Meet the Authors

Daniel Graff, D.Sc., is Distinguished Research Fellow at the College of Design &Innovation, Tongji University and Research Director at the Design A.I. Lab in Shanghai, China. Building on over 20 years of experience in design innovation, his current research explores designing in different contexts, such as how designing is influenced by culture and how designers and design teams collaborate with AI. His research is published in highly ranked international academic journals in design (e.g., Design Studies, Journal of Engineering Design). At Tongji, Daniel teaches Design Thinking, Design Methods, and Business Model Innovation. Previously, he taught new product development, and multidisciplinary teamwork to various audiences around the world (e.g., Aalto University in Finland, Loughborough University in the UK, ESADE in Spain, American University in the USA). Through his teaching, he worked with about 100 organisations (e.g., KESKO in Finland, VW in Germany, Panasonic in China) helping to develop new products and services.

Mark A. Clark, Ph.D., is Professor, Department Chair, and Fellow of the Institute forApplied Artificial Intelligence at the Kogod School of Business, American University, in Washington, DC. He has expertise in high performing teams, leadership, culture, and strategic human capital, gained in over 30 years of
experience in research, teaching, and consulting. His research includes work on the integration of artificial intelligence in design, leadership paths, team knowledge networks, and stigmatized occupations. In these projects he engages a variety of organizations, including design, medical, sports, and high-tech companies, as well as entrepreneurial startups. His work has appeared in top
academic outlets, including the Academy of Management Journal, Journalof Applied Psychology, and Design Studies, and has been presented atconferences and workshops around the world. In 2021, he published a co-authored book, Six Paths to Leadership: Lessons from Successful Executives,Politicians, Entrepreneurs, and More. Dr. Clark teaches business managementcourses such as high performing teams, organizational change, learning from failure, network analysis, and leadership. Before earning his Ph.D. from Arizona State University, Professor Clark gained a variety of experiences in public and private sector management, as a consultant, program director, trainer, treatment specialist, and board member. His clients have included some of the largest – and some of the smallest – companies in the world.

Dan Li is a Ph.D. candidate at the Design A.I. Lab, Tongji University, focusing on theintegration of art, design, and computation. Her multidisciplinary expertise bridges academic research with innovative design practice, particularly in exploring LLMs and diffusion models for design applications, and addressing the transformation of design roles in the AI era. Driven by a passion for merging art and technology, Dan seeks inventive solutions for modern creative and educational challenges. At MIT, she worked with the Learning Engineering and Practice (LEAP) Group developing augmented reality applications for engineering education and conducting user experience research. Her collaborative work with the LEAP team oneducational technology wasrecognized with two Best Paper Awards from the AmericanSociety for Engineering Education (2021). She also served as anEducational Associate for the MITx MicroMasters Program in Principles of Manufacturing. Her work with MIT's Architecture Computation Group focused on computational applications in the built environment, producing Design Heritage VR/AR projects and demonstration materials for design computation classes.
Professionally, Dan has worked at Tezign Technology on AI-driven design research projectsand founded CCC Design Studio. She holds a Master of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Architecture from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing.

Lei Xia is a Ph.D. candidate at the College of Design and Innovation at TongjiUniversity, specializing in product design, user experience, and enterprise systems. With a interdisciplinary background spanning design, business, and technology,his work focuses on user-centered innovation and the role of design in shaping complex socio-technical systems. His current research explores the intersection of technology, human experience, and product ecosystems, with the goal of enhancing user engagement and system performance.

Lei also serves as a Research Affiliate with the Tangible Media Group atthe MIT Media Lab and has collaborated with industry partners on a range of applied design projects. He actively contributes to academic conferences and research publication and is driven by a commitment to developing innovative, high-impact design solutions that meet real-world challenges. Lei holds an M.S. in Integrated Design and Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Finance and Management Information Systems from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. His interdisciplinary training enables him to approach design challenges with
both strategic rigor and creative depth.