Heather earned her MFA from the Dynamic Media Institute at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and BFA in Visual Design from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Her professional experience spans print, motion, and interactive media. Clients include MIT, Brandeis University, Perkins School for the Blind, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. She also sits on the Advisory Board for AIGA Boston, The Professional Association for Design.

Publications

The Future of Design Education. AIGA Boston Designcast. 2019

Design for Humanity Q & A: Interaction Design Methods and Tools for Design Education. Medium. January 2017.

Understanding Motion Literacy through Systems and Behaviors. Kinetic Emergence. Common Ground Publishing, 2017.

Design for Humanity: 5 Educators Weigh in on Interaction Design Methods and Tools. HOW Magazine. December 2016. (Contributor)

Thoughts on Communication Design and UX Education. HOW Magazine. March 2016. (Contributor)

Activating Space: Using physical and digital prototyping to teach principles of motion and interactivity. MODE 2015 Summit Conference Proceedings. Focal Press/Routledge, 2015.

Elements of Dynamic Media. Methodology: Teaching Visual Arts and Design in the U.S.A. Yanyan Sun, Tsinghua University, Chinese Higher Education Press, China 2010.

Awards and Grants

Visual Literacy InFUSION Project, Faculty Fellow: Using concrete processes to teach abstract ideas in math and design. 2015 – 2017.

Lesley University Faculty Development Grant, Visiting Scholar: Studying inclusion frameworks for design curriculum and pedagogy. Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand. 2017.

Lesley University Global Faculty Fellowship Grant: Presentation and exhibition at the International Design Congress, Gwangju, South Korea. 2015.

Second Place, Digital Media: 101 Tips for Women Travelers (Grand Circle Travel)

Bookbuilders of Boston, 58th Annual New England Book Show. 2015.

First Place, E-newsletter: [at] the gardner (Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum)

New England Museum Association (NEMA) Publications Competition. 2010.

Lectures and Workshops

UX Workshop: Designing for your Future Self. AIGA Boston workshop, 2017.

Hindi Cinema: A Brief History Through the Lens of Bollywood Posters. The Poster: The History and Influence of a Classic Medium. AIGA Boston pechakucha, 2016.

Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Comprehensive Process for New Programming in Graphic, Interactive and User Experience Design. International Design Congress, Gwangju, South Korea. 2015.

Activating Space: Using physical and digital prototyping to teach principles of motion and interactivity. Motion Design Education Summit (MODE), Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, Ireland, 2015.

Interfaces of Play: Teaching interactive design through physical and digital prototyping. Spaces of Learning: AIGA National Design Educators Conference, York University, Toronto, Canada, 2015.

Personal Website

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