A wide shot of a ceramics studio, featuring students working with pottery wheels and other tools.
SAIC faculty member Zachary Manuel.

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Zachary Manuel

Lecturer

Contact

Professional Site

Bio

Zach Manuel (they/them) is a multi-disciplinary designer that brings expertise from a range of large and small corporations, taking products from concept to reality in every environment. Zach has lead the development of award-winning furniture designs that were recognized through Best of Year, Best of NeoCon and HiP awards.

Zach's love of constructing with his hands, both growing up and in school established the foundation for who he is as a designer. He is a design enthusiast and furniture aficionado, inspired by all things creative, expressive and joyful. With each new project he strives to challenge assumptions, apply his knowledge in surprising ways, create unique experiences and stay curious.

Zach has a Master's degree in Interior Architecture and Product Design from Kansas State University. He has worked in-house at corporate leaders including IKEA and Target. In addition to designing in-house products for Martin Brattrud, he has developed products with industry leaders; Google, Facebook, Kaiser Permanente and Populous to name a few.

Personal Statement

My intersectional identity has been the guide to my journey in design and research. I am a Midwesterner, I have lived all over the country, I am a Filipino, I am non-binary, I am a parent, I am a partner. Each of these elements of self contribute to my unique sense of empathy I bring to the design process. Empathy not only for the 99 percent user we identify to inform our design decisions but more importantly for the 1 percent that is marginalized. Empathy also for the team making the design decisions, that they too are representative of the people we are designing for. My role as a parent has led me to, most importantly, empathize with users outside of the 100 percent, the future generations these products and byproducts will be passed down to. By creating a compassionate ecosystem of design, I believe we elevate the industry, empower other designers to embrace their full identities, and design for all.

Awards

Djembe Collection, 2022 Best of Year Award; Djembe Collection, 2022 HiP Winner; Heceta, 2022 Best of Neocon Silver; Trikaya Lounge, 2016 IWF Design Emphasis Seating Division Winner; Allen Hastings Outstanding Product Design Award; IDSA Student Merit Award Recipient; Tot Bot, Kansas State Launch Winner.

Publications

Amplifying Design Through Sustainability, Innovation Magazine, 2024; Passion for Woodworking Magazine Publication, Trikaya Lounge, 2016.

Courses

Title Department Catalog Term

Description

This digital-analog studio affords modeling and prototyping for furniture and other objects at environmental scale. Students construct prototype objects for living while learning a diverse range of technical and process options for making at scale in materials including wood, metals, plastics, fabrics and foams. Focus on fluid improvisation in prototyping designs both by hand and using CNC and other integrated fabrications technologies.

The course explores the systems work of Enzo Mari and Gerrit Rietveld to understand simple construction and scaffold mechanisms for creating quick prototypes. We watch an array of craft and wood engineering videos to understand manufacturing and fabrication techniques, and how prototyping takes place in furniture businesses.

There are three major assignments, each yielding a unique piece of furniture. Naturally, the scope and scale of the projects increase as the semester moves forward. Additionally the course includes two day-long charettes to deliver specific skills and two field trips, to a furniture manufacturer and to a furniture show room.

Class Number

1282

Credits

3