Carla J. Blackman

Carla J. Blackman is an Adjunct Professor in the Industrial Design department at the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), where she has been a dedicated faculty member since 1985. Her role bridges academic instruction and professional design practice, contributing significantly to the development of future designers.

Education:

• BA in Industrial Design, Central St. Martins, London, UK
• MBA in Marketing, Cleveland State University

Her research and professional interests span industrial design, graphic design, packaging, web design, and design education. As a practicing designer and educator, she emphasizes real-world application and creative expression in her teaching and consultancy work.

Carla founded and leads Urban Sketchers Cleveland, fostering community engagement through observational drawing. This initiative reflects her commitment to visual storytelling and public art participation.

She is the founder and principal partner of Design Interface Inc., an award-winning design consultancy that has delivered innovative solutions across industrial, graphic, package, and web design domains.