Written by coWORKer Linda Jay

Brian Kane is an artist, a designer, and an educator.  He and his wife Ann moved to Petaluma from Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the spring of 2017, when Ann started a job in food science here.  From 2012 – 2017, Brian taught interactive apparel, video, and industrial design at RISD, his alma mater.  In 2016 he started the first industrial design course that looked at AI through the lens of art and design.

Brian’s sculpture, interactive and video work has been shown internationally in museums and galleries for 30 years.  He’s also been creative director in the online gaming industry, and a usability and user experience consultant for the financial and e-commerce industries.

Brian’s strategy uses design thinking and process to approach Artificial Intelligence, as a way of inventing  innovative products and services that people will love.  One of his more well-known projects went viral on social media last year, a rapid prototype combining Amazon’s Alexa with a Big Mouth Billy Bass.  This project was featured on recent Discovery Channel and Science Channel programs.

Currently, he’s developing an accelerated AI bootcamp workshop series to bring hands-on learning and innovation to California Community Colleges. Called STIR (Smartest Thing in the Room), the first workshops start in the summer of 2017.

Brian is also writing a book on AI design for people who want to use emotional design and user testing to create, test, and bring AI products to market.

What are Brian’s impressions of WORK Petaluma?  “WORK is a fantastic place.  It’s amazing how Natasha has been able to create something so super-cool and professional in just five years.  It’s so much fun to come here, and know you’ll be surrounded by like-minded people.” And, he adds, “For me personally, this has been a great opportunity to find and hire people to work with me.”

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