Meet the jury: Thomas Garvey

Thomas Garvey, president of the World Design Organization (WDO) will lead the jury of the 23rd Andreu World International Design Contest.  He currently heads the international non-governmental organization that promotes the profession of industrial design and its capacity to generate better products, systems, services, experiences and, ultimately, a better environment and society.

Garvey has been an associate professor at Carleton University's School of Industrial Design, where he was director from 2007 to 2017. He specialized in design for extreme and minimal environments. His interest in small-scale living spaces grew out of his work in New York on space station interiors and led him to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Tokyo on the topic of housing and urban density. In 2022, he was appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hunan University's School of Design. 

Garvey and his teams have won numerous awards and their work has been presented around the world. He holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Design from Carleton University, a master's degree in Communications Design from Pratt Institute in New York, and a doctorate in Architectural Planning from the University of Tokyo. 

His participation as a member of the jury is essential due to his extensive experience and background in the field of industrial design and architecture. As chairman of the WDO, Garvey brings not only his teaching background, but also a practical perspective derived from his extensive work in different areas of design.

In addition, Garvey's academic background and experience as a teacher and principal, support his ability to evaluate projects from multiple disciplinary perspectives, identifying innovative potential in the proposals submitted.