Faculty

Ted Burdett is an industrial designer and design educator whose passion lies at the intersection of design, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. His career began the soft-goods industry designing coolers and camping equipment for California Innovations. Ted began his UIC teaching career in 2008; that same year, he and his wife Sharon started Strand Design. Beginning with Tree Theory bags—designed to assemble without stitching and to be infinitely renewable—the studio soon expanded into custom furniture design, production, and wholesaling. Strand products have been offered by major national and international retailers including CB2 and Urban Outfitters, and featured in the 2012 film Divergent. Today, Strand has shifted its industry focus and is currently growing Fourneau, a start-up brand that marries design with high-end culinary products.