Background

Tom Maiorana is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at UC Davis where he focuses on product design, design thinking, and prototyping. He is also a Fellow at the John Muir Institute and regularly teaches at Stanford University’s d.school. Tom has an MFA in Design from Stanford University and a Bachelor of the Arts from Vassar College.

Expertise

Design Thinking, Prototyping, Product Development, Design Ethnography, Interaction Design, Prototyping Complex Systems, Entrepreneurship

Research

Tom Maiorana studies product design, design thinking, and prototyping. Tom’s research focuses on how low-resolution prototypes can help designers explore the human experience of interacting with complex systems. As a Fellow at the John Muir Institute for the Environment, he uses design thinking methods to inform the strategy and development of the OneClimate initiative. Tom is also the founder of Red Cover Studios, which specializes in product development and innovation strategy and uses prototyping as a central practice in work ranging from interaction design to fashion to organizational change. Red Cover Studios helped to conceptualize and launch the Hive at the Claremont Colleges and Denison University’s forthcoming Design Lab.