David Kelley is a longtime member of the Stanford Faculty and a
founder and Faculty Director of the d.school. As Stanford’s Donald W.
Whittier Professor in Mechanical Engineering.
Kelley’s most enduring contributions are in human-centered design
methodology and design thinking. He is most passionate about using
design to help unlock creative confidence in everyone. A frequent
speaker on these topics, Kelley and his brother co-authored the New
York Times best-selling book Creative Confidence: Unleashing the
Creative Potential Within Us All.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at
Carnegie Mellon University, Kelley worked as an engineer at both
Boeing and NCR. Drawn to design, he entered Stanford University in
1975, where he earned his master’s degree in Engineering/Product
Design. In 1978, he founded the design firm that would become IDEO
and, in that same year, began his teaching career at Stanford,
receiving tenure in 1990, and beginning the collaborative teaching
work that led to the founding the d.school in the early 2000’s.
Kelley was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2000.
And among other honors and decorations, preparing the design thinkers
of tomorrow has earned him the Sir Misha Black Medal for his
“distinguished contribution to design education.”