Criswell Lappin

Strategic Innovation in Product/Service Design, First Year

Bio

Criswell Lappin is the Founder and Creative Director WellNow Design, a multidisciplinary design and strategy-driven consultancy with clients that include The New York Times, Mozilla, Edward M. Kennedy Institute, Dark Horse Comics, and Rhode Island School of Design.

Prior to WellNow Design, Criswell led a team at the innovation consultancy Fahrenheit 212, developing and designing new commercial product ideas for companies like Samsung, Charles Schwab, Lowes, and Outback. At Institute of Play, a 501-3c non-profit at the intersection of games and learning, he founded and co-led a research and development lab focused on designing experiences and resources that cultivate peer learning communities. Before that, Criswell was the creative director of award-winning design, architecture, and culture monthly, Metropolis for over a decade. He shaped the visual identity of the magazine for 10 years, captained it through two redesigns, and extended the brand by developing Metropolis-sponsored books, programs, exhibitions, and events. 

Criswell’s work has been featured in AIGA365, Print Regional Design Annual, Art Directors Club, and the Gold Case awards. His work has been nominated for the Society of Publication Designers’ magazine of the year award and American Society of Magazine Editors’ award for general excellence. He served on the board of directors of the Society of Publication Designers. He earned a MFA in graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design, and a BFA and BSED at Western Carolina University.

Contact