William Lidwell is vice president of Tiger Works, the research and development group at Avenues. Will began his career as a systems designer and consultant for NASA, specializing in cockpit automation and astronaut training. He is author of several books, including the best-selling Universal Principles of Design, which has been translated into more than 20 languages; Deconstructing Product Design, a social deconstruction engaging more than 20 experts and 100 classic products; and Guidelines for Excellence in Management, a compendium of research-based guidelines supporting effective management and leadership.

Will lectures on topics of psychology and design for The Great Courses and Lynda.com and is a former lecturer on instructional system design and industrial design at the University of Houston. He is a co-founder of the company that has become the online learning division of Underwriters Laboratories and holds a diverse array of patents, ranging from coffee table and eyeglass frame designs to advanced methods of interacting with online animated assistants.