Wayne K. Li is the James L. Oliver Professor, which is a joint position between the Colleges of Design and Engineering. Through classes and the Innovation and Design Collaboration (IDC), he leads joint teaching initiatives and advances interdisciplinary collaboration between mechanical engineering and industrial design. Endowed by School of Industrial Design alumnus James L. Oliver, II (BS ID 1965, ME 1967), the Oliver professor embodies the idea of "multidisciplinary." Li teaches students that design behavior bridges the language and ideological gap between engineering and design. Li’s research areas include ethnographic research, multidisciplinary online education, and human-machine interaction in transportation design.
Previously, Li led innovation and market expansion for Pottery Barn seasonal home products, was an influential teacher in Stanford University’s design program where he taught visual communication and digital media techniques, led “interface development” in Volkswagen of America’s Electronics Research Laboratory, and developed corporate brand and vehicle differentiation strategies at Ford Motor Company.
He received a Master of Science in Engineering from Stanford University, and undergraduate degrees in Fine Arts in Design and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Nolan Helmuth is an HMI researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design from Georgia Tech in December 2023. He focuses on analyzing user interactions to help craft beautiful ideas that have meaningful impact. With experience in various fields of design, his passion remains in product design, interaction design, and visualization. His past work includes partnered projects with companies like Delta and Cognizant along with an internship at Lowe’s Companies Inc. where he designed and launched two collections for their 2024 Product Line Review. Nolan aims to rethink the norm of automotive interior design by exploring new ways to incorporate technology that can create unique experiences within the future generations of vehicles.

Evan Lee serves as a research assistant at the Georgia Institute of Technology, working under Professor Wayne Li in the GM HMI Lab within the School of Industrial Design. He recently earned a bachelor's degree in industrial design, with a focus on digital design and product visualization. Evan’s work involves creating virtual environments that facilitate visual interactions, serving as platforms for testing and development. His background includes working as a jewelry designer and gemstone faceter, and he is now eager to expand his expertise into utilizing game engines to create aesthetic presentations and craft unique experiences.