A DESIGNING MIND
A DESIGNING
MIND
BY EMILY ROSENTHAL ’16
Imagine a world where autonomous cars have moved to the next
level. Rather than just being used for commuting, the “cars”
double as hotel rooms that pick you up and transport you to your
destination while you sleep. You wake up and your hotel room
has parked itself at the beach with a wonderful ocean view.
This is just one idea running through the mind for companies such as T-Mobile, Samsung, PayPal
of alumnus Parker Kuncl ’03, who has his eyes and, most recently, Uber. He just recently accepted
—and designs—firmly focused on the future. a position as Director of Design at Oracle’s Seattle
Kuncl, an interactive designer, says autonomous
office.
vehicles are one of the next big areas for innovation. He was working on wearable technology before
He believes that they will be the next living room— it became a trend, has created innovative apps, and
or any room. Imagine a mobile Starbucks where has filed more than 20 patents. However, when he
you can grab a ride home and an afternoon cup of first entered college in Rhode Island, he planned
coffee simultaneously. to study oceanology. A Photoshop class sparked
The ideas that change the way people work, how his interest in design, and he transferred into the
they relate, and how they move—these have been Visual Communication Design program at Villa
Kuncl’s focus over his career, working as a designer Julie College.
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