Teaching & Education
Teaching and mentoring students is something that I have a real passion for. I have taught design methodology at both undergraduate and graduate levels at New York University and Parsons School of Design at the New School. I was also a Design & Tech mentor with Mouse Design League for 3 years, introducing high school students to STEAM-based learning, accessible product design, and human-centered design.
Design Methodology
I follow a human-centered design approach and work with designers and non designers alike to help them develop and embrace a design thinking process and to understand the importance of keeping the people they’re designing for at the center of their designs. Design thinking is a straightforward and approachable method of design, providing a solid foundation to work off of. I’m also passionate about building equitable and inclusive experiences and thinking about circular design when designing products that will have a long, impactful life cycle. As designers, we have to be detail oriented, but also be able to think big picture about the impact our designs may have and see that we need to take steps towards a more conscientious design framework.
Workshops & Classes
I teach workshops and classes on each phase of the design thinking process as well as general design methodology. Emphasizing the importance of empathy and user research as the foundations of any design approach. Driving home that an iterative prototyping process and user testing early in the process are both key to a successful design, minimizing risk later on. An experiential, hands on learning approach is often the best way for students to learn new things and my workshops and classes are taught with this philosophy. I take the time needed to provide students with the tools, understanding, and confidence they need to to be successful and conscientious designers.
Design Lab @ NYU MakerSpace
As the Design Lab Manager at the NYU MakerSpace. I created the Design Lab framework, ran workshops and classes on design thinking, co-managed 35+ students as well as my own design team, created an educational achievement based badging system, and was a design resource and mentor to students and faculty alike. Our ethos at the Design Lab is that hands-on learning, creative collaboration, and a design thinking mindset gives students the tools they need to make an idea come to life. Learn more about my work at the Design Lab from the 2020-2021 Annual Report.
