Designer as a Catalyst
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professor + socio-cultural researcher + designer
creative/art director, design streak studio
illinois state university, normal
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{as a cultural researcher, i have been investigating my transnational identity
by understanding racial equity through
a brown lens, and creating cultural awareness using auto-ethnographic narratives.}
The present moment is an opportunity to grasp our heartbeat, hear beauty and remind us that we are alive. I am curious and question everyday patterns and gestures, and have learned to pause…self-reflect, be grateful for all that has transpired to become reality — Joy, Happiness, Contentment and Peace. As an Indian American and seen as a model minority, I am aware of my many privileges, but as a person of color, I recognize the biases and marginalization by how my adopted country has labeled and categorized me. The struggles with how everyday gazes position me as the other, constant code switching validating my intersectional identity and experiences has made me a survivor. I seek solidarity with communities to be the change.
Designer as a Catalyst — I perceive design as a philosophy of life where designers must empathize with and respect the diverse multicultural communities of the people we serve. My designs are shaped by lived experiences and social engagements in community spaces to build understanding, acceptance, and respect. My medium for creative expression varies greatly but includes the following: curating immersive participatory experiences, for example food that I prepare to share with others; interactive installations using mixed and various emerging digital media which evoke multi-sensory responses. In all of these, I wish to highlight invisible norms connecting audiences with themselves, community, and me.
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{as an educator, i have the privilege to prepare students to be ethical leaders promoting goals for the betterment of society, respecting multiculturalism, and be engaged global citizens today.}
Designers are expected to create pretty pictures that promote client’s campaigns and bring commercial success. Most of these designs satisfy the ego, but not the broader purpose of engagement. Graphic Design is a human-centered and service-oriented profession where designers have a greater responsibility to be culturally aware; they should empathize, understand, and respect the diverse multicultural communities of the people we serve.
Prior to teaching, I have worked with diverse clients in various professional settings. My creative collaborations with community partners focusing on social justice has brought recognition. innovative teaching methodologies have been featured in peer reviewed national and international academic and professional publications, and conferences including Association Typographique Internationale (AtypI), Typography Day, Digitally Engaged Learning (DEL), MODE Summit, College Art Association (CAA), Society of Experiential Design (SEGD), Electronic Visualization and the Arts (EVA) London, AIGA Design Educators Conference, SECAC, and UCDA Design Educators Summit. In addition, I have participated in DesignInquiry, an international organization for experimental graphic design research. I have been featured in AIGA’s One Designer, One Work : Inspiration/Talk.
I use design as a tool to create cross-cultural understanding, humility, acceptance and respect. My research interests includes design pedagogy related to cultural identity and awareness, multiculturalism, racial equity, social justice, and community engagement. Active service in the community has enabled me to bridge gaps between groups of people who are secluded or underrepresented. I learn everyday and am inspired by my peers, students, and community members. Currently, I have a growing list of community partners whom I collaborate with conceptualizing, and creative directing designers in Design Streak Studio.
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{as a creative director in design streak studio, my goal is to provide a holistic experience for students preparing them for professional practice centered around the lens of equity.}
Design Streak Studio is a research based social innovation lab focusing on human-centered service design. It strives to facilitate an interdisciplinary environment promoting discovery, and experimentation engaging in experiential and service learning.
In collaboration with various organizations, Design Streak Studio-lab combines the process of design thinking and making — conducting ethnographic research and collecting quantitative data to create new and authentic solutions to society’s complex problems. The studio-lab is committed to producing solutions of exceptional quality, and embracing design aesthetics to find a balance between form and function. Each project is valued for providing long term sustainability with a strong emphasis on morality and social justice.
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MFA in Graphic Design, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
BFA in Painting, State University of New York, New Paltz
CV upon request.