Scholarship

This section presents a curated selection of my most meaningful and publicly engaged scholarly work. As a designer and educator, my research is rooted in the belief that design is both a cultural practice and a technological one, constantly evolving in response to the tools, systems, and contexts that shape our world.

Much of my work explores the tensions and possibilities that arise when emerging technologies intersect with traditional forms of making, education, and collaboration. Whether through writing, public speaking, exhibitions, or editorial projects, I aim to contribute to conversations that push design beyond the studio: into classrooms, communities, and cross-disciplinary spaces.

What you’ll find here is a mix of peer-reviewed publications, invited talks, media features, and exhibitions. These projects span multiple geographies and audiences, and often emerge from collaborations with students, fellow educators, technologists, and craftspeople. While diverse in format and focus, each piece reflects a core commitment: to use design as a way of asking thoughtful questions, telling compelling stories, and navigating change with intention.

Published Writing

A Symbol Reimagined: Merging Tradition and Technology in the Doomsday Clock
Juan Noguera, Tom Weis
PRINT Magazine
Design process merging traditional construction techniques with state-of-the-art AI visualization tools, in the creation of a redesigned Doomsday Clock for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
https://www.printmag.com/ai/reimagining-the-doomsday-clock-for-new-era/
2025

Modern Tools, Ancient Skills: An Attempted Dialogue between AI, Design and Traditional Craft
Paolo Cardini, Juan C. Noguera
Published in “Tradition Innovations in Arts, Design, and Media Higher Education”
DOI: https://doi.org/10.9741/2996-4873.1019
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/tradition_innovations/vol1/iss1/10
2024

Enhancing Engineering Competencies through Sustainable Design: A Project- and Problem-Based Learning Approach for Industrial Engineering Students
Proceedings of the 22nd LACCEI International Multi-Conference for Engineering, Education and Technology (LACCEI 2024)
Published in “Sustainable Engineering for a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Future at the Service of Education, Research, and Industry for a Society 5.0.”
Contributors: Carmen Elizabeth Castaño Reyes, Bolivar Bernal Mojica, Juan Carlos Noguera Cardoza, Miguel Chen Austin, Maria De Los Angeles Ortega Del Rosario, Ricardo Caballero
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18687/laccei2024.1.1.743
2024

New Paths in Design. Research from theory and practice
Proceedings of the 1st Ibero-american forum of Design and Research, Published in Volume 1, ” Design in the Forum”, Iberoamerica Diseña Association, Madrid, Spain.
NIPO: 151-24-031-7
https://cpage.mpr.gob.es
2024

AI in Arts and Entertainment: A Double-Edged Sword”
Invited by nonprofit news publication Divided We Fall to participate in a written debate with a panel of experts in the field including Susan Abramovitch, Matt Hervey, and Kentaro Toyama.
https://dividedwefall.org/ai-in-arts-and-entertainment/
2023

U.S. News & World Report: “Embracing AI in Art and Design as a Transformative Tool”
Op-ed for U.S. News on the future of AI in arts and design education.
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/how-will-ai-impact-the-future-of-work/ai-in-design-as-a-transformative-tool
September 2023

Fast Company: “Generative AI is about to upend the way designers work”
Published article.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90858159/generative-ai-is-about-to-upend-the-way-designers-work
2023

Ars Technica: “Midjourney can be a boon for Industrial Designers”
Published article.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/03/dall-e-2-and-midjourney-can-be-a-boon-for-industrial-designers/2/
2023

The Conversation: “Generative AI: 5 Essential Reads”
Quoted in a compendium of writings about using Generative AI tools in the art and design world.
https://theconversation.com/generative-ai-5-essential-reads-about-the-new-era-of-creativity-job-anxiety-misinformation-bias-and-plagiarism-203746
2023

The Conversation: “DALL-E 2 and Midjourney can be a boon for Industrial Designers”
Published article.
https://theconversation.com/dall-e-2-and-midjourney-can-be-a-boon-for-industrial-designers-199267
2023

Core77: “Unexpected Outcomes when Design Students use AI as Part of Their Process”
Published research and student work.
https://www.core77.com/posts/117169/Unexpected-outcomes-when-design-students-use-AI-as-part-of-their-process
2022

Peer Reviewed
Presentations

EvolveDrupal / New York City, NY
“AI-Driven Design in Education”
Presentation at international design conference
https://www.evolvedrupal.com/presentation/ai-driven-design-in-education
September 2024

Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)
“Designing with AI Deep Dive: Unleash Your Design Potential with Generative AI”
Presentation at a national event.
https://www.idsa.org/conference-details/designed-with-ai-deep-dive-2024/
April 2024

