Professional Summary
Michelle Janning, who holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame, is uniquely positioned to inspire audiences to think in new ways about how design and our social world intersect. A tenured full professor who holds an endowed chair in the social sciences at Whitman College, Dr. Janning has taught thousands of students and held prestigious academic positions in three countries. Outside of the classroom she has shepherded multiple organizations through successful strategic planning and system redesign, and has inspired audiences in 50+ keynote presentations to rethink how roles, relationships, and inequalities connect to design and the built environment. As an expert in design thinking, qualitative and quantitative “people research” methods, and social patterns that shape consumer style and lifestyle preferences, Dr. Janning is equipped to work with design, architecture, and building professionals who want to collect and leverage good data about how people really live their lives in order to create inclusive and socially sustainable designs. Socially sustainable design simultaneously enhances community well-being and drives design innovation and business success. Dr. Janning not only packs her programs with rich content and the latest and most compelling research findings, she does it with boundless energy, compassionate empathy, and ample doses of humor!
“Michelle gives academic tools to designers and architects to help them reach beyond their personal framework and create a more inclusive analysis of what constitutes good design.”
Areas of Expertise
- Author
- Business Consultant
- Customer Experience
- Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion
- Female Speakers
- Interior Design
- Keynote Speaker
- Project Management
- Relationships

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