Loading
Loading
About
We study desirability in design processes, products, and services.
The lab is a hub of teaching and research resources on design and desirability. Founded at Harvard University by Professor Beth Ames Altringer Eagle, the lab has since brought its methods to the Rhode Island School of Design, Brown University Engineering, and now Dartmouth College. Our research focuses on quantifying design desirability in different areas.
The Desirability Lab was founded by Dr. Beth Ames Altringer Eagle, Professor of Design Engineering and Inaugural Director of the Design Initiative at Dartmouth, previously Founding Executive Director of the MADE program and Professor of Design Engineering at RISD and Brown University. Before that, Altringer spent 10 years as faculty on Innovation and Design at Harvard University's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Graduate School of Design (GSD), and core faculty of the joint engineering MBA degree offered by SEAS and Harvard Business School.
The DL's research on teaching and learning has been supported by many generous funders, including Harvard SEAS and the Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching. In addition to working with industry, the DL collaborates with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard Innovation Lab, and other institutions on teaching, field courses, and mentoring.
Inquiries: ba[at]desirabilitylab.com
The DL has part-time learning-by-doing fellow roles each term. We provide the necessary project-specific technical and domain expertise. All roles work with the director. All roles are open to non-traditional as well as remote candidates unless otherwise indicated.
Research: Interested in joining our research team? We regularly accept new researchers. These are usually part-time, learning and mentorship-based roles. We currently do not have paid positions. Register your interest in research positions here and we'll be in touch.
Teaching Fellows: Interested in joining the teaching staff for one of our courses? These are part-time roles and only available to Harvard-affiliates. Please fill in this short form to let us know, ideally a month or more in advance of the start of term.
Analytics, Design & Development
Experience with qualitative or quantitative datasets, data visualization, visual design, or full stack development. Python, R, SQL, Tableau, Observable, D3, Figma, Swift, Node.js, and similar tools a plus. Fellows participate in feature strategy, prototyping, and user feedback cycles. Detail-oriented, able to work independently.
Research & Education
Literature reviews, research design, conducting interviews, developing and refining educational content and delivery. Interest in crafting engaging learning experiences and research-backed storylines.
Teaching Assistants
Design Survivor (ENGN 15.15) and Designing With Emerging Technologies (ENGN 15.16). Must be in-person at Dartmouth.
Voracious Learner Generalists
Savvy with design and technology tools, collaborative, can-do, get things done, communicative, flexible attitude. Must be detail-oriented and able to work independently and responsibly.
To express interest, send CV and portfolio (if you have one): beth[at]dartmouth.edu
Our data science team works with our design team on complex R&D projects and focuses on quantitative models, machine learning, and large-scale text analytics.
Our development team works with our design team to prepare prototypes and refine them for production.
Design Survivor: Cultivating Creative Capacity Within Constraints
ENGN 15.15 · Spring 2026
Focuses on designing desirable products—defined as meaningful, delightful, cool, covetable, viral, or efficient. Draws on applied psychology of creativity, creative skill development, modern history of the creativity concept, and the psychology of desirability and impact. Case studies include Apple, IDEO, Swarovski, and Nike.
Designing With Emerging Technologies
ENGN 15.16 · Spring 2026 · Lead: Chaki Ng
Generative AI's impact on design, creativity, and engineering. Covers capabilities and limitations, authorship and labor implications, bias and trust, and human–AI interaction design. Hands-on prototyping with AI tools and critical judgment development.
Design Communication / Visual & Interactive Design
Visual/interactive design, human-AI collaboration, UI design, technical concept translation. Capstone: interactive museum exhibit for Museum of Science.
Co-Curricular Design Leadership
As Founding Director of Brown and RISD's joint Master of Arts in Design Engineering. Core studios: Make and Measure, Iterate with Intention, Integrate and Implement, Design Communication, Designing with Emerging Technology.
Integrated Design
HBS-5240
New product design process from ideation to prototyping, testing, and data integration under uncertainty. Emphasis on data-driven decision-making.
Design Survivor / Product and Experience Design for Desirability
SEAS ES22 / GSD SCI 6276
Exploring meanings of “desirable”—irresistible, delightful, meaningful, cool, covetable, viral, easy. Cross-listed across engineering and design schools, open to all Harvard schools.
Innovators' Practice: Finding, Building, and Leading Good Ideas With Diverse Others
SEAS ENG-SCI 21 / GSD SCI6271
Described by the Harvard Crimson as a “startup obstacle course for practicing innovation.” Hands-on, team-based with real-world project challenges. Teams have won Dean's 100K Cultural Entrepreneurship Challenge and funded fellowships.
Human-Centered Algorithm Design
Evolved from the ai-kitchen research group. 2016 discussion group expanded into formal course (Fall 2017). Collaboration with groups at Harvard, MIT, and the BKC-MIT AI Initiative.
Fast-paced challenges (days to weeks) culminating in prototypes and critiques, run at Harvard.