Who we are...  

Transgenerational Design Matters is a design, research, education, and consulting organization.

Our Mission...

...improve the quality of life for people of all ages and abilities by advocating, promoting, and advancing...

TRANSGENERATIONAL DESIGN: the practice of making products and environments compatible with those physical and sensory impairments associated with human aging and which limit major life activities.

We accomplish our mission through design, research, education, and communication projects and activities—providing specialized information, training programs, design consultations, and product and environmental evaluations for corporations, businesses, public and private organizations, and academic programs.

Founding Director

James Joseph Pirkl, FIDSA is professor emeritus of industrial design, former senior research fellow at Syracuse University's All-University Gerontology Center, and a Fellow of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). An internationally respected industrial design educator, writer and lecturer, he is described as a "key figure in universal design" by the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum. The author of two influential books, his views appear in such publications as Dwell, ID Magazine, Machine Design, Mechanical Engineering, Metropolis, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.

Supporting Partners

We invite you to join our network of organizations and individuals who believe in the power of transgenerational design. Help transform our products and environments and improve the quality life for people of all ages and abilities. Join our team and become a supporting partner!