Howard University
Teaching Design, Creativity, and Sustainable Creative Careers
I am currently a Senior Lecturer of Graphic Design in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University.
My teaching spans digital design, brand strategy, web design, and creative entrepreneurship, helping students move from foundational design principles through advanced professional practice.
I teach across all levels—helping emerging artists and entrepreneurs build clarity, confidence, and sustainable creative careers through intentional, design-driven learning.
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching is grounded in the belief that creative education should prepare students not only to produce strong work, but to build sustainable creative careers.
As a teaching artist, my approach sits at the intersection of real-world practice, mindful reflection, and student-centered learning. My mindful approach grew directly out of my own experiences navigating the creative industry. I’ve seen firsthand the pressures placed on creative professionals, and I believe that long-term success requires both technical skill and inner balance.
By integrating mindfulness into my teaching, I help students develop self-awareness, resilience, and the capacity to navigate creative work with intention. I also believe that effective teaching requires staying active in the field. I continue to engage with design and creative entrepreneurship so that what I teach reflects the realities of today’s industry.
My goal is to equip students not only with strong design skills, but with the clarity, adaptability, and confidence they need to build sustainable careers in the creative world.
Teaching & Research Focus
My teaching and research explore the intersection of creative practice, mindfulness, and sustainable creative careers. I am particularly interested in how design education can prepare students not only to develop technical skill, but to navigate the realities of creative work in healthy and sustainable ways.
My current work focuses on topics such as:
• mindfulness in art and design education
• sustainable creative careers and burnout prevention
• experiential learning and real-world creative practice
• entrepreneurship and professional preparation for creative students
• integrating industry practice into creative education
Through my teaching, writing, and speaking, I aim to contribute to conversations about how creative education can better support the next generation of designers, artists, and creative professionals.
My work has been presented through workshops, lectures, and conference presentations focused on creativity, mindfulness, and sustainable creative practice.
STUDENT WORK SAMPLES
Courses Taught
My courses emphasize design fundamentals, creative strategy, and professional preparation for careers in the creative industries.
Intro to Digital Design
Design Foundations • Adobe Creative Cloud • Typography & Color • Layout & Composition
This course introduces the basic components of computer graphics and digital media. Students will learn the concepts and techniques used in preparing electronic art and design for visual communication. Topics include but are not limited to, vector- and raster-based imaging techniques, digital typography, color theory, file management, layout, and composition. The class will be taught primarily on the Mac OS platform. Still, students are welcome to use other platforms because they use industry-standard software in the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat, Animate, etc.)
Design I
Digital Communication • Persuasive Design • Audience Research • Motion & Presentation Design
This course is an exploration of beginning and intermediate to advanced concepts and procedures in the preparation of digital art and design for the purpose of visual communication. Topics include, but are not limited to, electronic layout, illustration techniques, digital typography, scanning, digital color theory, file format preparation, designing for print and web, electronic printing and pre-press production and professional presentation.
Design II
UX/UI • Advanced Design • Branding • Visual Communication
This course explores intermediate to advanced concepts and procedures in preparing digital art and design for visual communication. Students will gain hands-on experience designing for print and digital platforms, emphasizing user engagement, professional presentation, and integrating functionality with creativity. Topics include layout, illustration techniques, digital typography, digital color theory, file preparation, and UX/UI design principles. The class will primarily use Mac OS, although students may use other platforms with Adobe Creative Cloud Suite software (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat, Animate, etc.).
The course is structured around a semester-long UX/UI project where students design a comprehensive package for an upcoming event, encompassing both digital and physical assets.
Studio Problems in Design
Packaging Design • Brand Systems • Design Research • Creative Problem Solving
Advanced exploration of packaging and display design with a focus on research-driven, real-world projects. Students will work on complex design challenges, including product packaging redesign, global brand adaptation, and campaign development for a new product launch. Emphasis is placed on audience research, conceptual development, production techniques, and professional presentation through both digital and physical mockups.
Industry Prep & Entreprenurship
Creative Entrepreneurship • Business Strategy • Professional Practice • Career Development
Students will explore the dynamic world of the creative industry from the perspectives of the staff artist/designer, freelancer, and entrepreneur. This multidisciplinary seminar will help prospective graduates learn the fundamentals of business, marketing, and self-promotion for media artists, photographers, and designers.
Course topics include careers in the visual arts, self-promotion, pricing creative services, contracts and negotiations, intellectual property issues, and entrepreneurial ventures in the arts. By the end of the course, students will have developed a comprehensive brand and business launch plan to showcase their entrepreneurial and strategic skills.
Past Courses
Multimedia Design I
Multimedia Storytelling • Digital Media • Visual Communication • Creative Production
This course is an exploration of the fundamental concepts, techniques, practices, workflows, and tools associated with the practice of user experience design in web and mobile experiences. Students will learn how to apply these concepts through individual and team-based projects, designing online and mobile experiences.
Portfolio & Production Techniques I
Portfolio Development • Personal Branding • Professional Practice • Career Preparation
This course will provide instruction on the production and presentation of work in all forms. (the drawing board, printed page and digitally). Methods and techniques of presenting work to prospective employers will be discussed along with presenting oneself to a potential employer, and selling one’s work to a client.
If a student’s work is at the level of development which allows them to benefit from working as an apprentice in a professional studio of an appropriate area of career interest the student will be required to seek and gain experience.