Teaching/ Creative Direction
During my tenure as an Instructor, Department Coordinator, and Director I have had the opportunity to work with many talented designers. I served as mentor, project manager, and / or creative director for all of the projects included on this page.
Online COURSE DESIGN
Mobile Photography
In this course, students enhance their photography skills and appreciation creative image making by producing their own photographic art using mobile phones. Emphasis is placed on making the most out of the limitations and opportunities available with the mobile phone camera including lighting, locations, framing, and post production. I script, record, and edit content for my courses. I have taught this class asynchronously as well as online with a live Zoom session weekly.
Introduction to Graphic Design
In this action-packed 8-week asynchronous fast-track course, students learn the basics of design as well as Photoshop and Illustrator. Each week includes readings, video lessons on design, software tutorials, custom demos specific to the week’s assignments, thought provoking discussions, a quick quizzes on the content, and two larger term projects. We have a mix of education levels in the course from high school students to college students to returning professionals.
UI Design
During this 16-week semester, I challenged students to design a basic mobile app prototype for a non-profit organization, community service, or another idea that supported the greater good. Students spent five weeks conducting foundational research including competitive landscape and audience interviews to gather additional inspiration for their initial ideas. The high-fidelity prototypes were created in Figma or XD and delivered along with a pitch deck and support website. This was an online course with 90-minutes of live instruction weekly,
UX DESIGN
In 2017 we participated in the Planning and Visual Education Partnership (PAVE) Student Design Competition sponsored by Chick-fil-A®. This annual competition is geared toward college-level students involved in retail planning, visual merchandising, and branding programs. We created two person teams composed of a Graphic and Interior Design student and challenged them to re-invent the experience of Chick-fil-A on a college campus. The goal was to develop concepts that expand the platforms and expressions in which Chick-fil-A serves a college campus while exploring new ways of creating an experience that is more than just a food transaction.
Collaboration between Graphic Design student, Lexi & Interior Design student. Annie.
Collaboration between Graphic Design student, Sally & Interior Design student. Avery.
Social Media
The Volunteer Coordinator for Sequoia National Park was our client in an Introduction to Social Media course in 2014. She challenged students to develop a social media campaign for the park’s 125th year anniversary. We required students to research the target audience, ideas about expanding that audience, and the history of National Parks outreach as them embarked on their campaigns.
Campaign Strategies & Activated Marketing
Lifestyle Brand Strategies is a course I developed with guidance from an Advisory Panel member and founder of a leading entertainment marketing agency in Hollywood. Working in teams, we had students conduct in-depth consumer, market, and trend research on two brands; one lifestyle and one entertainment property. On the first day of class they randomly selected their two brands from a hat. They then identified opportunities and developed a unique brand positioning plan for the partnership. A final presentation of brand strategies, marketing plan, consumer activation, and creative execution was presented to a panel of industry experts for feedback.
Website Design
This site for Fashion Incubator SF was developed over two quarters starting with UX Design and continuing into Web Design.
Graphics & Licensing
This is a class unique to FIDM where students learn about copyright and trademarks by developing a style guide based on their own set of characters. Throughout my tenure we’ve had the opportunity to work with a some major studios to help them with ideation.
Paramount Pictures allowed us into their vault to try to reimagine and update classics like Heckle & Jeckle.
The V.P. of Product Development for Warner Bros was our client for this collaboration. They had just launched the Super Hero Girls online and wanted ideas for additional product and pattern designs.
Packaging Design
FIDM's Graphic Design students had the opportunity to collaborate with international beauty brand YES TO, Inc., on a package design project. In partnership with beauty vlogger Ingrid Nilsen (missglamorazzi), FIDM and YES TO developed the design for a special limited edition rollout of the company's best selling beauty wipes. Jenay created the winning design. The product hit the shelves in over 20,000 stores and online in October 2014.
ICMAD, the International Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors, holds an annual Young Designers Competition. Tiffany received third place for this ICMAD entry in 2014.
Travis received first place for this ICMAD entry in 2015.
Eva received honorable mention for this ICMAD entry in 2017.
Future Thinking — Beauty in 2050
Beauty Industury and Graphic Design students were challenged to work together and create an original concept for a connected beauty product and packaging for the year 2050. This required students to dig deep into research about current and future trends in cosmetics, packaging, and delivery. The project was sponsored by CosmoProf, the largest beauty industry conference in the U.S. They flew the two winning students and myself to Las Vegas for the conference where we presented the challenge and top concepts.
Macy’s Flower Show
For six years, students at FIDM had the unique opportunity to create mannequin displays for the annual Macy’s Flower Show. The visual team from Macy’s flagship San Francisco store meet with the students throughout the term to give them an overview of the theme, choose the best concepts, and provide additional feedback during production and installation.
2018 installation for the theme Once Upon a Springtime.
2019 installations for Journey to Paradisios. This was the first year they had us spread throughout the store.
Mirrored Gown
Installation created for the Cocktails to Couture fundraising event at Valley Fair Mall. The goal was to attract attention and drive traffic to the bidding tables.
Signal Snowboards
Students designed graphics for the popular boards and they were produced by Signal for the annual Debut Fashion Show.
