Kate Dannessa is a Providence-based artist, designer and educator. She received her BFA in Industrial Design from RISD and an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies at NYU. Since earning her BFA, she has worked for a variety of designers and high-end fabricators in furniture, hardware and lighting. Her studio practice is a space for exploration and focuses on sculptural objects and furniture. Deeply engaged in experimentation, she explores nonlinear methods and their importance to the creative process.
Kate is also a designer with Altimeter Design Group, where she works on projects ranging from public installations to the creation of speculative artifacts, as well as workshop development and facilitation. Whether personal, educational or client-related, each project she takes on centers materiality as a means to enhance experience. Her current research is in embodied cognition and objects as a form of language, provocation and mechanism of understanding. Kate has taught in the Industrial Design departments at RISD and Parsons.
Courses
Fall 2024 Courses
ID 2453-01 - WOOD II
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
Period Fall 2024
Credits 3
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
ID 2453-01
WOOD II
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
PeriodFall 2024
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-09-04 to 2024-12-11
Times: M | 1:10 PM - 6:10 PMInstructor(s): Kate DannessaLocation(s): Industrial Design Building, Room 101Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Closed
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course will deal with advanced woodworking processes, including milling and machinery use, laminate and steam bending, plywood and veneer. Techniques in using natural and synthetic materials connected with furniture will be covered.
Preference is given to Junior Industrial Design Students.
Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design
ID 24ST-01 - ADVANCED DESIGN: STUDIO
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
Period Fall 2024
Credits 6
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
ID 24ST-01
ADVANCED DESIGN: STUDIO
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
PeriodFall 2024
Credits6
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-09-04 to 2024-12-11
Times: TTH | 1:10 PM - 6:10 PMInstructor(s): Kate DannessaLocation(s): Industrial Design Building, Room 300Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
The 6-credit Advanced Design studios offer second semester juniors and seniors the opportunity to investigate product, socially responsible, and sustainable design; innovation through science and technology and other topics in contemporary practice. These studios are designed to strengthen the student's ability to conduct research, ideation, material exploration, presentation, and concept validation. Studios meet two days per week. Junior and Senior Industrial Design Students are required to take a total of three (3) advanced studios.
Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Preference is given to Junior, Senior or Graduate Industrial Design Students.
Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design
Spring 2025 Courses
ID 2465-02 - DESIGN PRINCIPLES II
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
Period Spring 2025
Credits 6
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
ID 2465-02
DESIGN PRINCIPLES II
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
PeriodSpring 2025
Credits6
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2025-02-13 to 2025-05-23
Times: W | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM; M | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PMInstructor(s): Kate DannessaLocation(s): Industrial Design Building, Room 401Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course is a continuation of Design Principles (ID-2464) with an emphasis on problem solving and design process and skills.
Enrollment is limited to Sophomore Industrial Design Students.
