Spring 2024
Jason Foster
Destination Crenshaw
"The Power of Community-Led Design"
Thursday, February 1, 7:00-9:45pm
CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery
In today’s society, design plays a key role in the revitalization of cities. Destination Crenshaw is an example of community members cosigning with architects. This process created away for the community to see themselves in the future, aspire to include public art as a main component, and helped us all understand the power of community lead design. Jason Foster is the President & Chief Operating Officer of Destination Crenshaw. In this role, Jason is responsible for the administration and operations of the nonprofit, construction of the project’s parks, open space, and infrastructure, the organization’s finances, and he serves as the organization’s point of contact for public agencies and key community partners. Prior to joining Destination Crenshaw, Jason served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at River LA, the organization charged with improving and revitalizing communities adjacent to the 51-mile stretch of the LA River. Jason helped to build the non-profit organization from its inception. He developed the organization’s partnerships philosophy and spearheaded programming for River LA’s strategic partnerships. Jason worked closely with community partners, corporate representatives, and residents to grow the civic pride and social responsibility surrounding the LA River.
Before moving to Los Angeles, Jason worked as a Project Manager for Impacct Brooklyn (previously Pratt Area Community Council) in Brooklyn, New York. He managed multiple multi-unit affordable housing projects through construction, including tenant relocations, construction project management, and property management services. Prior to construction management, Jason worked as a community organizer and was involved in campaign policy strategy and coordination. Jason holds a B.A. in Business Administration, Finance from Howard University, and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. (Beta Chapter), a founding member of Beta Chapter Alumni Association (501(c)3) and the Beta Chapter Investment Club. Jason also holds an MBA from the Metropolitan College of New York where he focused his studies on community redevelopment and small business incubation.
He currently lives in South Los Angeles with his wife and two children, who are all native to Los Angeles. Jason is proud to have grown up in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Nu Goteh
Room For Magic
"Designing Design"
Thursday, February 08, 7:00-9:45pm
CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery
Nu Goteh of Deem Journal and Room For Magic discusses how centering community and dignity in a design practice can lead to a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable design future—moving beyond creating objects, structures, and artifacts to create the conditions for radical change in response to emerging social issues. Nu Goteh is a multi-disciplinary creative & designer who works in audio, visual, and written mediums. He is the co-founder of the strategy and design studio, Room for Magic, and co-founder and creative director of partner publication, Deem Journal.
Additionally, Nu is a professor at Parsons School of Design, leading a course entitled Design Dichotomies which explores the intersection of design and society. Nu’s practice is informed by his love for counter/subculture(s), his background as a Liberian-born refugee, and a lifelong dedication to building platforms that enable communities to engage in shared experiences. In 2005, Nu began working with brands just before completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. With a deeply informed understanding of sneaker culture, Nu transitioned from helping Puma develop content for this niche market to launching a full digital marketing strategy for the brand. This work laid the foundation for Nu’s exploration of how media platforms can help to shape and center lesser-heard narratives. From here, Nu moved on to working in-house at RedBull and later to Sonos, where he further explored the ins and outs of building a brand. Skillfully, he created programming around music, art, and tech with a focus on adding real value and meaning to lifestyle branding. Eventually, Nu found himself dispassionate with selling products. Disinterested in the idea of ‘cool,’ Nu decided to pivot to an analytical, research-driven approach to solving problems.
In 2016, Nu moved on to pursue a Masters Degree in Strategic Design Management at Parsons School of Design. He went from being a brand director, managing large teams and projects in Los Angeles to a grad student in New York, where he needed to re-acclimate to the learning environment. Parsons helped validate and resolve many of his ideas around human-centric design, problem-solving and its value for marginalized communities. It offered Nu a strong foundation and framework for approaching problem-solving, framing insights, and being able to articulate and communicate solutions. It was during this time that he worked as an Innovation Fellow at the design studio Openbox.
Evolving from his formative years in Massachusetts exploring Japanese Hip Hop magazines to a well-informed creative, Nu decided it was time to reimagined and reframe his relationship to work, and the type of projects he was interested in supporting. In 2018, he co-founded the independent design studio Room For Magic. His latest project is Deem Journal, which is the result of a decade of branding, research, strategic development, ideation, and production with the goal of creating equitable change into the way communities are being designed and represented. Deem Journal is a collaboration between Room for Magic and Openbox.
Another Human
"Starting your own boutique design firm."
