Josh Owen
Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design; Director, Vignelli Center for Design Studies
Josh Owen
Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design; Director, Vignelli Center for Design Studies
Education
BA, BFA, Cornell University; MFA, Rhode Island School of Design
Bio
Josh Owen is the Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design and the Director of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at RIT. Prior to his current role, Owen was Director of the Industrial Design Department in which he continues to teach his popular course known as the Metaproject. Owen is also the president of his eponymous design studio, Josh Owen LLC. His professional projects are produced by major manufacturers and have won many awards. Owen's work is included in the permanent design collections of the Centre Georges Pompidou (FR), the Chicago Athenaeum (USA), the Corning Museum of Glass (USA), the Denver Art Museum (USA), the Design Museum Brussels (BE), the Museum of American Jewish History (USA), the Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal (CA), the Philadelphia Museum of Art (USA) the Red Dot Design Museum (DE) and the Taiwan Design Museum (TP). His students' works have won awards, been exhibited and featured in international publications and critical venues and have been put into mass production prior to graduation. Owen's professional work has been featured in major exhibitions, numerous books on design and is regularly included in critical design discourse. He is the author of the book, Lenses for Design and the forthcoming book, Design for Study.
Currently Teaching
In the News
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April 22, 2026
Josh Owen Interview: How History and Materials Shape Our Future
Design Magazine speaks to Josh Owen, director of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies, about his approach to minimalist design, sustainability, and teaching through design archives.
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April 15, 2026
Vignelli Center for Design Studies Archives on display in Italy
Triennale di Milano, a museum of art and design in Italy, is hosting the first major retrospective on Lella and Massimo Vignelli’s contributions to international design and graphic culture.
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December 10, 2025
Josh Owen’s Spiral Glass Vessels Are 3D Printed With Purpose
Design Milk highlights 3D-printed glass designs created by Josh Owen, RIT Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design.
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December 9, 2024
RIT Press publishes book on the letter as a medium
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November 20, 2019
Scratching the Surface: Josh Owen