Since the late 1980s the Graphic Design program at CalArts has had a history of producing alumni who have entered the teaching field with great success, and who have helped shape the landscape of design education in the USA. CalArts’ in-depth group critiques form the basis of a set of critical skills that lend themselves to teaching: the form and concept of graphic design is investigated, taken apart and examined to discover how it works, or why it doesn’t.
Practice and education—form-making and discussion—have always gone hand in hand, with most educators from CalArts keeping one foot in contemporary practice, one in academia. In the early 1990s it seemed that teaching was a viable way to remain financially stable while pursuing experimental or non-commercial work, but by the late 1990s that same experimental design had become highly prized in the commercial market, meaning teaching was no longer purely the goal of the commercially disenfranchised. So is it just in your DNA to want to teach? Or are you taught to be a teacher? Is it the desire to contribute to a critical dialogue? An act of generosity or self-serving egotism?
We asked a spectrum of alumni (covering a 23 year range!) who are now teaching, a few questions to see if there were similarities in their respective CalArts experiences.
Barbara Glauber (MFA 1990)
Critic at Yale, Adjunct Instructor at Cooper Union
Did you think you were going to be involved in design education when you were a student? What made you want to teach?
Quite honestly, I was really inspired by our faculty and wanted to create a design practice based on theirs. When I moved back East, I knew I could never duplicate the CalArts crit room, but I was eager to bring that sensibility to the classroom, especially since that type of conversation — which formed the basis of my work — was not happening in the commercial world of New York.
Do you think your education at CalArts prepared you to teach Graphic Design? How did it do this?
Digital technology exploded during the time I was in school, so students and faculty alike were figuring out how this was reshaping our practice, asking big questions about the role of individual expression and the relevance of formal perfection, while making silkscreened posters using letterforms cut out of specimen books at the same.
How did you start teaching? What were the first classes you taught? How was it to be the “teacher” rather than the “student”?
The fall after I received my MFA, I interviewed for a teaching position at Cooper Union. I did not know how to talk about my work to a non-CalArts audience and did not make a good first impression. I’m sure I was full of grad school bluster and needless to say, I ended up in the reject bin. Luckily, my former undergraduate teacher, the late Sylvia Harris, argued on my behalf and I was called back for a second interview. That time, I brought more of my corporate work dating from the years prior to CalArts and kept the subversive commentary to a minimum and was hired. It was a class called, if you can believe it, Computer Aided Graphic Design!
Kali Nikitas (MFA 1990)
Chair, Communication Arts, Otis College of Art and Design
Did you think you were going to be involved in design education when you were a student? No
What made you want to teach? Stable living then it became a dream.
Do you think your education at CalArts prepared you to teach Graphic Design? Yes and No.
How did it do this? Years of experience helped me see the relationship between grad school and the tools that I have as an instructor (or administrator more importantly). I was introduced to critical thinking, problem solving, handling many moving parts, writing a curriculum, public speaking, emphasizing collaboration, seeing that the final product is only a portion of a bigger more important process. I was taught to have high expectations and to remain open to experimentation. I learned that everyone has their own trajectory of development. One should not underestimate where someone is going or what they will contribute. This, and much more, all played out in my career in education.
How did you start teaching? A Cranbrook alumni was teaching at SAIC and recommended me for a class. The next year, I was hired full-time.
What were the first classes you taught? Don’t remember… I do remember bringing the CalArts intensity to the BFA classroom though. Yikes!
How was it to be the “teacher” rather than the “student”? I loved it. Giving back of course but also feeling like maybe I had something to offer which helped my self-esteem which took a beating at CalArts (a common side effect of grad school).
If you had a piece of advice for someone wanting to be a design educator, what would it be? Find a student’s strength and focus on it. That’s a winning strategy!
Susan La Porte (MFA 1991)
Full Professor, College for Creative Studies
Did you think you were going to be involved in design education when you were a student? What made you want to teach?
Yes, I went to graduate school specifically to get an MFA so I could go into design education. I realized I wanted to teach when I was an undergraduate student. I liked the idea of teaching and practicing. I had teachers in undergrad that were really good at developing interesting design problems to solve that were both practical and conceptual.
Do you think your education at CalArts prepared you to teach Graphic Design? How did it do this?
Yes, the fact that Lorraine, Jeff and Ed chose a project-based approach to the MFA curriculum, gave you a chance to not only develop your own solution, but helped be pick apart their thinking on what made the design of the project interesting. How to integrate both practical and conceptual skill building into project outlines. Looking at the bigger picture of how projects develop student’s skills as linked experiences, course, academic levels etc.
How did you start teaching? What were the first classes you taught? How was it to be the “teacher” rather than the “student”?
