Teaching
My evolving teaching philosophy, rooted in embracing imperfection, rejecting hierarchy, and celebrating collaboration, is shaped by my journey as a queer individual discovering identity's profound impact on my design principles and practice. In my role as an educator, I aim to empower students to navigate the complexities of their own identities and develop a personal design approach by encouraging them to navigate through the intricate tapestry of their creative pursuits. Jack Halberstam's words in "The Queer Art of Failure" resonate deeply with my teaching ethos:
"I believe in low theory in popular places, in the small, the inconsequential, the antimonumental, the micro, the irrelevant; I believe in making a difference by thinking little thoughts and sharing them widely. I seek to provoke, annoy, bother, irritate, and amuse; I am chasing small projects, micropolitics, hunches, whims, fancies" (Halberstam, J. J. (2011). The Queer Art of Failure. p. 21.)
"I believe in low theory in popular places, in the small, the inconsequential, the antimonumental, the micro, the irrelevant; I believe in making a difference by thinking little thoughts and sharing them widely. I seek to provoke, annoy, bother, irritate, and amuse; I am chasing small projects, micropolitics, hunches, whims, fancies" (Halberstam, J. J. (2011). The Queer Art of Failure. p. 21.)
Research + Gathering
Below are several photos taken during an outing for a class I was a Teaching Assistant for: "Decolonial Aesthetics (HUMN 311)", where we were guided on a silent hike through Pacific Spirit National Park. Professor Mimi Gellman led us on the hike and encouraged the students to connect with the earth through their senses outside the usual classroom setting. This outing was then applied to the students first project. The experience illustrated the transformative potential of extracting situations from their original context, offering valuable insights and inspiration for their first project on return.
Play, Experiment + Ideate
During a workshop conducted within the "Design Futures" course, where I served as a Teaching Assistant (TA), student groups immersed themselves in the exploration of possibilities stemming from the potential decline and/or loss of human instincts. Their creative task was to promptly conceive and develop prototypes that effortlessly push the limits of the human physique.
Queer Film Night @ ECU
Professor Cameron Neat and myself launched the first Queer Film Night series at the university. It acted as a space in-between busy student life to engage in meaningful discussions and enjoy the richness of queer cinema. The project also involved a new risograph poster for each title.
DESIS (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability)
As a DESIS Steering Committee member and DESIS Scholar (2019 + 2020), I had the opportunity to work on visual collateral for a variety of outreach events. Below is an example of a large scale tiled poster that was put on display at several locations around campus to promote an upcoming talk.
Pictured Above: Engaging in a class discussion and card sorting exercise to intensify the integrity and rigor of work through collaborative peer-to-peer feedback processes.