Teaching Philosophy
Design education should prepare students to do more than create visually compelling work; it should equip them to understand people, interpret complex problems, and develop thoughtful solutions grounded in evidence. My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that effective design emerges from curiosity, observation, and critical inquiry. Whether students are designing a wayfinding system, an information graphic, or an environmental communication strategy, I encourage them to ask why a solution works, how it affects its users, and what evidence supports their decisions.
Wayfinding provides a uniquely interdisciplinary framework for teaching these principles because it exists at the intersection of graphic design, architecture, environmental psychology, urban planning, information design, and cognitive science. Through the study of navigation and spatial communication, students learn that design is not simply the creation of objects, but the shaping of experiences within complex environments. They develop an understanding of how typography, symbols, maps, color, and spatial organization work together as an integrated system that supports human behavior.
My classroom emphasizes active learning through observation, analysis, and making. Students investigate real environments, document user behavior, identify navigational challenges, and translate their findings into design strategies. Studio projects are complemented by research, precedent studies, critiques, and iterative prototyping that encourage students to test assumptions rather than rely solely on intuition. I strive to create a collaborative environment in which experimentation is encouraged, failure is viewed as part of the design process, and critique becomes an opportunity for reflection and growth.
Research is an essential component of my teaching because it encourages students to move beyond intuition and develop evidence-based design practices. Drawing from fields such as cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and environmental behavior, I encourage students to investigate how people perceive, remember, and navigate complex environments. Rather than treating research as a separate academic exercise, students learn to integrate observation, precedent, and scientific evidence into an iterative design process that strengthens both creative exploration and critical thinking. My own scholarship and professional practice continually inform this process, allowing me to bring contemporary questions and real-world challenges into the classroom.
Ultimately, my goal is to cultivate designers who are curious, adaptable, and capable of addressing complex problems with empathy and intellectual rigor. I want students to leave my courses with the confidence to ask meaningful questions, evaluate evidence, collaborate across disciplines, and create design solutions that improve how people understand and experience the world around them. Whether designing a wayfinding system or another form of visual communication, they should recognize that successful design is not measured solely by aesthetics, but by its ability to make information, places, and experiences more understandable and accessible.