John Maeda

Infobox Person
name = John Maeda

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caption =
birth_date = 1966
birth_place = Seattle, Washington
known_for =
occupation = Graphic designer, computer scientist, university professor, and author
nationality = American
children = 5 daughters

John Maeda (born 1966 in Seattle, Washington) is a Japanese-American graphic designer, computer scientist, university professor, and author. He is the current President of the Rhode Island School of Design, a position assumed in June 2008. [cite web
url=http://www.risd.edu/email/president/index.html
title=Internationally Known Designer, Innovator, and Academic to Lead the Preeminent School of Art and Design in the 21st Century
publisher=Rhode Island School of Design
date=December 21,2007
accessdate=2008-07-21] His work in design and technology explores the area where the two fields merge.

Maeda was originally a software engineering student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) when he became fascinated with the work of Paul Rand and Muriel Cooper. Cooper was a director of MIT's Visual Language Workshop. After completing his bachelors and masters degrees at MIT, Maeda studied in Japan at Tsukuba University's Institute of Art and Design to complete his Ph.D. in design.

In 1999, he was named one of the 21 most important people in the 21st century by "Esquire". [cite web
url=http://www.esquire.com/features/twenty-one-more-1199
title=More of The Esquire 21
publisher=Esquire Magazine; Hearst Communications, Inc.
date=November 1999
accessdate=2008-04-11] In 2001, he received the National Design Award for Communication Design in the United States and Japan's Mainichi Design Prize. [cite web
url=http://sap.mit.edu/resources/portfolio/maeda/
title=MAEDA NAMED ONE OF YEAR’S MOST INFLUENTIAL DESIGNERS
publisher=MIT School of Architecture + Planning
date=June 2005
accessdate=2007-07-17]

Maeda is currently working on SIMPLICITY, a research project to find ways for people to simplify their life in the face of growing complexity. His research has led to the publishing of "Laws of Simplicity", his best-selling book to date.

He currently lives with his wife, Kris, and their five daughters, in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Bibliography

* "Laws of Simplicity", MIT Press, 2006.
* "Creative Code", Thames and Hudson, 2004.
* "maeda@media", Thames and Hudson / Rizzoli / Bangert Verlag, 2000.
* "Design By Numbers", MIT Press, 1999.
* "Tap, Type, Write", Digitalogue Co., 1998.
* "12 o’clocks", Digitalogue Co., 1997.
* "Flying Letters", Digitalogue Co., 1996.
* "Reactive Square", Digitalogue Co., 1995.

References

External links

* [http://www.media.mit.edu/~maeda Maeda's Website at MIT]
* [http://www.maedastudio.com/index.php maeda STUDIO]
* [http://lawsofsimplicity.com/ The Laws of Simplicity Website]
* [http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/172 Simplicity patterns] (TED talk)
* [http://plw.media.mit.edu/ Physical Language Workshop]
* [http://www.risd.edu/ Rhode Island School of Design]
* [http://our.risd.edu/ Maeda's RISD Blog]