Thursday, February 15, 7:00-9:45pm
CSULB Department of Design, Room DESN 112
In this talk, I’m going to share information about my design education, professional path and how I learned the skills I needed to start and run my own design firm. I’ll cover some of the technical skills that I have (or lack thereof) and the process of experimentation that I engage with on a daily basis as I continue to learn and grow as a designer and business owner.
Another Human is a multidisciplinary design firm specializing in residential and commercial interiors, as well as conceptually driven furniture. Each project tells its own story: a meticulously edited narrative of how we inhabit and interact with space and everyday objects.
Principal Leah Ring works closely with clients to align on aesthetic and practical aims, articulating a shared visual language to create highly personalized spaces in conversation with existing architecture. Her design process is rule-breaking and eclectic, resulting in considered, layered interiors that are equally polished and playful.
That approach also ripples through Another Human’s eponymous furniture line. Known for unconventional materials and idiosyncratic silhouettes, each collection invites onlookers into a world of vibrant color and fantasy that still retains functionality in form.
Prior to launching Another Human, Leah Ring spent a decade honing her aesthetic and process
in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, working with high-end firms including Julie
Hillman Design, Reath Design, and MASH Studios.
She lives in Los Angeles and recently renovated a personal residence in Yucca Valley.
ViewsDesign
"Authentic! About real problems with fake creativity"
Thursday, February 22, 7:00-9:45pm
CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery
The word of the year 2023, ‘‘authentic’, has become increasingly relevant through the introduction
of AI in the creative process. The lecture will explore possible meanings of authenticity on a personal, creative and cultural level. The goal is to help designers create better work in a more fulfilling environment.
Wolfgang Joensson is a South African born German industrial designer and educator. He lives in
Paris, France and Corona del Mar, CA. Throughout his career he has worked with international
clients ranging from small startup companies to industrial giants, creating award-winning product,
graphic, interface and package design which can be found in shops and museums worldwide. He
is also a book author. He likes cocktails, cooking, culture and conversation with clever people.
Past Tense | Future Sense
Thursday, February 29, 7:00-9:45pm
CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery
Frank Tyneski is a passionate, hands-on design leader with a consistent track record of designing award-winning, category-creating, high-revenue generating products and services for established companies and notable start-ups. He has designed mobile phones, consumer and commercial electronics, medical devices, concept cars, toys, wellness & fitness equipment, furniture, and gear and holds more than 100 foreign & domestic design patents in the areas of industrial design, UI/UX, mechanical engineering, and process patents.
Frank is a frequent lecturer on design experience and technology. Frank began his professional career at Fisher-Price and spent a decade designing breakthrough products at Motorola. He was awarded the Design of the Decade for Motorola’s first consumer two-way radios, The TalkAbout. Frank has been giving back for more than a decade to the Child Safety Network (CSN) designing wearables and software programs to help keep children safe.
Current Work
-Co-founder of the largest graphene innovations lab in Manchester, UK where his team is working with the UAE on NEOM city of the future.
-Head of Design & Innovation for Clearly Filtered working on the future of clean water filtration.
Career Highlights
-Vice President, Global Experience Design & Innovation at Kids2, where he created breakthrough innovation platforms and product development for both the company’s home and play division, including Disney Baby & Baby Einstein.
-Chief Design Officer at LzLabs, a mainframe migration data science company based in Zurich, Switzerland where he helped to co-create the software defined mainframe that fits inside a suitcase.
-Head of Global consumer design and experience at Dell, Inc. where he was responsible for five (5) brands with quarterly revenues of more than $3B. -Elected to serve as the Executive Director of the Industrial Designer’s Society of America (IDSA) from 2008 – 2009.
-Head of Industrial Design & Experience for BlackBerry where he was responsible for creating the first consumer mobile phone products.
Berries Design
Thursday, March 07, 7:00pm
CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery
Brooks Atwood is a multi-disciplinary designer & innovator known for developing Award-winning spaces and products that link culture, entertainment, experiences, and technology into
unforgettable experiences. He has managed large teams and led new business wins.
Brooks Atwood has worked as a Design Director, Architect, Interior Designer, Chief Design Officer,
UI/UX Designer, TV Host, Professor, Founder & Co-Founder of Swell Music Festival spanning the
last 25 years. His work has earned him the distinction of being named one of the “world’s innovative
creators” by Eyes In Magazine and one of six “Emerging US Designers” by the Museum of Arts &
Design. Brooks is also an alumni of the prestigious TED organization where he gave a talk entitled
“Collaborative Opportunities are Everywhere.”
