Behavior meets brilliance: Dean emerita retires with enduring impact on design research

From the moment Lorraine Justice, Ph.D., observed an industry shift toward products and experiences being designed based on human behavior, she grew captivated by design research. 

“In order to design what people wanted and needed, it became important to study them through research,” said Justice, professor of industrial design and dean emerita in RIT’s College of Art and Design. “We had to adapt a lot of behavioral research in order to make it meaningful in the design process.”

Known for developing products and services informed by her attentive research, Justice has long been a driving force in design innovation as an internationally recognized designer, speaker, author, and educator. She retired in December from RIT, where she started as dean of the College of Art and Design in 2011 before moving to a faculty role in 2017. 

As dean, Justice led the growth of graduate programs, facility additions and renovations, and an expansion of the college’s student advising team. She also oversaw the process that led to the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences being renamed the College of Art and Design in 2018.

‌

Lorraine Justice

“My years as dean were when Bill Destler was President and Jeremy Haefner was Provost and both of them were receptive to my ideas for improving the college,” Justice said. “I was glad to grow our master's programs and support student and faculty work. I was able to hire great people throughout the college who are still here making great contributions.”

In retirement from RIT, Justice plans to start her own design research company that explores artificial intelligence design and creativity. 

“There is a lot of work that needs to be done if we are going to use AI responsibly,” Justice said.

Justice spent 36 years in higher education and wrote two books — China’s Design Revolution (2012) and The Future of Design: Global Product Innovation for a Complex World (2019) — that reflect her status as a global resource on what’s next in design. She is widely known for her hand in shaping the present and future of design around the world.

“Aesthetics are only one part of the design process now. Sustainability, safety, comfort, and many other issues are at the forefront when designing a product, interior, or interaction experience,” said Justice, who received a 2022 Individual Achievement Award from the Industrial Designers Society of America.

‌

Lorraine Justice, left, and her two successors as dean of Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Design in front of the school's Jockey Club Innovation Tower. Justice wrote the proposal for the building, which opened in 2014.

Justice is a TED speaker who consults internationally on design issues and opportunities. She works with companies and individuals to ensure products and services meet the needs of a target market by identifying relevant cultural and technological trends.

Prior to RIT, she headed Georgia Tech’s industrial design program and served as a professor of visual communication at the Ohio State University. 

From 2004-11, Justice made a career leap to become the director and dean of the School of Design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Under her leadership, PolyU emerged as a top-ranked design school in Asia and around the world. At the time, BusinessWeek lauded PolyU as a leader in design research, a clear reflection of Justice’s expertise in the area.

While in China, she developed a mastery of design and innovation in the country, leading to the publication of her first book, China’s Design Revolution. She also wrote the proposal for PolyU’s School of Design building, Jockey Club Innovation Tower, which opened in 2014 and was designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid.

“It was an incredible experience all the way around,” Justice said of her time in China. “I thought I was going to just learn about the East, but I also learned about the West and the differences that are embedded in our cultures. I believe that good design can improve everyone's life and so I was glad to make a contribution.”