[3][4] Before that he was a research professor at the MIT Media Lab leading advancements in computational design,[5][6] low-code/no-code,[7][8] and creative commerce.

[11] Maeda studied Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he became fascinated with the work of Paul Rand and Muriel Cooper.

[13] He is formerly Executive Vice President, Chief Experience Officer at Publicis Sapient[14] where he developed the LEAD (Light, Ethical, Accessible, Dataful) doctrine[15] for technology products and services.

[28][29] He resigned from MIT in 2008[30] to become the President of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), just as the global financial crisis of 2007-09 took hold.

"[41] For his work in advancing STEAM education, Maeda was recognized with a Tribeca Film Festival Disruptor Award[42] and the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy[43] at the John F. Kennedy Center.

[51] From 2019 until 2020, he was an Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer at Publicis Sapient[52] where he helped businesses bridge strategy and engineering with computational design.

[56] In 2009, he was inducted into the New York Art Director’s Club Hall of Fame, and he received the AIGA Medal in 2010.