Prof. Annette Diefenthaler, board member of the iF Design Foundation, has accepted a new teaching and research position at the Technical University of Munich (TUM): Since January 2023, she is Professor of Design and Transdisciplinarity at the TUM School of Engineering and Design.
Photo: Eva Müller. Copyright: iF Design Foundation
Designer and professor Annette Diefenthaler is focused on the question, what can design accomplish to improve our society. Her teaching and research at the Technical University of Munich aims to promote a human- and society-centered approach to design that results in solutions that are not only technically feasible and marketable, but also sustainable, just, and valuable. As Executive Director of the newly founded Munich Design Institute, she is entrusted with the task of establishing an integrative research center that anchors Human Centered Design in the context of the TUM.
Prior to joining TUM, Annette Diefenthaler spent 15 years at IDEO and IDEO.org, designing solutions for complex systems that are both practical and transformative, such as a high-quality school network in Latin America or a professional development program for school leaders. She is committed to ensuring that people affected by the impacts of design solutions are given equitable authorship in their development. A practical example of this approach is her collaboration with families impacted by the child welfare system in New Jersey to create a future-oriented vision for family wellbeing. Annette Diefenthaler has won several design awards for her work. She has been a board member of the iF Design Foundation since June 2021.
