My Teaching Philosophy
It’s my belief that Graphic Design exists at the intersection of art, technology, and communication. While today’s designers must be fluent in current industry-standard tools, software alone does not define the discipline. Design thinking connects these areas and enables students to approach visual problems with intention, adaptability, and purpose.
Technology and popular software will continue to change, yet the foundational principles of design remain consistent. Composition, hierarchy, color, typography, and visual systems are the backbone of effective communication. For this reason, I emphasize these principles throughout my courses. When students understand how and why these elements work, they can transfer that knowledge across platforms and technologies. This understanding is what supports career longevity rather than short-term technical proficiency.
My goal in the studio classroom is to provide students with a clear, repeatable process they can rely on beyond a single assignment or medium. Projects are structured around a design methodology that includes research, concept development, thumbnailing, roughs, and iterative refinement, culminating in a final digital solution. This process shifts students away from trial-and-error and toward intentional decision-making grounded in both visual principles and project objectives.
In preparation for professional practice, I place strong emphasis on problem-solving and critical thinking. Critique is central to this work and functions as a form of peer review. Students are asked to evaluate whether a design effectively communicates its intended message and whether appropriate techniques and principles were used. When issues arise, they must identify alternative solutions within the given constraints and articulate those ideas clearly. This process reinforces analytical thinking while teaching students to view feedback as an essential part of development rather than a personal judgment.
Although critique often occurs within a short time frame, it consistently trains students to step outside their role as creators and consider the perspectives of clients, directors, or audiences. It also provides regular practice in professional communication—an expectation students will encounter in both in-house and freelance environments.
Practicality and professional standards are also embedded into the coursework. The projects I assign reflect the types of strategic and commercial design challenges students are likely to encounter in the field. Students are expected to communicate and collaborate as they would in a professional setting, which reinforces accountability, clarity, and time management. This approach prepares them for real-world workflows rather than isolated academic exercises.
As both an educator and a practitioner-scholar, I integrate my professional experience in commercial and strategic design into the classroom. My scholarship is rooted in applied practice rather than traditional exhibition models, reflecting how knowledge is produced and tested in contemporary design fields. This applied approach allows students to engage with design as a research-driven, problem-solving discipline with measurable outcomes and cultural impact.
Overall, while I continue to refine my teaching with each new course, this approach has proven effective. When former students return and share that they left my class not only with technical skills, but with a process—a way of thinking about design that allows them to analyze problems, justify decisions, and adapt to new challenges—I know the teaching philosophy I’ve developed continues to hold true.