Carla Diana enjoys living as close to the near future as possible. In her studio she works on future-specting projects in areas such as domestic robots, mobile devices and sentient kitchen appliances, combining experience in industrial and interaction design to create solutions that bridge the gap between the physical and the digital. She has taught and lectured internationally, including a year as visiting faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she was the creative director for the iconic humanoid robot, Simon, and four years at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she co-wrote the school’s first Interactive Design curriculum. Currently, she is a faculty member at U. Penn, and a founding faculty member of SVA’s Products of Design program.
She has extensive experience in design consulting for clients of all sizes and maintains an ongoing relationship with the product innovation firm, Smart Design, where she is honored to have been named the firm’s first Smart Fellow.
Carla is a big believer in continuous tinkering and 2011 she founded the Smart Interaction Lab at Smart Design, an initiative focused on design explorations in the form of hacking and hands-on experimentation around topics such as expressive objects, digital making, and presence and awareness. In 2010 she took her studio on the road as one of MAD Museum’s Open Studio Artists in Residence where her creations were open for public viewing. Her recent article, “Talking, Walking Objects”, appeared on the cover of the Sunday Review this January, and is a good representation of her view of our robotic future.
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STUDIO
I design robots and everyday objects that come to life through electronic behaviors. I work with companies of all sizes in addition to developing my own products and artwork, playing in the space where physical and digital meet.
I am the creator of interactive sound project Repercussion.org, industrial designer for the iconic humanoid robot, Simon, and developer of Directives Digital Furniture (downloadable, laser-cut, design on-demand pieces).
PARTNERS
Smart Design, where I hold the position of Smart Fellow and lead the Smart Interaction Lab
Tomorrow-Lab, where I am Advisor
Socially Intelligent Machines Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where I collaborate on social robot design
WRITING
The New York Times
Smart Interaction Lab
Fast Company Co. Design
Core77
Here’s a small collection
SPEAKING
I speak at various types of conferences and events.
Recently: Webvisions Portland, TEDxDrexel, TEDxEmory and the IxD13 Conference.
WORKSHOPS
I run workshops on creative design methods for professionals and students all over the globe. This Spring, I am launching newly created “Smart Objects” courses. at U Penn and SVA (PoD + IxD) .