As a new semester begins at Berkeley, the Jacobs Institute is heading into 2017 with a fresh lineup of talks, public programs, and opportunities to explore design innovation. Four leading design voices will visit Jacobs Hall for spring’s Jacobs Design Conversations, weaving together insights from diverse fields and contexts in these Friday lunchtime talks. On Tuesday afternoons throughout the semester, a diverse lineup of guests will share projects and perspectives in the second season of Design Field Notes, a pop-up series that brings practitioners to a Jacobs Hall teaching studio. The institute will also throw open its doors for Cal Day and the Jacobs Spring Design Showcase, highlighting student creations and forging new connections.
Alan Cooper, founder of Cooper Design, will kick off the spring series on January 27. Known for his role in humanizing technology, Cooper created the goal-directed design methodology and invented personas as practical interaction design tools to create products that delight users’ sensibilities.
Kate Sofis, CEO of SFMade, will speak on February 10. A leader in local manufacturing, she will bring a perspective that intertwines entrepreneurship and innovation, design and manufacturing, and urban economic development.
Barry Katz will visit on March 3. Katz is a faculty member at Stanford and CCA, a fellow at IDEO, and the author of Make It New: The History of Silicon Valley Design. Registration will open one month prior to the talk; to receive a reminder when registration opens, sign up here.
Elisa Giaccardi, professor of interactive media design at the Delft University of Technology, will speak on April 7. Giaccardi has been recognized with a TU Delft Technology Fellowship for top female scientists and directs the Connected Everyday Lab. Registration will open one month prior to the talk; to receive a reminder when registration opens, sign up here.
Spring also marks the second season of Design Field Notes, a pop-up series that brings design practitioners to a Jacobs Hall teaching studio to share current projects, practices, and ideas. This semester, Design Field Notes talks will take place at 4pm on Tuesdays. 
Currently scheduled talks include:
Neil Goldberg: 1/24
Danielle Applestone: 1/31
Per Selvaag: 2/7
Aaron Marcus: 2/14
Avery Trufelman: 2/28
Majeed Kazemitabaar: 3/7
Matter Global: 3/21
Tyler Mincey and Jorge Fino: 4/11
Dara Douraghi: 4/18
Look out for news of more events in this series!
Beyond these talks, mark your calendar for Cal Day and for our spring design showcase.
All events are free and open to the public.
Questions? Contact us at jacobsinstitute@berkeley.edu.