Studio art alumnus sculpts career path in industrial design

Scott Doty ’97 came to The College of Wooster following in his parents’ footsteps both as a Scot and pre-med student. That was until Emeritus Professor Walter Zurko’s Intro to Sculpture class. While chipping away at a block of soapstone, he admired the form of a nearby chair. It dawned on him that all products need to be designed.

“Unlike architecture, the field of industrial design was not widely known in the late 90s,” said Doty. “Immediately, I knew I wanted to do that work, and I’ve been obsessed with design, materials, and manufacturing ever since.”

Becoming a studio art major, Doty learned to “manufacture” forms (sculptures) while utilizing various materials. He studied post-minimalist sculptors Martin Puryear and Eva Hesse, who inspired him to embrace minimalism while making it more accessible.

“Wooster helped me develop an aesthetic point of view, which is important if you want to be innovative,” said Doty, who went on to complete a Master of Fine Arts in industrial design at Rochester Institute of Technology. He acquired a love of ergonomics and large-scale manufacturing methods and enjoyed the extra challenge of solving consumer “pain points”—something that’s at the core of the design field. In his first job out of college, Doty put those skills to the test, working for the prominent Michael Graves Design Group, where he’s cited on 24 design patents for faucet assemblies and other homewares.

Doty credits Wooster with helping him develop an aesthetic viewpoint, which he uses in his minimalistic yet accessible designs of everyday objects, like this lamp.

When startup company Phāz hired Doty to design headphones that incorporated several unique features, he wanted to do it in a way that maintained user-friendly functionality. “The user has to know what buttons they’re pressing while wearing the headphones because it’s annoying to own wearable electronics if you can’t tell what you’re doing,” said Doty. “I used a lot of 3D printing for ergonomical and usability testing, and it was extremely satisfying to solve the problem.” He also incorporated carbon fiber and perforated leather material that had typically been reserved for luxury cars.

While his viewpoint is crucial, so is the ability to balance multiple perspectives from clients, consumers, and marketers. “Throughout my career I have been called upon to design objects that feel fresh but are warm enough to be accepted by the American consumer,” explained Doty. “It’s a delicate balancing act, but the results can be exciting to consumers while also being inviting.”

This feature originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of Wooster magazine.

Photos provided by Doty.

Posted in Alumni, Magazine on March 13, 2025.