Noel Mayo received a BSID degree from the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts), where he later taught and served as chairperson of the Industrial Design Department. During his tenure, the department grew from ninth to the third largest department in the college.

In 1989, he was named the Ohio Eminent Scholar in Art and Design Technology at The Ohio State University, a program designed to attract nationally and internationally known scholars to further strengthen outstanding academic programs that deal with compelling statewide issues.

At Ohio State, Mayo teaches product and graphic design. He has taught the Professional Practices course for 15 years.

Noel is owner and president of Noel Mayo Associates, Inc. (NMA), the first African American industrial design firm in the United States.

He currently serves on the boards of directors of the University of the Arts and the Philadelphia Free Library.

He has designed telephones, seating, desks, lighting, way finding systems, fixtures, offices, stores, and restaurants.

Noel has enjoyed a forty-five-year relationship with Lutron Electronics Company, Inc., designing their products, graphic standards, displays, and interiors.