David Smith

David Smith is President of the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Dún Laoghaire, Ireland’s leading campus for the creative industries and home to the National Film School. Appointed President in 2020, Smith brings over two decades of leadership in higher education and an acclaimed professional career in design.

A graduate of IADT, Smith completed his postgraduate studies at L’Atelier National de Recherche Typographique, École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His academic journey at IADT includes roles as Senior Lecturer, Programme Chair of Visual Communications Design, and Head of Faculty of Film, Art and Creative Technologies, during which he helped elevate IADT’s design programme to recognition among Europe’s top 100 design schools.

Smith is Principal and Creative Director of Atelier Projects, one of Ireland’s most decorated design studios, with numerous national and international awards for creative excellence. His design work has been exhibited globally and is held in major collections including the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich and the National Irish Visual Arts Library. He has published widely on design practice and education and delivered keynote lectures at leading international conferences.

A committed advocate for the creative industries, Smith co-founded the 100Archive, a national digital repository preserving the history and practices of Irish communication design. He has served as an advisor to the National Strategy for Design, contributed to the Year of Irish Design, and is a founding member of Design Educators Ireland. In 2010, Smith was the first Irish designer inducted into the prestigious Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), later serving as its Vice President and International Secretary.

Smith’s influence extends beyond academia and professional practice. He currently chairs the Board of EduCampus Services and is Executive Director of the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA). His leadership continues to shape the future of design and education in Ireland and internationally, earning him the 2024 ICAD Catherine Donnelly Award for outstanding contribution to Irish design and creativity.

Smith is widely recognised for his vision, advocacy, and commitment to advancing the cultural and economic value of the creative sector in Ireland