Director MDes Interaction Design

Elena Pacenti is Director of the MDes Interaction Design program at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. With over three decades in design education and research, she has led innovative projects where design plays a strategic role. She earned her PhD from the Polytechnic University of Milan. She spent 16 years at Domus Academy, where she directed the Research Center (DARC) and launched the Master’s program in Service & Experience Design. In 2013, she relocated to California to establish the School of Design at NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego. She has pioneered the research in Design for Services, coordinated European design research projects, and designed and launched programs in higher education. She advocated for the strategic value of design and the arts by participating in design organizations and conferences. In 2020, she received the “Cavaliere” honor from the President of Italy for her contributions to international design education.