Learn the basics of InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
Complete the assignment that demonstrates your understanding of the key concepts

I am an interactive media artist interested in the role of hybrid digital-physical systems in creating evocative experiences. My work shifts between fine arts and engineering, allowing them to blend together and inform each other. The conceptual framework of my artworks expresses the themes of anonymity, agency, complex systems, playfulness and curiosity. Using custom software, digital fabrication tools and processes, recorded and real-time video I aim to bridge the ever-increasing gap between the intangible digital and tactile physical objects.

Health Design Research Laboratory, Roanoke. The Health Design Research Laboratory (HDRL) aims to support catalytic change in the health sector through design. HDRL will be a trans-disciplinary and trans-institutional lab providing design capability within the health precinct. HDRL will focus on three areas of health design: design for physical environments; design for objects and equipment; and design for systems and interfaces. HDRL will support disciplines from across the health care, research and education sectors. HDRL will work with Virginia Tech, VTC medical School, Fralin Biomedical Research Facility, Carilion, Radford University, Jefferson College of Health Sciences and our communities to support and partner on research initiatives and health design learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. The HDRL will be located in the Roanoke health precinct and will be a natural and valuable partner for the Parker Laboratory and the College of Architecture and Urban Studies Smart Construction initiative.

Ayan is a Senior Human Centered Industrial Designer at Ximedica. He uses systems level thinking to synthesize complex, multi-layered problems in the medical industry, to create usability driven solutions. This process requires a dynamic design skillset, collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams, and the ability to advise and guide a client through the medical development process. Since graduating from Virginia Tech in 2013, Ayan has honed his skills at various start-ups and corporations, culminating at Ximedica. He mentors and advises at various colleges, and is the Co-Founder and CEO of nuway, developing safety equipment for passengers, on motorcycle taxis, in Uganda.

I am a digital and UX strategist from the Boston area. I received my bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech in industrial design and my master's degree in strategic product design at Technishe Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands. I have a background in medical design, service design, and brand strategy. As a designer and strategist, my focus is on using business context and the user perspective to create compelling and powerful solutions. Part of that means that I work to translate a company's brand identity and market opportunities into insights that drive strong services. I'm also passionate about understanding consumer behavior and creating products and services that meet both existing and future user needs.

Fall Break

The LONG VERSION More? Well, I started on this path round about the time I entered high school. I was very quiet and wore glasses, and not in a good way. Then I did two things that changed everything: I joined the track team and I made my first knife. Eventually I got pretty good at both of those things—my times secured me a walk-on spot with Virginia Tech’s track team, and long hours spent hacking away at bits of metal and wood gave me something to study. Things really couldn’t have turned out better. In four years I grew from a scrubby high school runner into an ACC champion in the steeplechase (on UVA’s home turf no less), was a member of four ACC championship teams (including three on our home turf and *ahem* one on UVA’s), and somehow—thanks to my incredible faculty—came out the other side with a piece of paper from one of the best design schools in the country. Now, after three grueling, fruitless, and utterly gratifying years as a semi-professional track runner I get to return to my alma mater (I never left) and impart the skills I’ve acquired on a fresh crop of budding designers (I’m also supposed to get another piece of paper out of the deal). Oh, and my old coaches are also still letting me come to practice—maybe as an example of what happens when you stop running, and maybe just to drive a van, but so far it’s been a blast. Actually, it’s always been a blast, and I always intend it to be.

Welcome to the Creativity and Graphics Lab (CraGL) at George Mason University, led by Dr. Yotam Gingold (bio). Our mission is to solve challenging visual, geometry, and design problems and pursue foundational research into human creativity. We research and teach as part of GMU's Department of Computer Science. Our work is supported by the generosity of the National Science Foundation (including CAREER), Google, and Adobe. Our research has been incorporated into Adobe Creative Cloud as Illustrator's Puppet Warp tool.

Earlier this year we launched Plastic Shop, a female-led collective that focuses on creating and storytelling. We’re currently working on a project that not only brings attention to the contributions of female artists, but also helps to inspire those women who don't see enough representation in the music industry. We believe that women are the strongest when brought together in numbers which is the reason why we felt like this was so important to create. We want to give a HUGE THANKS to everyone who has supported this project! On May 17th, we'll be embarking on a month-long road trip across the US of A. The purpose of this first project is to travel and meet up with various female artists and film a mini documentary series telling their personal stories and experiences. Natalie

Biomanufacturing and Biosensors Reverse Engineering and Bio-imaging 3D Printing and Bioprinting Neural Engineering, Neural Interface, and Nerve Regeneration Biosensing and Bioelectronics

Modea was founded in 2006 with the purpose of solving age old problems. These modern ideas (name origin) were focused on customer experience challenges from the largest brands in the world. Over the years the technologies changed but the focus on out of the box thinking has remained constant. Our desire has, and remains, to create exceptional value for our clients in an environment that our employees love.

