Montel Caruthers

Montel Caruthers is a lecturer in the Industrial Design program at the University of Kansas, where he teaches Industrial Design Sketching with an emphasis on perspective construction, ideation methods, composition, and styling. His teaching is grounded in extensive professional experience in product design and development.

Caruthers is currently a Senior Industrial Designer at Insight 2 Design, where he designs both hard and softgoods for the outdoor product category. Previously, he was an Industrial Designer at Credo Product Development in Wisconsin, collaborating on multidisciplinary teams to bring consumer products from concept to production. His industry experience also includes a design internship at Orvis, where he focused on fish and hunt gear.

He is listed as an inventor on more than 13 U.S. patents, including both utility and design patents. His work, ranging from portable grills to torch assemblies and lockboxes, reflects a commitment to functional innovation and impactful design solutions.

Caruthers earned both his Bachelor of Industrial Design and Master of Arts in Graphic Design with a specialization in brand development from Iowa State University. He brings his professional design practice skills directly into the studio classroom to prepare students for success in professional practice.