Dr. Esther Y. Kang
Researcher—Writer—Designer—Educator
Dr. Kang (b. 1986) is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Design Studies at UW-Madison’s School of Human Ecology (SoHE). Her primary affiliation is in the Design Studies Department, and her secondary affiliation is in the Civil Society and Community Studies Department at SoHE. Dr. Kang is a member of the Global Human Ecology Network and the Wisconsin RISE Initiative. Her work as a practitioner focused on design’s role in developing systems of accountability in policy making and urban planning processes for 10+ years. As Dr. Kang shifted her objective to researching the politics and practices of design, her work evolved from integrating design methods with cross-disciplinary governance and urban planning projects in the US, to conducting action-oriented, interdisciplinary research on the social and ecological implications of design and technology systems for urban and rural regions.
Dr. Kang’s scholarship asks: who determines the future of cities/towns/regions, and how should we interpret the politics of “modern” tools to build ethical & flourishing futures? This work sits at the intersection of design studies, urban humanities, and science and technology studies, and it engages with community development organizations, policymakers, and grassroots efforts, in addition to others. The intention of this work is to understand ways to cultivate socioecological practices that expand design agency for local communities, particularly those participating in or affected by micro-economies. Currently, she is focusing on two projects—the effect of an innovation policy on the agriculture industry and the impact of urban development projects in east Wisconsin.
This work builds upon 10+ years as an independent consultant who led design research, product development, and policy implementation teams at three levels: national, regional, and local. In this capacity, Dr. Kang led multidisciplinary teams with the aim of addressing inequities that were results of social, environmental, and technological issues. Selected collaborators include the [Executive] Office of Public Engagement under the Obama Administration, New Jersey (state) Office of Innovation under Governor Phil Murphy, and Bloomberg Philanthropies' What Works Cities + Results for America. The main outputs of this body of work were community informed policies, resident-centered social services, equity-centered planning processes, and equitable approaches to digital services. Dr. Kang also taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels since 2013 with academic appointments at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pratt Institute, School of Visual Art, and Art Center College of Design.
Dr. Kang earned her Ph.D. in Design from Carnegie Mellon University, MA in social design from Maryland Institute College of Art, BFA with concentrations in photography and art theory from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and transferred from Pasadena City College and Art Center College of Design’s Night Program.
Dr. Kang was born in Detroit, MI, and grew up in northern Texas and southern California. She is currently based in Madison, WI.
News
Publishing a book chapter in the Urban Humanities 2: An (Un)Volume on Place, Pedagogy, and Practice (Fall 2025)
Participated in a speaker series at UCLA’s Department of Information Studies entitled User Experience and Library & Information Science (LIS). (Winter 2024)
Published a teaching resource developed through the Chicago Designs Workshop. Funding provided by the Terra Foundation. (Fall 2024)
Published a journal article in an international journal, Diseña (Fall 2024)
Contact
eykang2@wisc.edu or @estherykang.bsky.social
More Info
CV, LinkedIn, and Google Scholar
