Deana McDonagh, is a Professor of Industrial Design in the School of Art & Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and faculty at the Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology. She is an experienced design practitioner and entrepreneur. Prior to joining the University of Illinois she was a Reader in User-Centred Design at Loughborough University in the UK. She is an Empathic Design Research Strategist who focuses on enhancing quality of life for all through more intuitive and meaningful products, leading to emotional sustainability. Her research concentrates on emotional user-product relationships and how empathy can bring the designer closer to users’ authentic needs, ensuring both functional and emotional needs are met by products. She is a Research Fellow at Coventry University (UK) and Director of Research for Herbst Produkt design consultancy (USA). She is the Designer Entrepreneur-in-Residence (start-up incubator) at the Research Park where she provides design guidance.