About

Pamela Napier is a design facilitator, educator, and researcher, specializing in people-centered design and community-engaged practice. A faculty member at the Herron School of Art and Design since 2009, she teaches across undergraduate and graduate programs and was a co-founding partner of CollaboXD (formerly Collabo Creative), an Indianapolis-based service design firm focused on qualitative research and experience design.

With extensive experience in design strategy and facilitation, Professor Napier has led projects across sectors—including healthcare, education, business, and community development—for clients ranging from non-profits and start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. She has been invited to present, speak, and facilitate workshops and engagements at national and international levels.

In addition to her professional practice, Professor Napier’s research centers on developing design facilitation methods, frameworks, and curricula that support participatory approaches to community-engaged research and scholarship, while advancing design education and practice.

Selected Publications

Books and Book Chapters

• Napier, P. (2020). Community collaborations with students: Growing NearWest. In R. Tegtmeyer & M. M. Lane (Eds.), Collaboration in design education: Case studies and teaching methodologies. Bloomsbury Academic.
• Napier, P., & Wada, T. (2018). Facilitating collaboration: Leveraging people-centered design skills to enhance participation and communication. In A. Rourke, V. Rees, & G. Forsyth (Eds.), Beyond graduate attributes: Embedding work integrated learning into undergraduate degrees. Common Ground.
• Gentile-Genitty, C., Napier, P., & Campbell, C. (2016). Group based knowledge and skills: Steps to competency. Kendall Hunt.

Journal Articles

• Napier, P., & Wada, T. (2024). Bridging the skills gap: The design education landscape with AI and experiential learning. Design Management as a Strategic Asset, 19(1), 19-30.
• Lettis, G., Napier, P., de Eyto, A., & McMahon, M. (2024). Croí: A process for core and responsible graphic communication design education. Base Diseño E Innovación, 9(10), 99-120.
• Lettis, G., Napier, P., de Eyto, A., & McMahon, M. (2020). Personal value thinking in graphic communication design education – The introduction of a clarification tool for students. Message 4 Graphic Communication Design Research.
• Napier, P., & Wada, T. (2017). Defining design facilitation: Exploring and advocating for new, strategic leadership roles for designers and what these mean for design education. Dialectic: A Scholarly Journal of Thought Leadership, Education and Practice in the Discipline of Visual Communication Design, 1(1).
• Napier, P., Wada, T., Fernhaber, S., & Suttles, S. (2018). Engaging diverse community stakeholders to co-create solutions in food deserts: A design thinking approach. Journal of Public Affairs.
• Napier, P., & Wada, T. (2015). Co-designing for healthcare: Visual designers as researchers and facilitators. Visible Language, 49(1–2), 128–143.