Redesigning design education for a new, emerging world
In order to shape the future of the design industry, we must go upstream and focus on the schools and programs that teach young and new designers. We must equip students with the relevant frameworks, questions, experiences, and opportunities for them to understand their power, role, responsibility, and influence as a professional.
I'm not your typical design educator. I push boundaries of what, how, and why content is taught in the classroom.
My Design Education Experience
Climate Designers
California College of the Arts
Students work to address the challenge: How might we promote existing climate solutions and approaches to become widespread and adopted?
Final projects amplify entire climate-focused industries, ensuring every company, campaign, and initiative gets the attention they need to drive progress forward. Projects consider intended audiences, equity, adaptability, regeneration, and more.
Students learn frameworks and approaches that apply to not only climate solutions, but to any design project.
I developed the course in parallel to the work we are doing with climatedesigners.org.
DETAILS
- 2020–Present
- Undergrad: Graphic Design, Interaction Design
- Grad: MDes Interaction Design, MFA Design
- Minor: Ecological Practices
MORE INFO
- Sustaining change: A nature narrative in four parts
Social Lab
California College of the Arts
Social Lab is a two-semester capstone course where students design systems and prototype solutions that have a positive impact on society and the environment, in collaboration with partner organizations.
Currently, Social Lab addresses our climate breakdown and the opportunities it's creating; from climate resiliency to climate & culture.
DETAILS
- Social Lab 1 & 2: 2025–Present
- Social Lab 2: 2018–2024
- Grad; MDes Interaction Design
MORE INFO
- MDes @ CCA
- MDes Social Lab turns 10
- Don Norman Design Award 2024 winner
Secret Project
California College of the Arts
An immersive experience that allowed students from any department and level to work on real-world challenges in partnership with other schools, organizations, and companies in the San Francisco Bay Area.
DETAILS
- 2014–2017
- Undergrad: Graphic Design, Interaction Design
- Co-taught with John Bielenberg
- One semester-long class
- Multiple weekend workshops
- A week-long workshop in Taiwan
MORE INFO
- Learning The Right Way To Think Wrong
- This Is Why I Love CCA Secret Project
Becoming a Climate Designer
Terra.do
An online course on the Terra.do platform for practicing designers & related creative professionals on making a meaningful impact using their current skillset.
Topics included: individual actions vs systems change, colonialism, indigenous wisdom, climate justice, narrative shifting, inclusive design, behavior change, culture jamming, leadership styles, influence & persuasion
DETAILS
- 2021–2022
- 50+ participants from a wide variety of design disciplines and industries
- 7 weeks (5 weeks of lectures and group discussions, 2 weeks of project development with a final presentation)
Project M
An alternative educational program for creative people who are already inspired to contribute to the greater good, and are looking for a platform to collaborate and generate ideas and projects bigger than themselves.
Project M encourages and provides techniques for thinking wrong to help break synaptic biases and generate new ideas and design directions to challenge the status-quo.
DETAILS
- Facilitator & Advisor: 2009–Present
- Participant: Summer 2009
- Developed by John Bielenberg
- Sessions range from two-days to two-weeks
MORE INFO
- When Wrong is Right | John Bielenberg | Bend Design 2018
Alternative Education
I’ve also taught design and other topics on Skillshare.com and at General Assembly.
DETAILS
- 2013–2016
- Online and in-person
- Classes include: Visual Design (General Assembly), Collaboration for Creatives: Make Your Project Better (Skillshare), From Idea to Launch (Skillshare)
Bring a Climate Design Blitz into your school
A Climate Design Blitz is a fun workshop for students that focuses on design and climate action. I work with faculty and department chairs to craft a project brief for each Blitz.
I’ve hosted multi-day Design Blitzes with design departments from around the US.
BLITZ PACKAGE
- An opening lecture
- A tailored Project Brief
- Facilitation/Mentorship
- Review of projects
- Host student share outs
DETAILS
- From two-days to one-week
- Virtual or in-person
- Suggested departments: Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Packaging, Fashion Design, Interior Design
Want to bring a Design Blitz into your department?
Select Projects
Climate Designers Pando Populus BEAM Circular AirMiners
Get in touch for a more detailed portfolio, talk shop,
or discuss full-time or contract opportunities