Oshkosh Corporation, a leading innovator of purpose-built vehicles and a Wisconsin-based Fortune 500 company, will host the Fifth Annual Design Wisconsin event May 29-30 at its Global Headquarters in Oshkosh.
Design Wisconsin, presented by UW-Stout, is a showcase of the impacts of industrial design and fashion design on Wisconsin’s culture, commerce, community and brand. The event typically draws several hundred design professionals and students annually. Admission is free, but organizers request that attendees register in advance.
In addition to serving as host, Oshkosh Corporation will be among the many Wisconsin and Minnesota companies that will display their designs and products at the event, which is held each spring at a different site. In the past, Design Wisconsin has taken place at Milwaukee Tool in Milwaukee, Trek in Waterloo, DELVE in Madison, and on the UW-Stout campus in Menomonie.
“We have an exciting lineup of speakers, workshops and exhibitors the embody this year’s theme, ‘Innovation by Design,’” said Professor Jennifer Astwood, director of the industrial and product design program at UW-Stout, who is organizing the event with UW-Stout’s Continuing Education & Conferences office.
Headquartered in Oshkosh, Oshkosh Corporation employs more than 18,000 people worldwide. Formerly known as Oshkosh Truck Corporation, the company makes vehicles for defense, fire and emergency, commercial, and other market segments. Its products can be found in more than 150 countries under brands such JLG®, Pierce®, MAXIMETAL, Oshkosh® S-Series™, McNeilus®, IMT®, Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™ Communications, Oshkosh® Airport Products, Oshkosh AeroTech™, Oshkosh® Defense and Pratt Miller.
Designers and executives from Oshkosh Corporation will be among the featured speakers sharing frontline expertise that is actively reshaping how the world around us is designed, built and experienced. Design Wisconsin speakers will include:
- Austen Angell, founder and CEO of Modern Edge Inc., a design and development firm at the leading edge of health technology and user research, and CEO of Epira.AI, which harnesses artificial intelligence to modernize how governments and citizens interact. Angell served as chair of the Industrial Designers Society of America and was inducted as a Fellow.
- Chad Smith, senior director of engineering at Oshkosh Corporation, leads advanced technology development across autonomy, active safety, electrification and innovation by combining deep engineering expertise with emerging technology leadership.
- Jason Sadler, a 1994 UW-Stout industrial design graduate, is a visual development artist with more than 30 years of experience in the animation industry. His clients include Apple, Netflix, Disney, Blue Sky Studios and Locksmith Animation.
- Rob Wurm, senior industrial designer at KI Furniture, has spent the past decade designing commercial contract furniture. Over his career, he has developed products and design strategies for companies such as Michelin, Hershey, Kimberly-Clark, and Kohler, and has designed power yachts for Cruisers Yachts and Palmer Johnson.
- Nyko de Peyer is product expert team lead at Vizcom, an AI-powered design platform. A trained car designer, he worked at Local Motors on projects including the Rally Fighter, the world’s first co-created vehicle, and the Strati, the world’s first fully 3D-printed car.
- Mark Charniak, director of engineering at Oshkosh Corporation, where he leads efforts that bring early-stage innovation to life through cross-functional collaboration.
- Jesse Gander, industrial design tech fellow at Oshkosh Corporation, specializes in user experience across high-performance, mission-driven vehicles.
In addition to these featured speakers, Design Wisconsin will include product showcases, panel discussions, networking opportunities, student portfolio review sessions and workshops.
While participating organizations are still being confirmed, organizations that have taken part in Design Wisconsin in the past include Ashley Furniture Industries, DSG Outerwear, Emerson, Fiskars, Generac, Gulf Stream, Harley-Davidson, Kohler, Mercury Marine, Milwaukee Tool, Polaris Industries, National Presto Industries, Room & Board, Sherwin-Williams, Spectrum Industries, Trek and more.
Complete information on Design Wisconsin, including registration details, the event schedule, and accommodations, can be found on the Design Wisconsin website.
