{"id":24419,"date":"2025-04-03T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/industrial-design\/2025\/04\/03\/design-is-about-relationships-kelly-umstead-named-2024-25-university-faculty-scholar\/"},"modified":"2025-04-03T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T12:00:00","slug":"design-is-about-relationships-kelly-umstead-named-2024-25-university-faculty-scholar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/industrial-design\/2025\/04\/03\/design-is-about-relationships-kelly-umstead-named-2024-25-university-faculty-scholar\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDesign is about relationships\u201d – Kelly Umstead named 2024-25 University Faculty Scholar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Kelly Umstead, MID faculty member and director of graduate programs for industrial design, was recently named one of NC State\u2019s 2024-25 University Faculty Scholars. The program recognizes and rewards emerging academic leaders who demonstrate significant achievement. We\u2019re excited to highlight Kelly\u2019s achievements in the college and learn more about her. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the University Faculty Scholars program began in 2012, 278 faculty have received this honor. Here\u2019s the most <\/em>recent class of scholars<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q1: Tell me about your career path, starting with an engineering background and ending up in design.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I studied engineering in college because I enjoyed math and science, and chose biomedical engineering as my major because it felt the most closely connected to people. I have always been interested in people and the way they interact with their environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was in grad school at Marquette University, I worked in a motion analysis lab where we analyzed the gait of children with cerebral palsy \u2013 studying their kinematics and kinetics. That was when I really started to think about design. Kids would come into our lab with assistive devices like walkers or crutches, and I began to think about what life looked like for them outside of the lab and the way these devices helped or hindered them. I started to wonder, \u2018Who designs these products?\u2019 \u2018Why do they look like that?\u2019 and \u2018Have they ever asked a kid about these devices?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industrial design transformed the way I thought about problem-solving.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A friend who studied architecture recommended I explore industrial design as a career. I found that it aligned with my interests, so I applied for graduate school (again). Industrial design transformed the way I thought about problem-solving. Design made me think about things from a different perspective. I like observing people and seeing how they respond to their world, and that\u2019s what led me to industrial design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q2: It seems like a lot of your passion for design is based on your desire to help people. How has this passion evolved as you\u2019ve progressed in your career and as you\u2019ve moved into teaching?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I started out in design, I was very focused on the object itself\u2013 what it looks like, how it functions, how it\u2019s made. That\u2019s your job as an industrial designer! Then, as you become comfortable and adept at that, you start to look at things more broadly. I\u2019m always thinking about who\u2019s using the product, the context of use and practical factors like how it\u2019s cleaned, stored and disposed of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the kinds of questions we introduce to our students. Over time, you realize the broader impact of design. It\u2019s misleading to think you are creating a single object. That object is part of a system and you\u2019re rarely just making one. So what\u2019s the impact of that on people and the environment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like to encourage students to be conscious and conscientious designers. I want them to be aware of the decisions they\u2019re making. Even if they identify a factor that they choose to ignore, they\u2019re still making that conscious decision. I want them to be conscious of these decisions and also conscientious about the downstream effect on people and the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of my work is in healthcare, where you are usually not just designing for one user. It\u2019s an entire ecosystem of people, caregivers and staff. If any link in that system is not respected by a design intervention, then the deliverable doesn\u2019t get to the person it is intended to benefit. Addressing those connections is critical to making a real impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q3: Is there a particular project you\u2019re proud of? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m proud of my work in maternity care because I think it\u2019s an area that is important and needs love and attention. I have the privilege to collaborate with amazing colleagues, including Professor Carolina Gill at NC State, Dr. Kristin Tully and Dr. Alison Stuebe at UNC Chapel Hill and many others. I think this work is meaningful and necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n