Deaa Bataineh is a designer, researcher, advisor, and professor whose work advances innovation at the intersection of design, strategy, and systems. He approaches design as a choice-making practice, working across complex intersections such as energy, mobility, health, and food to help organizations transform public infrastructures—including EV charging networks, cashless payment systems, or emergency response systems—into platforms for more equitable, sustainable, and intelligent futures. 

He holds a PhD in Design from the Institute of Design at Illinois Tech, where his research focused on advancing Strategic Choice-Making© as a know-how for addressing the complex spaces of innovation of the 21st century.

Currently, Bataineh serves as Deputy Director of the Center of Excellence and Innovative Projects at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), where he is also Professor of Design and Innovative Strategies. He co-founded the design department at JUST, contributing to the development of design education and innovation practice in the region.

Active across design, business, and academic communities, he delivers talks, workshops, consultations, and design services for a range of organizations, including the UNDP, the EU, and the UN Global Compact. His work has received multiple awards and recognitions, including being named National Designer of Jordan in 2008, as well as honors from The One Show, Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards, and the Core77 Design Awards, with recognition in categories including Politics & Policy, Urban Design, Consumer Technology, and Transportation. He previously served on the Auxiliary Board of the Design Museum of Chicago and is the co-founder of espresso?, a podcast exploring design, systems, and strategy.