I was first a TA at CalArts which was great. I worked with Laurel Beckmann in the graphics lab and in teaching first year students. That helped loads as I saw how to manage the day to day, and how “new” freshmen students can be.
Then I worked for two years and jumped into the deep end landing a full time gig at EMU with Doug Kisor and George LaRou, who were both hugely helpful as mentors, giving me just enough slack to try things, figure things out for myself, yet being there for me if I was I in too deep.
I taught pretty much all levels of the curriculum, but focused on Type I, Type II and graphic design history. We also team taught grads at that time as well.
I continue to teach at all levels at CCS, which helps us stay fresh as faculty as well as aware of the curriculum and assessment more broadly.
As for the difference between student and teacher, I think I was a hard working student that seemed to have to work harder at things than many of my peers. So I never forget that as faculty, but having said that I can also spot the slackers and indifferent students a mile away, so although I have a certain amount of empathy for the student that struggles I have little time for laziness.
If you had a piece of advice for someone wanting to be a design educator, what would it be?
The same advice I got from Mr. Keedy…” You have to start out tough, not nice. If you start out too nice you can never be tough…” Or something like that. I think it’s still pretty good advice. You have to have high standards at the start, get students to aim higher than they think they can, which can be tough on them and you, but the serious students get what you are trying to help them achieve and will appreciate it the end. The lazy ones will dislike like you for it, but thats okay too.
Another piece of advice, Only teach if you love it. It’s a lot of work, and can take time away from your own work. I try to continue to make my own work for school activities etc. but it is a different focus to be sure.
Sibylle Hagmann (MFA 1996)
Professor, University of Houston
Did you think you were going to be involved in design education when you were a student? What made you want to teach?
Being involved in design education wasn’t much in the equation while a student, but I was interested in finding answers to questions intertwined with the role of design at large. Going back to school had a lot to do with me finding out what exactly I’m after, and the CalArts environment allowed me to find a lead. Initially I didn’t see myself teaching, and getting involved with it was more the result of opportunities that arose, as opposed to a conscious decision. Very quickly though my involvement in teaching became more intentional, as I actually wanted to split my time between being in the classroom and pursuing my own projects.
Do you think your education at CalArts prepared you to teach Graphic Design? How did it do this?
Not in a practical sense, but being exposed to an entirely different learning approach helped me to develop strategies that I use in the classroom still today. Critical thinking, discussing work, positioning design within a context, and doing research are among the key traits that the CalArts program helped me to develop. All qualities that I’m trying to hand down to my students now.
How did you start teaching? What were the first classes you taught? How was it to be the “teacher” rather than the “student”?
I’d done a little teaching before I came to the US, but my first real class was an introduction to typography at UCLA Extension. I will never forget this first course I taught; it was an excellent lecture of what not to do. Being a teacher made me realize just how important it is to assume a leadership role. There’s a duality of giving and receiving; when teaching one is mostly concentrating on the giving.
If you had a piece of advice for someone wanting to be a design educator, what would it be?
A design educator helps a student to see, and facilitates to push the boundaries. The role of an educator is to recognize each student’s potential and provide individualized attention. More broadly, a good and open atmosphere in the classroom helps, and so do high expectations.
Pirco Wolframm (MFA 1998)
Associate Professor, Pratt Institute
Did you think you were going to be involved in design education when you were a student? What made you want to teach?
Yes, I had thought of teaching prior to going to CalArts, but saw it as something for later in life. This may have been influenced by my experience in my undergraduate schooling in Germany, where all faculty was seasoned and had left their studio practice more or less behind. Seeing Michael (Worthington), Anne (Burdick) and other recent graduates teach while also maintaining a practice in design inspired my consideration to teach much earlier and to see this as an inspiring parallel practice rather than a sole practice.
Do you think your education at CalArts prepared you to teach Graphic Design? How did it do this?
Yes and no. What I learned most at CalArts (and came for to learn) was the consideration for context, the implications of any weltanschauung (“worldview”) on design and the development of skills for in depth inquiry a well as constructive criticism. This is absolutely relevant in my teaching and some of my design practice. What was missing, and that may have been the case for many schools at that time is the “teaching how to teach” portion—psychology, pedagogy, adult learning theory, education models, structures of academia etc..
How did you start teaching? What were the first classes you taught? How was it to be the “teacher” rather than the “student”?
Via introduction of Weston Bingham to the chair of the Undergraduate Communications Design program at Pratt Institute. I taught a typography 3 summer course in 1999 to get my feet wet. I continued with all levels of typography, design procedures (I sucked at that), graphic design 1 and then senior project. I proposed several elective courses which ran for a while and then was recruited to teach thesis in the inaugural year of the MFA program in the Graduate Communications Design program and onward. From there I taught other courses in the MFA program.
