Dan Saffer bridges the worlds of design practice and academia. As Assistant Professor of the Practice at Carnegie Mellon University, he helps shape the next generation of designers by connecting the theory of human-computer interaction to the realities of professional design work.

Before entering academia, Dan spent over two decades as a professional designer — more than half of that leading UX teams across industries, from robotics to social media giants like Twitter. He is the author of four influential books on design, including the best-selling Microinteractions, which has become essential reading for designers around the world.

Dan holds a Master’s in Design from Carnegie Mellon and has been honored with ten nominations for the National Design Award. He brings a rare blend of strategic insight, practical know-how, and deep empathy for both users and the teams who design for them