Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Rebecca Kelly’s interests lie in teaching the importance of conceptual thinking, not only to promote the virtues of invention and creativity, but ultimately the power of smart communication.
She teaches methodologies for effective visual communication and the complexities of advertising design and pursues a research agenda surrounding design sustainability. She has taught at the University of North Texas, Mississippi State University, and, currently, Syracuse University. Her students have been featured in leading design publications, earned prestigious awards, and accepted positions at prominent Fortune 500 companies. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Kelly is a children’s book author and partner in a small design firm in New York.
Her latest two projects include using design methodology to advocate for young girls in S.T.E.M, S.T.E.A.M. and C.R.E.A.T.E fields and using children's books as the best medium to communicate that message. The second project was practicing design diversity skills to design an eco-friendly off the grid home, which was recently selected to appear on the DIY Channel - Building Off The Grid.
Research interests
I am an assistant professor in communications design at Syracuse University. My interests lie in teaching the importance of conceptual thinking, not only to promote the virtues of invention and creativity, but ultimately the power of smart communication.
I pursue a body of research that examines the future of the Communications/Graphic Design industry and its relationship to academia. I continue to ask and challenge what are the qualities that a designer student today must possess to be viable in the quickly evolving future. What are those attributes that will ensure today’s student must obtain to be successful in a job that may or may not exist in its current form. How do I train designers for jobs that don’t currently exist?
I also believe that a designers’ processes, including design thinking and critical thinking are the necessary skills that will benefit a designer through an ever changing industry. Further, I believe and continuously seek opportunities to discover and apply those skills to any industry/problem/scenario to problem solve an even better solution.
1. Design Education: Is education preparing students for a constantly changing industry:
a. Design in Decline: Breathing New Life Into an Industry Through Education
b. Deprogramming Design Education: Breaking down a traditional curriculum to build a better program
c. Redesigning Design: Reestablishing Our Relevance After Losing Our Value.
2. Design Thinking/Critical Thinking and their roles in society:
a. Decoding Democracy through Visual Literacy: Reading Between the Memes
b. Decoding Democracy: Arming a New Generation to View Social Media with Critical Thinking: Phase II
c. Viral Design: User Concepts of Virality on the Niche Social Media Site (collaboration with Jeff Hemsley).
3. Design as Social Innovation:
a. VIEWpoint Kit: Design Tools for Achieving International Perspectives (Visual + Idea Exchange Workshop)
b. Decoding Democracy: A Social Media Accountability Project, A.I. and the News grant: An open challenge to educate society to navigate on social media for the betterment of society (finalist – only 12% accepted, no others from SU but institutions such as M.I.T. and BBC are represented)
Education
Communications Design, Designer, School of Design
External positions
Partner/Creative Director, Pixel Pushers Design, Inc.
Research Interests
- Design Sustainability
- Strategy Development
- Integrated Design
- Designer Diversity
- Ethics in Design
- Social Impact Design
- Design for Good
- Problem Solution Thinking
- High Impact Design
- Advertising Design
- Future Orientation
- Designer of the Future
- Creative Methodologies
- Teaching Design Thinking
- Staying Relevant in the Profession
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- 1 Similar Profiles
Network
Projects
- 1 Finished
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Does the School of Design Care About the Environment?
Lee, S., Kelly, R., Leonard, M. & Manfredi, L.
NYS Association for Reduction, Reuse & Recycling
8/21/20 → 4/27/21
Project: Research project
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Teaching sustainable responsibility through informal undergraduate design education
Manfredi, L. R., Stokoe, M., Kelly, R. & Lee, S., Aug 1 2021, In: Sustainability (Switzerland). 13, 15, 8378.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Scopus citations -
Democratizing Design: How education can maintain value for a profession that is accessible to all.
Kelly, R., Feb 22 2019, (Submitted). 9 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
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Design in Decline: Breathing New Life Into an Industry Through Education
Kelly, R., Mar 18 2019, (E-pub ahead of print) In: dmi:Journal, Volume 13. 13, 1948-7177, p. 41-52 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Scratching a Niche: How Smaller Social Media Players Such as Dribbble Reflect the Viral Phenomenon
Hemsley, J. & Kelly, R. D., Oct 2019, In: Social Media and Society. 5, 4Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access3 Scopus citations -
The Awesome, Impossible, Unstoppable, Gadget
Kelly, R., Sep 10 2019, New York: Macmillan. 40 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book
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Controversial:
Rebecca Kelly (Participant)
Feb 28 2019Activity: Attendance types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Deprogramming Design Education:
Rebecca Kelly (Speaker)
Jul 30 2018 → Aug 1 2018Activity: Talk types › Oral presentation
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Is Design Dead: Reincarnation through Education
Rebecca Kelly (Speaker)
Aug 1 2018 → Aug 2 2018Activity: Talk types › Oral presentation
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A Chain Reaction
Rebecca Kelly (Speaker)
Jan 31 2008 → Feb 2 2008Activity: Talk types › Oral presentation
Press and Media
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STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF HONORED WITH 2020 ONE UNIVERSITY AWARDS
Jacqueline T Orr, Teng Zeng, Rebecca Kelly, Walter Freeman, Charles T Driscoll & Robert Patrick Doyle
5/7/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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DESIGNING FOR THE UNITED NATIONS
Louise Manfredi, Rebecca Kelly & Seyeon Lee
1/21/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Decoding Democracy: A Social Media Accountability Project
2/6/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT NAMED FINALIST IN INTERNATIONAL 'AI AND THE NEWS' CHALLENGE
1/15/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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VPA COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN STUDENTS WIN BIG IN CREATIVE QUARTERLY INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
1/9/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
Prizes
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College of Architecture, Art & Design’s Faculty Research Award
Kelly, Rebecca (Recipient), 2006
Prize: Honorary award
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Decoding Democracy: A Social Media Accountability Project
Kelly, Rebecca (Recipient), Dec 4 2018
Prize: Other distinction
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I Profess: Design Manifesto International Traveling Poster Exhibition
Kelly, Rebecca (Recipient), Feb 21 2008
Prize
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I Profess: International Travel Poster Exhibition
Kelly, Rebecca (Recipient), May 2004
Prize: Other distinction