Iberoamérica Diseña Forum / Madrid, Spain
Lecture on the Future of Artificial Intelligence in Research and Education
Presented a lecture at the first Ibero-American Forum for Design Research.
https://iberoamericadisena.com/1er-foro/
Fall 2023

Global Artificial Intelligence Conference
“The Future of AI in Design and Creativity”
Presentation at the Global Artificial Intelligence Conference.
https://www.globalbigdataconference.com/virtual/global-artificial-intelligence-conference-139/speaker-details/juan-noguera-114564.html
Fall 2023

Bogotá Design Festival
Generative AI and Craft-Based Project
In collaboration with Professor Paolo Cardini (RISD), presented a project merging technology and cultural identity. Attended virtually.
https://www.bogotadesignfestival.co/agenda-acad%C3%A9mica/
2023

Formlabs User Summit
Workshop on Advanced Additive Manufacturing Techniques in Industrial Design Education
Presented a workshop on the usage of advanced additive manufacturing techniques in Industrial Design education.
https://summit.formlabs.com/virtual2021/speakers#
2021

Presentations by Invitation

Mosaico Festival - Isthmus University, Panama City, Panama
Lecture: “AI in Industrial Design”
Headline speaker for the yearly Mosaico festival at Isthmus University, joined by other distinguished professionals in the fields of design and architecture.
https://isthmus.edu.pa/mosaico/
Fall 2024

Vértice Festival
Keynote Speaker
Honored as keynote speaker for Vértice, a festival organized by Universidad Rafael Landívar’s School of Design and Architecture in Guatemala City, in celebration of its 50-year trajectory.
https://verticefestival.url.edu.gt/
Fall 2023

Vértice Festival
Workshop: “From the workshop to the world: the global footprint of local craft”
Guest lecture on the global impact of local craft.
https://verticefestival.url.edu.gt/
Fall 2023

Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP)
Webinar
Invited by the Industrial Engineering department to a yearly webinar for students interested in learning about Industrial Design and Design for Manufacture Techniques.
Fall 2023 & Fall 2022

Institute for Design Research (INDIS) / Guatemala City, Guatemala
World Industrial Design Day (WIDD) Presentation
Invited to lecture several hundred design students and young professionals, discussing Latin American design, decolonization, and digital manufacture. Attended virtually.
Summer 2020

Exhibitions

Venice Biennial / Personal Structures
Exhibition: “PastFastForward”
The biennial contemporary exhibition “Personal Structures” organized by the European Cultural Centre (ECC) featured the piece “PastFastForward” co-authored with RISD Professor Paolo Cardini. Presented as part of RIT’s showing at the Biennial.
https://personalstructures.com/participants/rit-college-of-art-and-design/
April - November 2024

College of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition
Exhibition: “PastFastForward”
Showed “PastFastForward,” a project in collaboration with Professor Paolo Cardini (RISD) and bronze artisans in Antigua Guatemala, where objects were designed and built using a collaborative process centered around generative artificial intelligence tools.
Fall 2023

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
“Abled Differently” Exhibit
Work in the areas of personal mobility, wheelchair design, and accessibility were featured alongside other alumni work in the RISD ProvWash gallery space.
Fall 2019

Museum of Modern Art / Guatemala City, Guatemala
First Annual Industrial Design Exhibit (Collective)
Exhibited “muu” electric violin and “o'li” travel ukulele.
2013

DoGA (Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture) / Oslo, Norway
“Design uten grenser” Exhibition
Exhibited appropriate wheelchair designs for children at DoGA, Design og Arkitektur Norge (Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture).
2012

VitrinArte / Guatemala City, Guatemala
Local Street-Art Exhibition
Exhibition featuring stringed instruments, drums, and other objects.
2011

Madrid Design Biennial / Madrid, Spain
Exhibition: Electric Violin Prototype (“MUUT”)
Featured electric violin prototype (“MUUT”) at the Madrid Design Biennial.
2010

“Guate es Arte” / Guatemala City, Guatemala
Television Feature on Canal Antigua
Television feature about stringed instrument construction.
2010

ExpoADIG / Guatemala City, Guatemala
Exhibition: Wheelchair for Developing Countries
Featured wheelchair design created specifically for developing countries, in collaboration with Intelligent Mobility International.
2008

Scholarship

Published Writing

Peer ReviewedPresentations

Presentations by Invitation

Other Presentations & Media Features

Exhibitions

Juan Carlos Noguera

Peer Reviewed
Presentations