Becoming a teacher so quickly after grad school was tricky. It elevates your confidence given that people are looking at you as “accomplished” and easily swallow your advice and your knowledge. That level of confidence and power to influence can deceive you to think of the classroom as a stage. I had to switch very quickly from an opinionated smarty pants to a humble listener, astute analyst and partial moderator among other aspects of teaching.
In the beginning, I occasionally emulated my former teachers in their manners of interacting with students and assignment types. It took me a while to find myself in my teaching practice. I cherish the aspect of learning from my students, but also had to come to terms that not every student is as passionate, disciplined and inquisitive about design as I like to expect.
If you had a piece of advice for someone wanting to be a design educator, what would it be?
Test your motives for being an educator and be sure you want to be there for the students. I have seen faculty do this for their ego, for hiring young talent, to get away from a career crisis or avoiding even starting a practice in design. None of these are motives to be a genuine educator. In my opinion the satisfaction for teaching comes from supporting and seeing students grow, find their place and voice in their field while being connected to the practice (with that I mean actively being involved in making or researching in the field of design). As an educator you should continue to reflect on your teaching and read course evaluations—they are good fodder for becoming better in the classroom. Be also prepared to see former students outgrow you in their careers!
Jon Sueda (MFA 2002)
Chair of MFA Design, CCA
Did you think you were going to be involved in design education when you were a student? What made you want to teach?
Yes, I went back to school motivated by a particular model of practice that I experienced working for Martin (Venezky) prior to coming to CalArts. He had one foot in his practice, and the other in education. Back in 2000, I always assumed the reasons for teaching were two-fold, teaching allowed for a consistent income so one could take on more experimental (low paying) work, and the classroom became a laboratory to test out ideas and a place for in-depth conversation about design.
Do you think your education at CalArts prepared you to teach Graphic Design? How did it do this?
Yes! In general CalArts projects unpack the design process very consciously. In many ways, assignments are commentary on other graphic design assignments or standard processes and methodologies that designers do. Going through this critical approach made it a lot easier to develop my own teaching philosophy, methods and project briefs.
How did you start teaching? What were the first classes you taught? How was it to be the “teacher” rather than the “student”?
I actually started teaching the year before I came to CalArts at the University of Hawaii. I taught an undergraduate entry level Graphic Design 1 class.
This was one of the most intimidating moments of my life… prior to grad school, I had very little design education, just some undergrad courses and two years of working for Martin… my time with Martin was invaluable, but was a really particular approach that I don’t think I really understood completely at the time. At UH I worked for a faculty of former Yale graduates who where very academic… I was told to teach things like semiotics and literary theory, both of which I had no knowledge and had to teach myself.
Post CalArts I moved to Raleigh to work with Denise Gonzales Crisp, my teacher at CalArts, who was the new Chair at that program. This was quite an easy transition, I was asked to carry on exactly what I learned at CalArts… Similar approaches with total support from Denise.
If you had a piece of advice for someone wanting to be a design educator, what would it be?
Work toward making the classroom an extension of your interests… eventually it can become an integral part of your work and research.
Daryn Wakasa (MFA 2010)
Adjunct Professor, Loyola Marymount University
Did you think you were going to be involved in design education when you were a student? What made you want to teach?
It was a possibility to enter design education but low on the priority list.
Teaching has always been an interest because I want to be able to give back to the students as long as I have something to offer. I would not be where I am today if people did not take the time to help me.
Do you think your education at CalArts prepared you to teach Graphic Design? How did it do this?
Yes.
1) The critique based classes taught me how to articulate my thoughts when talking about design.
2) The teaching philosophy really helped me think about how to structure a curriculum that could mold to the students instead of the other way around. CalArts was the first education system where they listened to the students and molded to their needs instead of students trying to fit into a system. That was an extremely valuable lesson for me. In general, I think a lot of curriculums fail because they try to impose an agenda that is out-dated or not useful for the students. CalArts taught me how to find a balance of what the students want and what will help prepare them for the future.
When students are interested, they are more motivated and in turn will work harder. When they think it’s a chore, they disengage.
3) Lastly, the assignments helped me think about how to break down complex design principles into simple exercises.
How did you start teaching? What were the first classes you taught? How was it to be the “teacher” rather than the “student”?
The director of Graphic Design from LMU approached me because I was an alum of LMU but had a MFA from CalArts. Timing just worked out where I was able to free up some time to try out a class. The first class I taught was Creative Direction. That was three years ago and I have been teaching the class ever since.
Outside the classroom, I have to deal with a lot of politics now that I’m a teacher.
Inside the classroom, what differs is trying to find a way to tap into every student’s potential. It’s like coaching… each student/player responds in a different way. Some need to be yelled at, some need to be reassured of their skills, while others just need a simple nudge in a certain direction. It’s always a challenge trying to find a way to access and motivate the students.
