Heather Snyder Quinn, MFA is an Associate Professor of Design and Civics Institute Teacher-Scholar. She was named a 2024 “Researcher to Know” by the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and serves on the board of directors for DePaul’s Institute for Business and Professional Ethics. In 2022, she was an Op-Ed Public Voice Fellow and was honored with the Wicklander Fellowship from DePaul’s Institute for Business and Professional Ethics, as well as the Excellence in Teaching Award.
Heather explores the intersection of design fiction, technology, and civic engagement—helping communities imagine possible futures and critically engage with emerging technologies. Her work has been recognized by the World Economic Forum, MIT Press, Yale Law School, The Washington Post, Letterform Archive, Draw Down Books, and Hyperallergic.
Dedicated to improving society through design, she serves as Chair and Director of Design Futures for Design Incubation, an organization that elevates research in design. Previously, she was co-chair of AIGA Chicago’s Women Lead. Heather lives in Chicago with her husband, Joe, and their two daughters.
MFA in Graphic Design, Vermont College of Fine Arts, 2018
BFA in Graphic Design, Rhode Island School of Design, 1996
heathersnyderquinn.com | matriarchalfutures.design
Research Area
Design, Artificial Intelligence, Human Computer Interaction
Specific Research Area
design fiction for ethical worldbuilding—artificial intelligence + metaverse
Professional Associations
Design Futures Initiative, Design Incubation, Society of Typographic Arts