Josh Owen
Vignelli Center Director
Josh Owen
Vignelli Center Director
Education
BA, BFA, Cornell University; MFA, Rhode Island School of Design
Bio
Josh Owen is the Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design and the Director of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at RIT. Prior to his current role, Owen was Director of the Industrial Design Department in which he continues to teach his popular course known as the Metaproject. Owen is also the president of his eponymous design studio, Josh Owen LLC. His professional projects are produced by major manufacturers and have won many awards. Owen's work is included in the permanent design collections of the Centre Georges Pompidou (FR), the Chicago Athenaeum (USA), the Corning Museum of Glass (USA), the Denver Art Museum (USA), the Design Museum Brussels (BE), the Museum of American Jewish History (USA), the Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal (CA), the Philadelphia Museum of Art (USA) the Red Dot Design Museum (DE) and the Taiwan Design Museum (TP). His students' works have won awards, been exhibited and featured in international publications and critical venues and have been put into mass production prior to graduation. Owen's professional work has been featured in major exhibitions, numerous books on design and is regularly included in critical design discourse. He is the author of the book, Lenses for Design and the forthcoming book, Design for Study.
Currently Teaching
In the News
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April 1, 2025
Speaking to a new generation of industrial designers
Rarify talks to Josh Owen, RIT Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design, as he shares his advice for the next generation of industrial designers.
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December 12, 2024
Designers leave nothing on the table during the Beyond Fashion showcase
Decked out with technicolor lights and vibrant animated displays, RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios soundstage became a runway last week during Beyond Fashion. The rainbow runway featured a diverse collection of garments and wearables crafted by local designers and RIT students across multiple disciplines.
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September 25, 2024
‘Designculture’ interview with Josh Owen
Designculture talks with Josh Owen, Vignelli Center Director and Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design.
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December 9, 2024
RIT Press publishes book on the letter as a medium
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November 20, 2019
Scratching the Surface: Josh Owen