Melissa Dawson

Associate Professor, Design

School of Design

College of Art and Design

Undergraduate Program Director, Industrial Design

mdmfaa@rit.edu

585-475-5647

Office Location

BOO-4570

Melissa Dawson

Associate Professor, Design

School of Design

College of Art and Design

Undergraduate Program Director, Industrial Design

Education

BS, Cornell University; MS, Philadelphia University

Bio

Melissa Dawson is an Associate Professor of Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY USA, who earned a BS in Textiles & Apparel at Cornell University and a MS in Textile Design at Philadelphia University. Melissa has spent both her professional design and academic careers espousing the technological complexities of successful soft product design. Over the last several years, Melissa has used her experience to successfully integrate formal soft goods product design courses into RIT’s internationally-ranked Industrial Design undergraduate and graduate programs through the creation of RIT Soft Studio. Melissa’s scholarship interests include healthcare textiles, accessible and inclusive PPE, and textile recycling. Melissa is currently on the Fulbright Specialist roster and working on her PhD in Textile Science & Engineering.

mdmfaa@rit.edu

585-475-5647

Personal Links

Personal Website

ORCID

Google Scholar

Areas of Expertise

Industrial Design

Product and Service Design

Soft Product Design

Select Scholarship

External Scholarly Fellowships/National Review Committee

1/1/2021 -12/31/2025
Fulbright Specialist Program
Amount: 0

Published Conference Proceedings

Esteche, Andrea Gonzalez and Melissa Dawson. "Abracemos lo Nuestro: Encouraging New Ideation with Traditional Paraguayan Textiles." Proceedings of the Cumulus Conference: The Design After, held October 30 – November 1, 2019 in Bogotá, Colombia. Ed. Hernando Barragán and Claudia Mejía. Bogotá, Colombia: Cumulus International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media, 2019. Web.

Dawson, Melissa. "UnWasted Possibilities: An Exploration in Product Design Using Felt Offcuts." Proceedings of the NETInc Conference 2019, held May 5-8, 2019 in Indianapolis, IN USA. Ed. PaperCon 2019. Indianapolis, IN: TAPPI Press, 2019. Web.

Dawson, Melissa and Mary Golden. "Abracito: Designing Skin-to-Skin Incubation Garments for Preemies & Micro Preemies." Proceedings of the 2019 International Textiles and Apparel Annual Conference. Ed. ITAA. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Library Digital Press, 2019. Web.

Rivera, Michael L., et al. "Stretching the Bounds of 3D Printing with Embedded Textiles." Proceedings of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Denver, CO, May 6-11, 2017. Ed. General Chairs: Gloria Mark, Susan Fussell. Denver, Colorado: ACM New York, NY, USA, Web.

Shows/Exhibits/Installations

Studio, RIT Soft. Soft Studio at NYC Design Week. By Melissa Dawson and Josh Owen. May 2018. WantedDesign IC, Brooklyn, NY. Exhibit.

Currently Teaching

IDDE-301

Junior ID Studio I

3 Credits

Students will explore the benefits and challenges of working with a design team to address a complex product, problem, or system. Students will explore group dynamics, creativity in design teams, as well as the nature of complex problems and the various methods required to solve them. **Fee: A course fee is required for this course and applied via student account**

IDDE-498

Industrial Design Internship

1-6 Credits

The industrial design internship provides students the option to work in the industrial design field. Students must obtain permission of an instructor and complete the Internship Permission Form to enroll.

IDDE-501

Senior ID Studio I

3 Credits

This course will explore the application of design methods and skills to projects addressing large-community and global problems requiring team-based, trans-disciplinary collaborations. **Fee: A course fee is required for this course and applied via student account**

IDDE-520

The Studio 2.0

3 Credits

This course will focus on developing ideas in art, design and craft. The specific topics for this course will vary each time it is taught. Potential topics may include the creation of public spaces, products, analog and digital fabrication, furniture, inter-disciplinary collaborations, etc. This course can be taken multiple times but individual topics must be different.

IDDE-599

Industrial Design Independent Study

1-6 Credits

Industrial Design Independent Study provides students the means to study in a specialized area with an individual faculty member. With the assistance of their faculty advisers, students will propose a course of study. Students must obtain permission of an instructor and complete the Independent Study Permission Form to enroll. A 3.0 or higher GPA required.

IDDE-620

The Studio 2.0

3 Credits

IDDE-799

Industrial Design Independent Study

1-6 Credits

In the News

May 6, 2026

Student's theater experience sewn together by accessibility and functionality

Emily Ohl '26 (industrial design) was the steady hand behind many of the award-winning costume designs in RIT theater performances the last couple years.
January 2, 2024

Should we limit the number of new clothing items we purchase each year?

WXXI’s “Connections” program features Melissa Dawson, associate professor and director of the undergraduate industrial design program.
May 11, 2023

Vignelli-inspired regalia to debut at commencement

Associate professor Melissa Dawson and Clare Maxwell '23 (industrial design) designed a cap and gown using fabric from the Vignelli archives for Josh Owen, director of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies, to wear at commencement.

More News

Featured Work

a place setting toy with colorful plates, silverware, and cups in a carrying case.

2021 ID MFA Graduate Studio II: Play with Purpose

2nd year MFA Industrial Design Students

Each graduating MFA student was responsible for designing a collection of educational toys appropriate for children between the ages of birth and 8 years. Product aesthetics were defined by and...

pillows and fabric decor with purples, yellows, and oranges.

2021 Senior Soft Studio II: National Parks

Senior Industrial Design Students

Each student designed soft goods product based on inspiration gathered from a chosen US National Park. Identifying a key observation from selected artifacts found within the Vignelli Center for Design...

felt decoration that looks like a splash of water.

Explorations in Wet Felting

Melissa Dawson

Three-dimensional wet-felted pieces made from merino, silk chiffon, and silk throwsters waste. Exhibited in 2019 CAD Faculty Exhibition, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York USA.