Harold G. Nelson

Harold Glea Nelson (born March 4, 1943) is an American architect, consultant and former Nierenberg Distinguished Professor of Design in the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2001, he served as president of the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS). He is known as the co-author of The Design Way, a book considered by some to be the Rosetta Stone of Design. In 2015 Dr. Nelson was invited to give a seminar to the design team at the corporate headquarters of Apple Inc. in California.

Further career As a licensed architect in the State of California, Nelson worked for seven years as an assistant regional architect for Region Five of the U.S. Forest Service from 1976 to 1982.

Work Nelson's research interests are in the fields of complex systems inquiry, complex organizational systems design, advanced design education in formal and informal settings, deep design/critique and advanced design postulation and axiom development. His focus is in two areas: the first is on the development of design competent organizations, and the second is on innovation leadership.

Selected publications Nelson has written one book and more than twenty articles, and has given more than 50 presentations world wide. Nelson, Harold G. Energy Resource Development and Community: Vanishing Community, Bloom Town, Home Town. PhD thesis University of California, Berkeley, 1979. Nelson, Harold G. and Erik Stolterman. The design way : intentional change in an unpredictable world : foundations and fundamentals of design competence. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Educational Technology Publications. 2003; 2nd edition, 2012.

Articles, a selection: Nelson, Harold G. "The Necessity of Being 'Undisciplined' and 'Out of Control': Design Action and Systems Thinking". In: Performance Improvement Quarterly, 1994, Vol. 7, No.3 (22-29). Nelson, Harold G. and Erik Stolterman. "The Case for Design; Creating a Culture of Intention". in: Educational Technology, Nov.-Dec. 2000, Vol. XL, No. 6, (29-35).