Bill Green will talk about the history of Industrial Design

Physical+Digital - The first project is an individual exploration in the world of physical+digital.
(Public pinup in Cowgill Lobby on Sept. 4th and October 2nd)

Team Project - The second one is a team-based project where each team will partner with an outside stakeholder.
(October 14 - Research and Ideations Pin Up (Public pinup in Cowgill Lobby 10:00am - 5:00pm)
November 11 - Final Poster | Presentation | Prototype Pinup (Public in Cowgill Lobby)

I am an interactive media artist interested in the role of hybrid digital-physical systems in creating evocative experiences. My work shifts between fine arts and engineering, allowing them to blend together and inform each other. The conceptual framework of my artworks expresses the themes of anonymity, agency, complex systems, playfulness and curiosity. Using custom software, digital fabrication tools and processes, recorded and real-time video I aim to bridge the ever-increasing gap between the intangible digital and tactile physical objects.

Health Design Research Laboratory, Roanoke. The Health Design Research Laboratory (HDRL) aims to support catalytic change in the health sector through design. HDRL will be a trans-disciplinary and trans-institutional lab providing design capability within the health precinct. HDRL will focus on three areas of health design: design for physical environments; design for objects and equipment; and design for systems and interfaces. HDRL will support disciplines from across the health care, research and education sectors. HDRL will work with Virginia Tech, VTC medical School, Fralin Biomedical Research Facility, Carilion, Radford University, Jefferson College of Health Sciences and our communities to support and partner on research initiatives and health design learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. The HDRL will be located in the Roanoke health precinct and will be a natural and valuable partner for the Parker Laboratory and the College of Architecture and Urban Studies Smart Construction initiative.

Ayan is a Senior Human Centered Industrial Designer at Ximedica. He uses systems level thinking to synthesize complex, multi-layered problems in the medical industry, to create usability driven solutions. This process requires a dynamic design skillset, collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams, and the ability to advise and guide a client through the medical development process. Since graduating from Virginia Tech in 2013, Ayan has honed his skills at various start-ups and corporations, culminating at Ximedica. He mentors and advises at various colleges, and is the Co-Founder and CEO of nuway, developing safety equipment for passengers, on motorcycle taxis, in Uganda.

I am a digital and UX strategist from the Boston area. I received my bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech in industrial design and my master's degree in strategic product design at Technishe Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands. I have a background in medical design, service design, and brand strategy. As a designer and strategist, my focus is on using business context and the user perspective to create compelling and powerful solutions. Part of that means that I work to translate a company's brand identity and market opportunities into insights that drive strong services. I'm also passionate about understanding consumer behavior and creating products and services that meet both existing and future user needs.

Fall Break

The LONG VERSION More? Well, I started on this path round about the time I entered high school. I was very quiet and wore glasses, and not in a good way. Then I did two things that changed everything: I joined the track team and I made my first knife. Eventually I got pretty good at both of those things—my times secured me a walk-on spot with Virginia Tech’s track team, and long hours spent hacking away at bits of metal and wood gave me something to study. Things really couldn’t have turned out better. In four years I grew from a scrubby high school runner into an ACC champion in the steeplechase (on UVA’s home turf no less), was a member of four ACC championship teams (including three on our home turf and *ahem* one on UVA’s), and somehow—thanks to my incredible faculty—came out the other side with a piece of paper from one of the best design schools in the country. Now, after three grueling, fruitless, and utterly gratifying years as a semi-professional track runner I get to return to my alma mater (I never left) and impart the skills I’ve acquired on a fresh crop of budding designers (I’m also supposed to get another piece of paper out of the deal). Oh, and my old coaches are also still letting me come to practice—maybe as an example of what happens when you stop running, and maybe just to drive a van, but so far it’s been a blast. Actually, it’s always been a blast, and I always intend it to be.

Welcome to the Creativity and Graphics Lab (CraGL) at George Mason University, led by Dr. Yotam Gingold (bio). Our mission is to solve challenging visual, geometry, and design problems and pursue foundational research into human creativity. We research and teach as part of GMU's Department of Computer Science. Our work is supported by the generosity of the National Science Foundation (including CAREER), Google, and Adobe. Our research has been incorporated into Adobe Creative Cloud as Illustrator's Puppet Warp tool.

Earlier this year we launched Plastic Shop, a female-led collective that focuses on creating and storytelling. We’re currently working on a project that not only brings attention to the contributions of female artists, but also helps to inspire those women who don't see enough representation in the music industry. We believe that women are the strongest when brought together in numbers which is the reason why we felt like this was so important to create. We want to give a HUGE THANKS to everyone who has supported this project! On May 17th, we'll be embarking on a month-long road trip across the US of A. The purpose of this first project is to travel and meet up with various female artists and film a mini documentary series telling their personal stories and experiences. Natalie

Biomanufacturing and Biosensors Reverse Engineering and Bio-imaging 3D Printing and Bioprinting Neural Engineering, Neural Interface, and Nerve Regeneration Biosensing and Bioelectronics

Modea was founded in 2006 with the purpose of solving age old problems. These modern ideas (name origin) were focused on customer experience challenges from the largest brands in the world. Over the years the technologies changed but the focus on out of the box thinking has remained constant. Our desire has, and remains, to create exceptional value for our clients in an environment that our employees love.

