Elizabeth Tunstall, a noted authority on Design Anthropology and Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago\'s Institute of Design, will be speaking at 12:30 p.m., Nov. 29, on “The Yin Yang of Design and Anthropology.” In her remarks Tunstall will contrast the two approaches of Design and Cultural Anthropology, and describe how the fusion of these two are improving consumer products in numerous industries.

Design Anthropology is a rapidly emerging field that integrates the cultural and humanistic insights of anthropology with the aesthetic and practical concerns of design. It is used by numerous design firms including Ideo, Jump, Herbst Lazar Bell, and Ziba. Universities in Denmark, Mexico, Argentina, and Spain have programs in Design Anthropology, and technology firms such as Microsoft, Intel, Motorola, Apple, and Xerox make extensive use of Design Anthropology. 

Tunstall, usually known as Dori, is a design anthropologist and strategic planner. For the past six years she has worked in the field of high-tech and interactive consulting at Sapient and Arc Worldwide. Holding a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Stanford University, she uses her background to help clients make better decisions by grounding their business and design assumptions in people’s actual attitudes, behaviors, and actions. Her diverse roster of clients includes the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, Northern Trust, Sears, General Motors, Allstate Financial, Nokia, and Unilever. Dori is a leader in bringing together the fields of anthropology and design. In 2005 she was the first anthropologist to hold a full-time faculty position at an American school of art and design. 

Tunstall will be speaking at 12:30 p.m. in the Greek Room in Manoogian Hall. The public is invited to attend.

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