Designer, author, earth scientist

Carissa Carter (she/her) is the d.school’s Academic Director. In this role she guides the development of the d.school’s pedagogy, leads its instructors, and shapes its class offerings. She is the author of The Secret Language of Maps: How to Tell Visual Stories with Data (Ten Speed/PRH, 2022) and the co-author of Assembling Tomorrow: Harnessing the Hidden Forces of Design to Shape the Future (Ten Speed/PRH 2024). Carissa teaches design courses on data, emerging technologies, and climate change. She was a co-leader of Stanford 2025, a multi-year d.school project that envisioned the future of higher education. Her work on designing with machine learning and blockchain has earned multiple accolades, including Fast Company Innovation and Core77 Design Awards. Carissa previously worked as a geologist, and she continues to pursue projects at the intersection of design and science.