Dr. Bjarki Hallgrimsson

Biography

Professor Hallgrimsson is an established product designer, author, and researcher with extensive professional experience in industrial design. He holds a Master of Science in Engineering from Stanford University and has worked in various industrial design consulting firms across the United States and Canada. In 2012, he founded his own company, HPD, which specializes in developing award-winning patented products for a diverse range of clients across multiple industries. Hallgrimsson has published the book 'Prototyping Modelmaking for Product Designers' which is available in five languages and emphasizes the significance of physical prototypes in successful product design. His work is particularly focused on community-based projects in Low and Middle-Income Countries, reflecting his commitment to social innovation through design. He collaborates closely with undergraduate and graduate students to research practical prototyping methods and engage in dialogues facilitating community engagement in social innovation projects. Hallgrimsson has successfully led large-scale research projects, including the Gendered Design STEAM project, supported by a $1,100,000 grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), aiming to manage and coordinate gender-inclusive technological design in STEAM-related projects in low-and-middle-income countries. His current research interests include the collection and narration of industrial design history in collaboration with the Departments of History and Art and Architectural History at Carleton University.

Research Interests