John Caruso

John Caruso is a Professor of Product Design at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) and a consulting designer. He is a renowned innovation consultant and guest lecturer on design thinking and design issues, engaging audiences ranging from academia and professional associations to business leaders and corporations. His recent keynote lectures include "Design in Everyday Life" for the Wisconsin Presidents Organization (WPO) and "Seeing – Thinking – Making: What Designers Do" for the Wisconsin Art Education Association (WAEA). Caruso has also delivered presentations at major events like the National Housewares Manufacturers Association Trade Show, AIGA, and the International Technology Education Association (ITEA). Additionally, he participated in a three-day brainstorming session for Sterling Corporation, a division of Kohler Industries.

As a pioneering advocate for recycling and sustainability, Caruso developed products with high post-consumer recycled content, beginning his career in Chicago before founding his own company specializing in eco-friendly housewares. His designs were featured in the Good Design Exhibition Catalog, and his work earned a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant to advance research in ecological design. Clients included Crate & Barrel, Target, and Design Ideas. He continues to champion sustainable practices through presentations, such as "Plastics Evolution: Design Intelligently to Transform Products with Sustainable Materials" at the Housewares Show.

A member of the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) with leadership roles like Midwest District Vice President, Caruso has authored publications for IDSA’s National Education Conferences, including "Design Thinking Using Technology: An Examination of Design Thinking Strategies and the Effect of New Technology on Process" and "Handguns in the Home: A Case of Inappropriate Technology." He also wrote "Crying for a Vision: Designers and the Lack of an Environmental Consciousness" for The Technology Teacher. His students have won multiple national awards, such as six Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), four National Housewares Manufacturers Awards, and two Dyson Competition awards. In 2007, he became the first professor to direct students from two institutions to win Gold and Bronze IDEA awards in the same year.