As a student, you obviously don’t have to worry about motivating your peers in the same way a teacher does.
If you had a piece of advice for someone wanting to be a design educator, what would it be?
First, I think you need to go through some type of MFA program. You need to experience the academic discussion of design on a graduate level.
Second, I think it helps being in some type of artistic managerial position: Art Director, Creative Director, Director, etc. Motivating artists is similar to motivating students. Understanding how to work with artists will help you understand your students. Creatives have a very unique type of personality and it’s important to understand that make-up when going into a classroom.
Third, try and find your style of teaching. I think each teacher/professor has a certain teaching style. The more teachers you observe, the more you can take bits and pieces from other teachers and incorporate elements into your own style.
Armando Mtz-Celis (BFA 2013)
Adjunct faculty, Chaffey Community College
Did you think you were going to be involved in design education when you were a student? What made you want to teach?
As a student, being introduced to a world with a rich history, based in the love of making, communicating, clarifying, amplifying, and the ability to do so in more ways than I could list, changed everything about how I perceived and interpreted the world. I wanted to share this and—from the beginning—knew it would be through teaching.
From the beginning I decided to take steps to one day achieve that goal. I tried to make as much as I could, consume as much information, theory, and history as possible (I formed a humble design library through the years knowing one day they would be used to help my students) and made sure I was in situations in which I had to articulate my thoughts as clearly as possible and engage with people. The best setting for this was offering my thoughts and help to students that were at an earlier phase in their education than I was, trying to guide them through the project without providing specific solutions. Also, and because I truly enjoy it, I practiced public speaking as much as I could. It wasn’t until I actually started teaching that I realized how important it was for me to have explored that.
At the end of the day, I wanted to share and expand on that feeling I had since day one. What a better way to do so than to teach a practice that embodies a relationship between thinking and making?
Do you think your education at CalArts prepared you to teach Graphic Design? How did it do this?
Absolutely. That was in part why I wanted to attend there in the first place. When I was researching schools, I looked very closely at the faculty members. I wanted people that would encourage making, value complexity (instead of fearing it as I found in other institutions), but I also wanted people that had a commitment and an on-going relationship with criticality and design discourse.
One thing that I would emphasize is the approach to design education at CalArts. Because of the specific way in which the program is structured, an understanding of design—although students often don’t realize this while they’re experiencing it—becomes concrete and easily absorbed. Anyone that goes through the program has a thorough understanding of the discipline required to think as—and be—a designer.
This means the program produces designers that know how to be critical, how to properly articulate process, voice, and vision, and how to have a strong grasp on where design can go and what it can be—design should not be limited. These are all elements that form a strong designer and educator.
How did you start teaching? What were the first classes you taught? How was it to be the “teacher” rather than a “student”?
At first, it was a surreal experience to be on the other side of the equation. Teaching is a demanding experience because of the responsibilities you have to your students. Both in the information you present, how it’s presented, and your ability to—consistently—connect with your students (who should be able to trust you).
As I mentioned before, teaching was a thought that was on my mind years before it actually materialized.
Originally, my wife was to start teaching, but was unable due to work commitments. She then recommended me for the position. The class I was offered was History of Graphic Design, which coincidentally, was exactly the class I had always wanted and dreamed of teaching.
I wasn’t given a lot of time to prepare but I was grateful for the opportunity and excited to take on the challenge. Despite the short span I had to develop material, it was the most engaging, rewarding, joyful experience. It was a pleasure to work with the group of people that were taking the class, exercise the clarity with which I had to speak, rediscover design history, develop hours of material to share, and to have three hours every week in which I had the privilege to speak about the history—and the social, cultural, economical, technological connections, markers, and implications—of our profession.
After that I was asked to teach an Introduction to Graphic Design class. This presented an entirely new challenge because of the difference between sharing information and teaching skill sets. It’s a different sensibility that requires a different approach. More than ever, I’ve now gone back to the foundation and thinking that I developed at CalArts.
If you had a piece of advice for someone wanting to be a design educator, what would it be?
Speak, read, and write as much as you can.
[speak] By this I mean be comfortable engaging a group of people. You have to always pay attention to the room. Sometimes you have to push, sometimes step back, sometimes just smile, and it’s at times it’s hard to tell which one is appropriate.
[read] I think it was Lorraine Wild that said designers are cultural generalists and design specialists. Read as much as you can, whatever it is. It’s not only about learning, it’s about studying how people find ways to express ideas.
[write] Similar to reading, write whenever possible. It’s the best way to realize if your thoughts are clear. If there’s one thing I’ve found to be necessary when teaching—and much more than I expected—it is to have the gift of clarity.