He also received several awards and as Design Director at OfficeUntitled where he oversaw
project narratives and pitches, marketing, branding, client relations, brand partnerships for
many award-winning clients including Provenance Hotels, The Cayton Children’s Museum,
Nike, Google, Virgin, Boston Consulting Group, among others.
Designing Your Tomorrow Empowering Interactive Strategies for Personal Growth
Thursday, March 14, 7:00-9:45pm
CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery
In this lecture, we will explore the transformative power of setting intentional goals and developing a proactive mindset toward personal and professional development. Participants will learn practical tools and strategies to design their future, overcome obstacles, and harness the potential within to achieve their aspirations. By integrating insights from psychology, personal development, and strategic planning, this session aims to inspire and equip individuals to take charge of their journey toward success and fulfillment.
Thokozani Mabena is a Senior UX Researcher & Design Strategist with 9+ years of experience. He is an expert in leading multi-disciplinary teams, developing innovative products, and user-centered solutions. Thokozani has a proven track record in high-quality UX design and product strategy where he specializes in improving human life quality through in-depth user research and design.
The Poetic Objects of an Intentional Life
Building the World We Want to See
Thursday, April 11, 7:00-9:45pm
CSULB Duncan Anderson Zoom
Who builds our world? How is it getting built? What is being built? And why? These are the questions that Emily Pilloton-Lam has spent a lifetime asking herself and the world around her. Drawing from her experience as the founder and executive director of Girls Garage, a nonprofit design and construction school for girls and gender-expansive youth, she provides rich stories and keen insights reminding us all that a more just, equitable, and empowered world is within our grasp. Emily Pilloton-Lam is the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit Girls Garage. A de- signer, builder, educator, and author, she has taught thousands of young girls and gender-expansive youth how to use power tools, weld, and build projects for their communities.
She has presented her work and ideas on the TED stage twice (3.8 million views and counting!), The Colbert Report, CNN, The Today Show, and in the documentary film If You Build It. She is the author of 3 books about the power of community-based architecture and has shared her story and the stories of her students on stages and venues worldwide for the past two decades. Emily has taught as Adjunct Faculty in the Architecture and Sustainable Design departments at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis, and lives with her family, human and canine, in Berkeley, California.
Tim Nugent
Design Director / Owner Pulse Design Group, LLC
"How to Get a Job in the Design Industry"
Thursday, April 18, 7:00-9:45pm
CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery
An overview of Pulse’s experiences and recommendations on approaching Design Firms and interviewing. Education : B.S. Industrial Design, California State University Long Beach Had the pleasure of working at Ricchio Design, LDA, RKS, Advanced Bionics and taught at CSULB in the industrial design program. Named on over 45 patents, design awards from Red Dot, Chicago Anthenaeum Good Design Awards, CES Innovations, IDSA, T3, ID Magazine, Business Week etc.
From day to day operations, design, mechanical design, user interface, overall design director for programs to target on brand experiences for end customers. Multitude of work in Medical, industrial, consumer, digital, toys, consumer electronics, agricultural. Pulse Design Group was established in 2004 and has been in Santa Monica California for the last 10+ years. Clients include: Amana, Disney, JBL, Samsung, Advanced Bionics, Boston Scientific, Intel, ABC Television, Porsche, Floraflex, Optiharvest, Set Point Medical, Synova Life Sciences, Glaukos, Channel, San Disk, Nokia, Polymega, GoodCook, Whirlpool, Bluestar, GE, Magellan, Clorox, Kinze, Gibson Guitar Corporation, BAE British Aerospace Engineering, Canon, etc.
We continue to strive for ideal solutions that meet or exceed client expectations. Focus on end user experience, product functionality, risk analysis, transparency on cost expectations for manufacturing process for our clients. We work with a variety of companies from entrepreneurs, start up to Fortune 500.
Innovation Protocol
"Branding Fundamentals"
Thursday, May 9, 7:00-9:45pm
CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery
Sasha Strauss speaks from 25 years in brand strategy, having defined brands for leading corporations, philanthropies, faiths, and academic institutions. Sasha’s distinct and direct approach to how brands and leadership must communicate is the foundation for his brand strategy consultancy, Innovation Protocol (IP). Their ability to inspire while they inform is why brands like Nestlé, PayPal, LEGO, Google, Disney, and Korn Ferry have called on their consulting and thought leadership since 2006. While running IP as CEO, Sasha has been a professor for 17 years, concurrently teaching brand strategy at UCLA, USC, and UCI business schools. That coursework, coupled with IP’s client work for innovators, directly impacts Sasha’s impassioned keynote speeches at the world’s largest conferences.
