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Dan Formosa, PhD
Founder, Brainpool and 4B

Dan Formosa is a consultant in design and design research. With a background in product design, he holds a Masters and a PhD in Ergonomics and Biomechanics. His work has received numerous design awards and has been selected for national and international exhibits. In 1977, invited to work with the Eliot Noyes studio, Dan became the junior member of a design team that helped IBM conceive how a computer could possibly fit into a home. From 1981 to 1990 he worked with Smart Design, a company he helped establish. His work on OXO Good Grips kitchen tools became a symbol of products designed to work for everyone. Dan played a key role in conceiving SmartGauge, an instrument cluster for Ford’s 2010 hybrids designed to influence driving behavior and save fuel — an innovation for the auto industry. In healthcare he has rethought products ranging from everyday consumer health items to surgical equipment. Dan helped create the Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts. In addition to consulting, he recently co-founded two collectives on design: 4B, focusing on design and gender, and Brainpool, focusing on emotional values in design. Dan also co-authored and illustrated the bestselling book Baseball Field Guide, employing principles of information design to explain the intricate rules of Major League Baseball.

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