Segal Design Institute Professor Dan Brown Passes Away
Brown will be remembered for translating decades of experience into a practical design education
Dan Brown, clinical professor at Northwestern University’s Segal Design Institute, passed away on September 15, at age 70. Brown will be remembered for championing his “Differentiation by Design” approach to innovation and for translating decades of experience as an inventor, entrepreneur, and patent holder into a practical design education that shaped Segal students.
“Dan’s contributions to the Segal design community were profound and far-reaching,” said Greg Holderfield, executive director of the Segal Design Institute and Pentair – D. Eugene and Bonnie L. Nugent Clinical Professor of Design Innovation. “He brought decades of experience as an inventor and innovator to the Institute, and loved seeing his students succeed. His deep care for his craft, his students, and his colleagues was deeply felt, and we will miss him greatly.”
Brown joined the institute faculty in 2009, further burnishing his established reputation in manufacturing and design. Before coming to Northwestern, Brown created the Bionic Wrench, a hybrid of an adjustable wrench that engages all six sides of the fasteners by squeezing the handles like a pair of pliers. Produced by Brown’s company LoggerHead Tools, the Bionic Wrench won more than 10 international design competitions and has sold more than three million units since launching in 2006.
Brown was also a principal at Consul-Tech Concepts, his design and engineering consultancy and cofounded InstaShield USA with his son Dan Jr. in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shield, a medical-grade clear plastic face guard, was strategically created to be attached to the brim of any baseball cap, a design that eliminated the need to mass produce all of the headgear components.
At Northwestern, Brown led the Manufacturing and Design Engineering (MaDE) capstone with fellow Segal clinical professor David Gatchell and taught DSGN 450: Differentiation by Design, where he shared his trademarked process to strategically create innovative solutions to real-world problems in a competitively advantaged way.
“Dan was a truly extraordinary, generous, and caring teacher, colleague, and mentor,” Gatchell said. “The MaDE program would not be what it is today without his integration of IP strategy into the curriculum, leading to many of our students writing and filing their own patent applications. His legacy will live on in our students.”
Brown earned his bachelor of science from Saint Xavier University and a master’s degree in product design and development management from Northwestern. In 2017, Brown received a PhD in design theory, product design from Coventry University, successfully defending his thesis at age 60. Named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2020, Brown boasted more than 40 US patents as well as numerous international patents and design and innovation awards, including a 2009 Breakthrough Innovation Award from Popular Mechanics and a 2006 Chicago Innovation Award. Brown also served on the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Public Advisory Committee.
"Dan Brown showed engineers that great design is not just about solving problems, but about creating meaningful value in the world. Through his remarkable career at Northwestern, he challenged students to think creatively, pursue bold ideas, and turn innovation into impact,” said Christopher Schuh, dean of the McCormick School of Engineering. “His passion for design and unwavering commitment to our students will leave a lasting legacy.”
A celebration of life will be held at Alice Millar Chapel at noon on Saturday, September 19. Additional details will be posted here as soon as they are available.