Craig Sampson

Craig Sampson serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at Northwestern University's Segal Design Institute, where he teaches graduate courses in Designing Product Interactions and CPG Product and Business Innovation Studio. He mentors thesis projects in the Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program and advises Business Innovation Lab teams in the MMM Program. Outside academia, Sampson is the founder and principal consultant at TBD Innovation, a firm that guides corporations and startups in technology-driven product and business innovation. His career includes leadership roles as founder/director of IDEO Chicago and VP/Chief Innovation Officer at World Kitchen.

Education

• MS, Mechanical Engineering and Product Design, Stanford University
• BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder

Research & Practice

Sampson specializes in human-centered design approaches that integrate technological capabilities, business strategy, and user needs. His work spans smart home systems (Rise Gardens), medical devices (Lilly Auto-injector), retail innovations (Noodles & Company), and haptic technology advisory roles (Tanvas). He emphasizes the intersection of design thinking, technical innovation, and organizational values to create lasting impact.

Awards

• Good Design Gold Award for Lilly Self-Administered Auto-injector

Advisory & Leadership

Craig advises technology startups like Everyplace Labs (health diagnostics), Clearwater (AR boating systems), and contributes to corporate innovation strategies across industries including residential development (Pensam), consumer products (P&G), and marine technology (Mercury Marine). He pioneered Design Thinking training at Mercury Marine and co-founded Leo Burnett's Farmhouse Innovation Center.