Bill Green will talk about the history of Industrial Design

I am an interactive media artist interested in the role of hybrid digital-physical systems in creating evocative experiences. My work shifts between fine arts and engineering, allowing them to blend together and inform each other. The conceptual framework of my artworks expresses the themes of anonymity, agency, complex systems, playfulness and curiosity. Using custom software, digital fabrication tools and processes, recorded and real-time video I aim to bridge the ever-increasing gap between the intangible digital and tactile physical objects.

Health Design Research Laboratory, Roanoke. The Health Design Research Laboratory (HDRL) aims to support catalytic change in the health sector through design. HDRL will be a trans-disciplinary and trans-institutional lab providing design capability within the health precinct. HDRL will focus on three areas of health design: design for physical environments; design for objects and equipment; and design for systems and interfaces. HDRL will support disciplines from across the health care, research and education sectors. HDRL will work with Virginia Tech, VTC medical School, Fralin Biomedical Research Facility, Carilion, Radford University, Jefferson College of Health Sciences and our communities to support and partner on research initiatives and health design learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. The HDRL will be located in the Roanoke health precinct and will be a natural and valuable partner for the Parker Laboratory and the College of Architecture and Urban Studies Smart Construction initiative.

Ayan is a Senior Human Centered Industrial Designer at Ximedica. He uses systems level thinking to synthesize complex, multi-layered problems in the medical industry, to create usability driven solutions. This process requires a dynamic design skillset, collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams, and the ability to advise and guide a client through the medical development process. Since graduating from Virginia Tech in 2013, Ayan has honed his skills at various start-ups and corporations, culminating at Ximedica. He mentors and advises at various colleges, and is the Co-Founder and CEO of nuway, developing safety equipment for passengers, on motorcycle taxis, in Uganda.

I am a digital and UX strategist from the Boston area. I received my bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech in industrial design and my master's degree in strategic product design at Technishe Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands. I have a background in medical design, service design, and brand strategy. As a designer and strategist, my focus is on using business context and the user perspective to create compelling and powerful solutions. Part of that means that I work to translate a company's brand identity and market opportunities into insights that drive strong services. I'm also passionate about understanding consumer behavior and creating products and services that meet both existing and future user needs.

Fall Break

The LONG VERSION More? Well, I started on this path round about the time I entered high school. I was very quiet and wore glasses, and not in a good way. Then I did two things that changed everything: I joined the track team and I made my first knife. Eventually I got pretty good at both of those things—my times secured me a walk-on spot with Virginia Tech’s track team, and long hours spent hacking away at bits of metal and wood gave me something to study. Things really couldn’t have turned out better. In four years I grew from a scrubby high school runner into an ACC champion in the steeplechase (on UVA’s home turf no less), was a member of four ACC championship teams (including three on our home turf and *ahem* one on UVA’s), and somehow—thanks to my incredible faculty—came out the other side with a piece of paper from one of the best design schools in the country. Now, after three grueling, fruitless, and utterly gratifying years as a semi-professional track runner I get to return to my alma mater (I never left) and impart the skills I’ve acquired on a fresh crop of budding designers (I’m also supposed to get another piece of paper out of the deal). Oh, and my old coaches are also still letting me come to practice—maybe as an example of what happens when you stop running, and maybe just to drive a van, but so far it’s been a blast. Actually, it’s always been a blast, and I always intend it to be.

Welcome to the Creativity and Graphics Lab (CraGL) at George Mason University, led by Dr. Yotam Gingold (bio). Our mission is to solve challenging visual, geometry, and design problems and pursue foundational research into human creativity. We research and teach as part of GMU's Department of Computer Science. Our work is supported by the generosity of the National Science Foundation (including CAREER), Google, and Adobe. Our research has been incorporated into Adobe Creative Cloud as Illustrator's Puppet Warp tool.

Earlier this year we launched Plastic Shop, a female-led collective that focuses on creating and storytelling. We’re currently working on a project that not only brings attention to the contributions of female artists, but also helps to inspire those women who don't see enough representation in the music industry. We believe that women are the strongest when brought together in numbers which is the reason why we felt like this was so important to create. We want to give a HUGE THANKS to everyone who has supported this project! On May 17th, we'll be embarking on a month-long road trip across the US of A. The purpose of this first project is to travel and meet up with various female artists and film a mini documentary series telling their personal stories and experiences. Natalie

Biomanufacturing and Biosensors Reverse Engineering and Bio-imaging 3D Printing and Bioprinting Neural Engineering, Neural Interface, and Nerve Regeneration Biosensing and Bioelectronics

Modea was founded in 2006 with the purpose of solving age old problems. These modern ideas (name origin) were focused on customer experience challenges from the largest brands in the world. Over the years the technologies changed but the focus on out of the box thinking has remained constant. Our desire has, and remains, to create exceptional value for our clients in an environment that our employees love.

Bill Green will talk about the history of Industrial Design