Kelly Ernst

(she/her) is a multi-disciplinary experience strategist, designer, design researcher and artist. Kelly works to advance social impact innovation through the imagining of cultural futures and cultivating spaces of belonging. She

applies design methodologies to research, strategy, art-making, and

technology development

in a variety of industries including arts and cultural production, humanities, social impact entrepreneurship, and innovation technology. Kelly has special interest in speculative design futures and emerging design research practices.

She has contributed to design projects on creative economy recovery with the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, worked with NASA on strategies to preserve the legacy of the International Space Station, and worked to launch the Creative Vitality Summit

. Kelly sits on the board of the Civic Canopy, a civic and social innovation nonprofit in addition to her various thought leadership engagements within the arts and culture field. She holds an MS in Strategic Design and Management from Parsons School of Design and a dual BA in Art History and Technology, Art and Media from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Currently, Kelly is developing strategy and experiences with

Method,

applying speculative design practice to the future of energy innovation. When her focus is not turned toward design, experience, and strategy, Kelly is teaching social impact design with Parsons School of Design, working on her

floral project

, making

art

, or enjoying winters in Brooklyn
NY, where she is based, for the proximity to the frigid surf.

Kelly applies design, strategy and innovation through:

Research

Research

Intervention Assessment
User Surveys
Qualitative Insights
Quantitative Interpretations
Engagement Strategies
Future Casting
Design Speculation
Concept Development

Strategy

Strategy

Strategic Planning
Concept Testing
Landscape Analysis
Function Frameworks
Concept Roadmap
Prototyping
Product Development Performance Assessment
Product Incubation and Discovery

Creative

Creative

Visual Systems
User Experience
User Interaction
World Building
Environnment and Spatial Experience
Storysharing