Ranee Lee

Ranee Lee 郭恩琳 is a product designer, educator, and internationally recognized thought leader whose work advances the intersection of circular design, participatory methodologies, and care-centered practices. She is an Associate Professor of Industrial Design at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada, where she has demonstrated sustained leadership in design education. In recognition of her innovative and inclusive pedagogical approaches, she was awarded the 2023–2024 Price Award for Leadership in Teaching.
Lee is the Founder and Executive Director of DESIGNwith, an award-winning community design incubator uniquely situated within CF Toronto Eaton Centre. In partnership with Cadillac Fairview and OCAD University, conceived as a public-facing “living lab,” DESIGNwith represents a pioneering model that bridges academia, industry, and community engagement. Lee has led large-scale collaborations and secured substantial multi-sector investment to support projects in circular economy, social innovation, and urban placemaking. Her work repositions design as an accessible, participatory tool for addressing complex societal challenges while embedding research directly within everyday public contexts.
Her research is grounded in participatory design and research-creation, with a particular focus on alternative economies, sustainability, and equity in marginalized communities. She has led a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)-funded project investigating how design can enable more resilient and inclusive economic systems across Canada. In parallel, her interdisciplinary collaborations with the Baycrest Innovation Office explore the role of design in shaping experiences of aging, care, and cultural identity, contributing to emerging discourse in health and design.
Lee’s work has been presented and exhibited internationally across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, including engagements in Portugal, Norway, Singapore, Brazil, and the United States. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and contributor to global design discourse, with presentations spanning academic, industry, and public platforms. Her contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Don Norman Design Award, DesignTO Juror’s Choice Awards, and the IDSA Outstanding Member Recognition.
Beyond her academic and research roles, Lee has demonstrated sustained leadership within the design community. She serves on international expert panels and has held leadership positions with the Industrial Designers Society of America. She is also an Advisory Member to the Entrepreneurship Resource Fund at Yonge Street Mission, supporting initiatives that advance community-based economic development.
Lee is a co-founder of Thinking Forward, a registered charitable organization focused on youth empowerment through design education, now integrated within Yonge Street Mission. Her career reflects a long-standing commitment to community-engaged practice, including partnerships with public institutions, grassroots organizations, and educational systems.
Most recently, she was awarded the Government of Canada’s Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program, further extending her global research collaborations in circular economy. Across her work, Lee continues to position design as a critical tool for advancing equity, sustainability, and systemic transformation at local and global scales.