معرفی
Elizabeth (Liz) Sanders, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Design at The Ohio State University (OSU) since 2011. She is a globally recognized social scientist and pioneer in participatory and co-design methodologies, advocating for democratizing design through collaborative, human-centered approaches. Her work emphasizes involving stakeholders in shaping their own futures, particularly in healthcare, education, and technology. Alongside her academic role, she founded MakeTools, LLC, to explore co-design landscapes and develop tools for collective creativity. Sanders holds degrees from Miami University (BA in Psychology and Anthropology, 1975) and The Ohio State University (MA, 1977; PhD, 1981). She has been honored with prestigious awards including Phi Beta Kappa and membership in Sigma Xi.
Her research focuses on transdisciplinary co-design, collective dreaming, and speculative design. Notable projects include reimagining healthcare spaces, designing interventions for diabetes management, and fostering creativity through playful probes. Sanders has collaborated with major companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble, bridging academic and industrial design practices. She co-authored Convivial Toolbox: Generative Research for the Front End of Design, a seminal text in co-design education and practice.
Awards and recognitions include Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, and a University Fellowship from OSU (1975–1979). She actively contributes to university initiatives, such as the Reimagining Teaching and Learning Initiative, and advises student organizations like Paranormal Investigations at OSU. Her work explores emerging technologies like VR/AR/AI to accelerate co-design and collective creativity in envisioning future living systems.
