About

James Joseph Pirkl, FIDSA is professor emeritus of industrial design, former senior research fellow at Syracuse University's All-University Gerontology Center, and a Fellow of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). An internationally respected industrial design educator, writer and lecturer, he is described as a "key figure in universal design" by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum. He co-authored the book, A Guidelines and Strategies for Designing Transgenerational Products (1988). His second book, Transgenerational Design: Products for an Aging Population (1993), received a 1994 Gold Industrial Design Excellence Award. In 2003, and is cited in references throughout the world. His views have appeared in such publications as Dwell, ID Magazine, Machine Design, Mechanical Engineering, Metropolis, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.

Featured Work

Transgenerational Design: Products for an Aging Population

1993

As the world's population rapidly grows older, it is important to create new products that are easily used by people throughout their lifetimes—regardless of age or ability. Transgenerational Design offers a cross-disciplinary approach to product design that bridges gaps between designers and consumers, scientist and service professionals, young and old. It sensitizes readers to the realities of aging , explores changes in abilities that occur throughout one's lifetime, and explains how to make intelligent decisions during the design, production, marketing, promotion, and selection of consumer products used by an aging population.

Other Works

  • Guidelines and Strategies for Designing Transgenerational Products

    1988

Awards and Recognition

  • 2002: Who's Who in America — 2001: Education Award: Industrial Designers Society of America — 1994: Gold Industrial Design Excellence Award — 1985: Inducted into Academy of Fellows: Industrial Designers Society of America