Amy Leidtke, principal of Leidtke Design, is an accomplished industrial designer, artist and educator with a standing record of success combining the disciplines of research, strategic and master planning, ideation and design development, participatory design workshops, in an inclusive professional design practice.
Leidtke has been directly responsible for the planning, management and coordination of projects reaching millions of people. From studio to shop, she is experienced in all facets of the design process, including brainstorming, programming, design and production.
For 20-plus years, Leidtke has worked on projects such as immersive play and learning environments, traveling exhibits and products for mass production, including children’s educational kits/activities, medical equipment, retail displays and corporate identity systems. She has worked with clients such as the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Boston Children’s Museum, Henry Ford Museum/Spirit of Ford, Lincoln Children’s Museum, The Building for Kids, Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Rotobin, Simplicity and Zoom (educational public television).
She has a special interest in pediatric design (design for children), and has devoted most of her career to building an expertise in collaboratively developing and designing innovative interactive learning and play environments (museum exhibits and parks), toys, games, activity guides and curricula for children and families.
Leidtke is a master teaching artist, having served as a Designer-in-Residence with public and private schools, working with children, youth and educators to create fun, interactive products and experiences within the context of academically integrated curriculum. Programs focus on themes including but not limited to brainstorming, collaboration, empathy, communication, drawing and design thinking.
Leidtke is a faculty member of SmART Schools, which provides K-12 educators with professional development opportunities, "dedicated to creating arts-infused schools and classrooms where students of all backgrounds are inspired to meet high academic standards.”
Leidtke is on the Arts in Education Roster of Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), a program endorsed by The New England Consortium of Art-Educator Professionals (NECAP).
Leidtke is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Industrial Design and the Department of Continuing Education at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she teaches design courses, for K-12, undergraduate and graduate levels. A sampling of past RISD college-level studio courses include Curiosita: Practical Applications for Innovative Thinking, Introduction to Industrial Design, Sketching and Rendering for Industrial Design, Industrial Design Principles, Industrial Design Investigations, Drawing Boot Camp and Industrial Design Graduate Studio.
Leidtke is author of RISD Design Connections: Curriculum Tools for Design Education, which includes a set of design skill-building projects for middle and high school students.
This course is an introduction to conceptual and manual skills that represent necessary steps in design evolution. Students strengthen skills by completion of several processes and exercises. Critical thinking and concept generation is a primary focus, drawing and model making activities help to establish this process. Throughout the course each student will focus on improving communication skills and the ability to project or sell ideas.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $15.00
Enrollment is limited to Sophomore Industrial Design Students.
Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design
Spring 2025 Courses
ID 24ST-01 - ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO: SENIOR STUDIO
Get ready to immerse yourself in Senior Studio, determine the independent project you will work on, and create a robust portfolio project at RISD over the semester with the support of the faculty lead and an external advisor/expert. Utilize the shops, apply your skills, conduct design research, and develop, design, and communicate your ideas.
Senior Studio is a juried six-credit course for second-semester senior industrial design students with a solid academic record of success, those who have demonstrated the ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative design research, iterate ideas, explore solutions, validate concepts through testing, think critically, effectively communicate verbally and in writing, and present and document work. Students must be self-motivated, organized, capable of directing their own design decisions, and able to create and adhere to a work schedule. They must also be committed to making tangible deliverables and to attaining and providing evidence of third-party validation of design solutions through user testing.
The faculty lead will host an info session mid-semester, provide an information sheet and application guidelines, and answer any questions. Interested students can apply.
During Wintersession, students will meet remotely for a second info session, develop a project proposal and timeline, and review the proposal in an individual remote meeting with the faculty lead. Students will be encouraged to apply for grant funding (e.g., ID Health & Wellness Design Fund and the Marc Harrison Sustainability Fund), submitted by mid-to-late January, in time for review, approval, and tool and material purchases.
The spring studio will meet twice weekly. Students must work independently and rigorously on their projects throughout the semester. Students will present their work to a broader audience twice, at mid-semester and during Studio Review Week.
Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design
