About the Author

Thousands of designers who need to master the interdisciplinary nature of sustainable design or design activism turn to author and collaborative design strategist Ann Thorpe. Readers sing the praises of The Designer’s Atlas of Sustainability, calling it “inspiring,” and  “a must read.”  Thorpe’s newest title (July 2012)  is Architecture & Design versus Consumerism: How Design Activism Confronts Growth. (Stay tuned to the blog http://designactivism.net for more information.)

Thorpe’s been recognized for co-founding the first-ever chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, Cascadia, and has helped many organizations develop research and fully subscribed events and programs on topics such as product stewardship and sustainable consumption. A decade’s worth of students and professionals worldwide take inspiration from Thorpe’s accessible and generously illustrated talks on sustainable design and design activism, which audiences describe as “brain-opening,” “intriguing and insightful,” and full of “unusual angles.” Thorpe discovered her passion for unusual angles when at age 14 she spent time in Paris with her French class, seeing a different culture as well as seeing her own from a different perspective. Thorpe’s aim is to harness multiple perspectives to help architects and designers become better change agents for the common good.

Thorpe holds a BS in Design and Environment from Stanford University, an MA in Energy and Resources from the University of California at Berkeley and a PhD in Design and Innovation from the Open University. Originally from Seattle, she lives in London with her husband and two sons.