Eric Anderson
Associate Professor
Margaret Morrison 104B
ea@andrew.cmu.edu
(412) 268-3181

Eric Anderson is an associate professor in the School of Design, and teaches courses in industrial design, product design and development, and design drawing. His interests include interdisciplinary integrated product development, visualization within the context of design, and the emergence of “visual intelligence,” the skill that allows designers to reason with complex information using varied tools and methods in order to shape environmental and behavioral conditions.

Anderson’s current research includes a grant to explore visualization across disciplines with the goal to produce a digital tool that teaches novice and non-designers ways to visualize effectively. In the community, he founded Design Camp, a week-long summer experience for underserved African-American boys. This experience introduces participants to design and new ways of thinking, understanding, creating, and communicating complex ideas. These ideas are then formed into product proposals for their community through drawing, digital imaging, and physical modeling. Anderson is also active in the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) where is the Executive Vice President.

Prior to his teaching at Carnegie Mellon, Anderson founded To Envision, Inc., a design consultancy. He was the assistant director of development for Display Systems, Inc., developing point of purchase systems. He consulted for companies including CDI Exhibit Group, ACME Animation, and Six Flags – Great Adventure. Earlier in his career, he was a senior product designer with Goody Products in the hair accessory division and an industrial and graphic designer for Mann-Horton & Associates.

Anderson holds an MFA and an MA in Design Education from The Ohio State University and a BS in Industrial Design from Philadelphia College of Art.

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