SFU SIAT

From 2002 to 2006, I studied at Simon Fraser University's School of Interactive Arts and Technology, where I built a strong foundation in design. This period shaped my creative approach, allowing me to explore everything from graphic design to complex, open-ended design challenges. It was through projects like these that I honed my skills and developed the designer I am today. Rather than letting my work remain unseen on old hard drives, I’ve chosen to share it here as a reflection of my growth and passion for design.

Print Design

In one of my graphic design classes, we were tasked with creating a poster for a fictional art show featuring a graphic designer we admired. The design had to reflect the artist's signature style. I chose David Carson, drawing inspiration from his grungy, texture-heavy aesthetic to create a visually compelling tribute to his work.

As an exercise in Legibility vs. Readability, we were challenged to manipulate the phrase "Anyone who would letterspace lowercase would steal sheep"—transitioning it from a highly legible and structured state to complete visual chaos. Through experimentation with spacing, distortion, and arrangement, we explored the fine balance between design and degradation, pushing the text to the point where it became unrecognizable.

Infographic Design

As part of our coursework, we were required to read How Designers Think by Bryan Lawson and distill its key insights into a clear and engaging infographic. Working collaboratively with my team, we structured the content and defined the layout. I then translated our sketches into a polished final design, ensuring clarity and visual impact.

As part of our coursework, we were required to read How Designers Think by Bryan Lawson and distill its key insights into a clear and engaging infographic. Working collaboratively with my team, we structured the content and defined the layout. I then translated our sketches into a polished final design, ensuring clarity and visual impact.

Another required reading was Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Flow. Our task was to distill the key concepts from the book into an infographic that effectively communicated the principles of optimal design thinking. This exercise was not just about summarizing the content but also about implementing these insights into our own practice, with the goal of enhancing our skills and improving ourselves as designers.

Website Design

In IART211, our team was challenged to conceptualize a Museum of Contemporary Arts & Understanding, exploring the history and evolution of design and culture. As part of the team, I contributed to the research and storytelling while taking on the responsibility of designing the museum’s website, ensuring a compelling and cohesive digital experience.

Interaction Art

Shut Up & Listen

Working alongside my longtime collaborator, Kevin Jaako, I had the opportunity to contribute to several projects where we combined our expertise to explore interactive art and technology. One of our first collaborations was Shut Up & Listen—an experimental installation that aimed to simulate a dinner conversation where the audience could take a seat at the table and simply listen.

The concept was straightforward yet thought-provoking: Could we create an evolving, dynamic conversation using pre-recorded dialogue? We enlisted three friends to record 120 words and phrases each, resulting in a dataset of 320 tagged and categorized entries (organized using a custom tool Kevin built). Kevin developed the "Brain"—a system that directed the conversation by selecting responses based on randomness and specific attributes. Once chosen, the selected audio file was triggered via TCP/IP using a Max MSP patch that I wrote.

The project was a success—at a time before conversational AI, Shut Up & Listen was an intriguing exploration of randomness, structured chaos, and human-like interaction through technology.

Experience Design

Lomo Store

In the final year of the program, we were tasked with tackling more open-ended problems. Our first project was to extend a brand into physical interaction points and a store. We chose Lomography, or Lomo, with its quirky cameras and strong passion for film, making it the perfect brand for our team.

After selecting an ideal location for the store in downtown Vancouver, we began designing the interior space. We envisioned a space where projectors displayed sample photos from the vibrant Lomo community, and self-serve product bins allowed customers to choose their items freely. Additionally, we designed outward-facing Lomo vending machines, including a product vending machine and a self-serve automated film developer machine.

Documenting the entire process was a key component of the project, requiring us to stay on brand and incorporate all the design skills we had developed over the last four years.