Michael Leighton, Director of Industrial Design, CMF & Sculpting, Polaris
- More TBA!
Join Us for Design Wisconsin 2025!
May 16-18, 2025
University of Wisconsin-Stout
302 10th Ave E, Menomonie, WI 54751
Celebrate Wisconsin's Legacy of Industrial Design Innovation & the Impact of Stout Alumni Designers
UW-Stout's School of Art & Design presents the 4th Annual Design Wisconsin event showcasing the impacts of Industrial Design on Wisconsin's Culture, Commerce, Community and Brand—Past, Present, and Future. And this year, we're expanding to include UW-Stout alumni designers' impact in our neighboring state to the west, Minnesota!
It is a little known secret that Wisconsin is a hub for product innovation, and it's our mission to showcase and celebrate prominent Wisconsin-based Industrial Design teams and their work. We hope this format will inspire participants and strengthen connections within our Industrial Design community, as well as cultivate new ones!
The event includes an open house of major Wisconsin and Minnesota Design/Manufacturer groups. In the past, these have included TREK, Milwaukee Tool, Kohler, Mercury Marine, Polaris, Fiskars, Oshkosh and many more.
This is a FREE event on May 17-18, 2024 at Wisconsin's Polytechnic University, UW-Stout
Event Schedule
Saturday, May 17
8:00 a.m. | Design & Product Showcase & Networking
9:00 a.m. | Welcome & Remarks
9:30 a.m. | Keynote I: Michael Leighton, Director of Industrial Design, CMF & Sculpting, Polaris
11:00 a.m.-Noon | Student Portfolio Review
1:00 p.m. | Keynote II
1:45 p.m. | Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Design Process
2:45 p.m. | Design Panel: TBD
3:30 p.m. | Merit Award Presentation
5:00 p.m. | After Party: Studio MLM
Sunday, May 18
8:30 a.m. | Breakfast & Colors, Materials, Finish (CMF) Talk
9:30 a.m. | CMF Workshop w/ Kiki Redhead (Sherwin-Williams)
11:30 a.m. | Employer Lunch w/ Career Services
Featured Speakers
Participating Organizations
The real stars of the show will be the Wisconsin-based Industrial Design teams in attendance to display their works and talk shop! Design Wisconsin is current confirmation participating organizations. Don't get left out of the show. Contact us to be a featured vendor!
Past Design Wisconsin Events
3rd Annual Design Wisconsin @ Milwaukee Tool
Featured Speakers
Tim Albrecht, Group President - Hand Tools, Storage, PPE & Channel Marketing, Milwaukee® Tool
Tim began his career at Milwaukee@ in 2007, when he accepted a Western Regional Sales position for the newly acquired Stiletto Tools business based in Winton, California. Later that year, Tim moved to Wisconsin to begin his first marketing role, where he managed Channel, Brand, and Product Marketing for Stiletto Tools. As the country moved into a recessionary period in 2008, the market for premium titanium hammers became extremely challenging. It was at that time that Tim further researched hand tools and involved a small project team to rally around disrupting a stagnant market and delivering solutions to our core users. This project led to launching the first eight (8) Milwaukee@ branded hand tools in 2010. Over the years, this small start-up category within Milwaukee@ has become larger and more complex. It now includes Hand Tools, Storage, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), with thousands of innovative products. Hundreds of dedicated employees support this business unit globally, including manufacturing sites in the USA, PRC, and Vietnam.
Wendy Gavinski, Founder & CEO, DSG Outerwear
Wendy Gavinski is the visionary founder and CEO of DSG Outerwear, a company she launched in 2010 out of a personal need for women-specific outerwear in snowmobiling and skiing. Her frustration with the limited and non-feminine options available led to the creation of DSG Outerwear, which quickly resonated with the female audience upon its debut. Wendy's entrepreneurial spirit drove the company's expansion into a comprehensive outerwear line by 2011, featuring unique designs with feminine fits and quality materials. Under her leadership, DSG secured significant distribution deals, including with Yamaha Motor Corp. and Western Power Sports. The brand diversified into hunting apparel, influenced by the successful advocacy for the Blaze Pink Bill, and later ventured into fishing and heated apparel lines. Wendy's commitment to functional, fashionable, and inclusive women's outerwear has solidified DSG Outerwear's position in the market, making it a pioneering force in women's outdoor apparel.
2nd Annual Design Wisconsin @ Trek USA
Featured Speakers
Past details will be added soon.
1st Annual Design Wisconsin @ Delve
Featured Speakers
Past details will be added soon.
