As a pioneering figure in design, Dr. Patricia Moore is a leading authority on consumer lifespan behaviours and requirements. For a period of three years from 1979 to 1982, Moore travelled throughout the United States and Canada disguised as women of more than 80 years of age. This experience of responding to people, products, and environments as an elder enabled an empathetic approach to design that informed much of her future work, from NASA to Whirlpool.
Moore is a frequent international lecturer, media guest and the author of numerous books, including: Disguised: A True Story, Ageing and Ingenuity & Design. She holds undergraduate degrees in Industrial, Environmental and Communication Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology, a completion of Advanced Studies in Biomechanics at New York University’s Medical School, as well as graduate degrees in Psychology and Social Gerontology from Columbia University.
Named by ID Magazine as one of The 40 Most Socially Conscious Designers in the world, Moore was selected in 2000 by a consortium of news editors and organisations as one of The 100 Most Important Women in America. In 2012, Moore was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Syracuse University for serving as a guiding force for a more humane world and as a true leader in the movement of Universal Design.
There is no doubt that throughout her illustrious career, Dr. Patricia Moore has paved the way for more inclusive and empathetic approaches to design, and WDO is honoured to recognize her impressive design legacy, influence and leadership as the recipient of the 2022 World Design Medal™.
