DESIGN INNOVATIONSEGAL DESIGN INSTITUTE
at the McCORMICK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

About

With over 25 years at the helm of consumer product breakthroughs, Jim Wicks is a leader in bridging design innovation with executive leadership. His tenure began with pioneering digital imaging and telecom at Sony in Japan and subsequently by shaping the future of mobile devices at Motorola, where he led the creation of the Moto 360, DROID, RAZR, Moto Mods and MING series. Beyond product design, Wicks was instrumental in conceptualizing software solutions, including the first successful Chinese handwriting recognition UX and the Moto Maker design studio.

Jim Wicks has been at Northwestern since 2017 where he is a clinical professor for the Segal Design Institute and director of the Master of Science in Product Design and Development Management (MPD2) program. MPD2 infuses future product leaders with a blend of strategic vision, business acumen, and practical innovation. Wicks, known for his ability to merge insightful design with strategic business goals, embodies the role of design leadership in the corporate sphere and his career exemplifies how design-centric thinking at the highest levels of corporate strategy can drive market-leading innovations.

Education

B.A., Design, University of Illinois,  Urbana-Champaign, IL 

M.A., Design from Nihon University in Japan