TOM DAIR, CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, SMART DESIGN    

Tom Dair is co-founder and president of Smart Design, a strategic design consultancy specializing in product development, interactive experiences and brand communications. Tom is responsible for managing Smart Design's San Francisco office, which was founded in 2001. As Practice Leader for Smart Design's Insights and Strategy discipline, he has pioneered methods that inform the design process through understanding user behavior and perceptions, business factors and technology trends. Tom's focus on the integration of Smart's disciplines has resulted in projects spanning brand communications, product development and interactive experiences.    

Working with companies such as Samsung, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, XM Satellite Radio, Cisco Systems, McDonald's and Clorox, he has helped establish strategic initiatives leading to successful product introductions and profitable results for his clients. Tom has been granted 19 patents to date, won numerous awards, and his designs have been featured in various museum collections.    

Tom graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Design. In addition to his work at Smart, he taught product design classes at Parsons School of Design in New York City for ten years, and today, continues to guest lecture and work with students. He is an active member of the Industrial Design Society of America.