture by Upali Nanda:

Date: Thursday, August 29th 2024

Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Venue: SDE4 Level 5 Forum

Linking Design to Outcomes: A Meaningful Path to Innovation

In this presentation Dr. Nanda, Global Sector Director for Innovation at a global architecture firm (HKS) will share how research and strategy are integrated into the design process in pursuit of better outcomes for human and planet health. A framework for innovation and meaningful research integration will be shared followed by some key case studies of projects completed and underway. For completed projects the pathway from research informed design intent to measurable outcomes will be mapped. Attendees will learn how an agile design process can balance research rigor and creative application.

She will also share why (and how) design firms invest in R&D, key areas of focus, and a path to innovation that can be crafted within, through and beyond the built environment. Additionally, she will speak about her own experiences as a pracademic, teaching at the University of Michigan, and why the bridge between practice and academia is essential to craft meaningful change.

Ultimately, linking design to outcomes, through a model for innovation, seeks to ensure that designs are not only creative and functional but also grounded in evidence, focused on the future, and responsive to the evolving needs of stakeholders and their environments. In an era of many disruptors (and opportunities) from AI and big data to advanced manufacturing and robotics, Dr. Nanda will argue that innovation is about an effective path to meaningful impact. And it starts from being anchored on the art (and science) of being human.

Dr. Upali Nanda is EVP and Global Sector Director for Innovation at HKS, an international architectural firm where she oversees a range of innovation practices that work within, through and beyond the built environment for meaningful impact. Prior to her current role she served as the global research director for the firm and as the Executive Director for the non-profit Center for Advanced Design Research and Education.

 Dr. Nanda teaches as Professor of Practice at the Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning at University of Michigan and serves on various boards including the Academy for Neuroscience for Architecture. Her award-winning research around health and wellbeing, neuroscience and architecture, sensthetics, point of decision design, and outcome-driven design has been widely published. She has won various research and innovation awards including the 2018 Women in Architecture Innovator Award.