About | Me
I am a mechanical engineer, accessories designer, and industrial designer turned award-winning haptics enthusiast, serial startup founder and public speaker. I am deeply excited about developing haptic products and systems that reimagine the use of the sense of touch as an intuitive communication interface to embody information in new, but familiar, ways. I am serial entrepreneur inspired by the accessibility of touch, equitable business models, movement learning and wearable technology. And I am currently the Leonard Pryor Fellow for Accessibility teaching in Product Design at the Kansas City Art Institute. Currently, open for collaborations.
My Bio
In 2015, I cofounded WearWorks, Inc., an award-winning haptic navigation company. HapticNav® and Wayband® are a haptic navigation app and haptic wristband that gently guides a person to a destination using only vibrations. In 2017, we would make history helping the first person who is blind to run the NYC marathon without needing a sighted running guide. HapticNav® is available for free on iOS and in beta on Android.
After a decade of experiencing the large gaps in haptics-focused research, education and funding opportunities, I created The Haptic 9 Co., a haptic research and development company with the goal of building the “9 bridges” to make designing for touch as approachable, accessible and affordable as designing for sight and hearing.
My work has been recognized by the Pratt Institute’s distinguished Rowena Reed Award, SXSW, The Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, TED, Dropbox, Google, Verizon, The Yokohama Government, Mini Cooper, Perkins School for the Blind, Unilever, Beyond Bauhaus Centennial Award, The Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation, EY, Kansas City Art Institute, Mini Cooper and the MET Museum.
What have I been doing with my life?
Building a highly unique skill set, starting companies and teaching the next generation of designers, entrepreneur, and accessibility advocates.
4
Degrees
I have been deeply fortunate in my pursuit of education. And now, as a professor, I teach to pay it forward to the next generation.
$1,500,000+
Funds Raised
Working with angels investors, VCs and government grants, I led fundraising to bring the product from concept to market.
2x
Founder
A decade of building impact-driven companies and products that integrate software, hardware, and user experience.
14
Startup Accelerators
Google, Verizon, Quake VC, The National Science Foundation, New INC, Remarkable, and others.
My Education
Mechanical Engineering
Rutgers University
Bachelor’s of Science
Minor: Psychology
2004
Accessories Design
The Fashion Institute of Technology
Associate’s of Applied Science
Honors: Magna Cum Laude
2008
Accessories Design
The Fashion Institute of Technology
Bachelor’s of Fine Arts
Concentration: Asian Studies
Honors: Presidential Scholar
2010
Industrial Design
Pratt Institute
Master of Industrial Design
Global Innovation Design
Keio University | Royal College of Art | Imperial College
2015
Keep in Touch
My Recent Work
As an entrepreneur, designer, engineer, educator, and accessibility thought-leader, I create in spaces that serve to elevate impact, connect authentically with communities and execute moonshots iteratively at scale.
The Haptic 9 Co.
Founder + CEO
Haptic Design, Movement Learning, UX/UI Design, Wearables, Branding, Fundraising, Consulting, Scientific Research.
WearWorks
Cofounder + Haptics Officer
Haptic Design, Fundraising, Public Speaker, Former CEO, Wearables, Grant Writing, IoT, Technical Founder.
Kansas City Art Institute
Leonard Pryor Fellow
Professor in Product Design, Committee Chair, Supervise 2x Internships, Mentor Students
Coach
Handbag Engineer
Design, Technical Design, Patternmaking, Sewing, Overseas Manufacturing, Optitex, Handbag Construction, Sample Reviewing.
My Vision
I love designing solutions that merge technology, movement, and touch—making information and interactions more multisensory, accessible, and embodied. Whether through wearable technology, immersive learning, or tactile art, my work aims to reshape and elevate the sense of touch in how people connect with the digital and physical world.
My Mission
I design and build wearables, interactive experiences, sensory-based tools, and companies that explore the potential of touch, movement, and accessibility in design. My mission is to make designing for the sense of touch as affordable, accessible and approachable as designing for sight and hearing. Why? So more people can engage with haptic creation in ways that are natural, intuitive, and economically scalable.
Papers + Press
Design for All Institute | India
Read “A call for haptic education for undergrads”.
Neuron
An interview with Keith on business, science and funding.
Fibonacci Sequins
Keith’s interview on high-fashion and hi-tech.
Blog 9
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Simple Accessibility Fixes Low Cost | Easy to Implement | High Impact by Keith Kirkland Founder | The Haptic 9 Co. Digital Environments 1. Add Alt Text to Images 2. Use Semantic HTML 3. Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast 4. Add Keyboard Navigation Support 5. Implement ARIA Labels and Roles 6. Provide Clear and Descriptive Link Text 7. Use…
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The 9 Values of The Haptic 9 Co. are at the core of the way we achieve outstanding impacts. It’s a framework that when lived daily through the work of our team, create outsized and empathetic results. It’s our road map for how we want to become our future selves. It’s our guiding light for…
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Tactility | The Official Guide Tactility will take place in the Jannes Library at KCAI from May 17 thru September 20th. It will end in a Closing Party on 9/20/2024 from 1-2:30pm. To make the exhibition more accessible, we have included this digital reference guide of all the works showing in the Tactility exhibition. Where…
“The purpose of today’s training is to defeat yesterday’s understanding.”
Miyamoto Mushashi