Rate My Professor John Arndt

John Arndt is Professor of Product Design in the School of Art + Design at the University of Oregon. He earned a Master of Design in Social and Environmental Issues and Practices in Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands, in 2006, and a BFA in Ceramics and Sculpture from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1997. Prior to his faculty appointment, Arndt trained as a potter, furniture maker, and sculptor. He worked as a model maker for the film and theater industry and as a product developer for Studio Bertjan Pot in Rotterdam, Netherlands. At the University of Oregon, he contributes to the Product Design program's focus on innovative design practices, teaching and mentoring students in the College of Design Millrace Woodshop.

Arndt's research and creative work centers on sustainable approaches to everyday objects and the integration of natural systems into the home. Co-founding Studio Gorm with Wonhee Arndt in 2007, they develop smart objects for warm, comfortable environments—simple, practical, and thoughtfully made products often inspired by Shaker design. Their process integrates academic research on culture, history, and technology, employing physical making and experimental constructive methods drawn from backgrounds in sculpture and craft. Key projects include the concept kitchen Flow 2, awarded the 2010 Silver IDEA in the Home Living category by the International Design Excellence Awards. Arndt and Wonhee Arndt also received runner-up honors in the Core77 Design Awards 2023 Home & Living category, the 2017 American Design Honors, and two international awards in 2015 for a desk design. Their work has been exhibited in Korea, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, California, and New York, and featured in international design and art publications. Through bridging scholarly inquiry and practical design, Arndt influences the field by creating functional objects that balance aesthetics and utility, informed by historical study and forward-looking speculation.