Class of 2018
Maggie Colbentz
Maggie Coblentz is a multidisciplinary designer interested in design for social impact, speculative design and design fiction. She uses design as a tool to stimulate discussion about society.
mcoblent@risd.edu
Jeremy Bass
Jeremy's design work is focused on creating products and experiences that solve problems and address futures. His design decisions are governed by accessibility and impact. Currently, he is exploring how environmental prosthesis can change the way we view our physical spaces.
jbass@risd.edu
Kanitta Chartvutkorbkul
Kanitta is passionate about interior architecture, product design and light phenomena. She has explored lighting effects at a range of scales from various kinds of materials to products to interior spaces all to create a new aesthetic.. Kanitta's practice is embodied by her experience in interior architecture and design.
kchartvu@risd.edu
Allison Davis
Allison's design process and explorations focus on the notion of emotional object awareness, leveraging nontraditional materials and methods to reinforce meaningful relationships between person and product. She also strives to communicate a back to basics design mentality, which is visible in many of her works. Previously, she spent a decade collaborating with Fortune 100 and 500 companies to help solve some of their most exciting consumer insight + design strategy challenges.
adavis02@risd.edu
Erica Efstratoudakis
Amily He
Brandon Kim
Brandon is focused on venture development and design-informed strategy in soft goods and home appliances. He has VC investing experience and has his own startup, Brevite.
Bkim11@risd.edu
Christina Johnston
Christina likes making objects that examine the phenomenon of artificiality and remember the metaphysical in the mundane. Her background is in design, visual art, philosophy, and a lot of undefined things trying to bridge the gaps between the three.
cjohnsto@risd.edu
Biniam Kebede
I am a multi-disciplinary designer with a background in architecture, art, and graphic design. I am currently working on my Masters in Industrial Design. My interests and qualities lie in social entrepreneurship and experience design. I also have strong abilities to lead a group by creating a sustained vision and solving complex problems through collaborative efforts.
bkebede@risd.edu
Jongsoo Kim
Jongsoo Kim is an industrial designer and calligraphy writer from Korea. He received his BA from Hongik university in Korea, and is now working towards a Masters in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design. He focuses on people's behaviors and experiences. In design, he has the two most important philosophies; whether it reflects human behavior and experience, and what the role of a designer would be in future.
jkim78@risd.edu
![Johnathan Melendez-DavidsonTrained as an architect, Jonathan is a design researcher and aspiring academic with a passion for visionary works. A collage of fragmented [written, drawn, and built] speculative realities compose the body of his work.&nbs…](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/580e086b3e00be88256069d6/1491710593286-YAZ78NBAQ3J2NRHRTNP7/1JONATHAN.jpg)
Johnathan Melendez-Davidson
Trained as an architect, Jonathan is a design researcher and aspiring academic with a passion for visionary works. A collage of fragmented [written, drawn, and built] speculative realities compose the body of his work.
jmelendezdavidson@gmail.com
Charlotte McCurdy
Charlotte McCurdy is from New York City. She is from international development and experimental theater. She is interested in embodied interactions, in exploring the aesthetic potential of emerging technologies and in awe. She believes there is important work to be done exploring the emotional and social consequences of the information revolution and how to be human in the Anthropocene.
ctmccurdy@gmail.com
Jake Moritz
I come to RISD with backgrounds in craft furniture and in business. My design practice is at the center of these experiences, where I explore perceptions of value in products, systems and services. Using objects to anchor discussions, I seek to understand what people value, and why.
jmoritz@risd.edu
Dave Pittman
Dave is an interdisciplinary designer and entrepreneur on a mission to make the world happier, healthier, safer, and more sustainable. He has started seven companies, including a print magazine and the world's largest vegan store, and he has also worked as a graphic designer, creative director, and industrial designer for small non-profits, Fortune 100 companies, and everywhere in between. His current obsessions include behavior design, design ethics, cognitive ergonomics, and the relationship between design and animals.
dpittman@risd.edu
Katie Smiley
I am passionate about using design to address the social determinants of health. Approaching design from qualitative research, I aspire to do work that is deeply human-centered and responds meaningfully to issues of representation and power in public spaces and services. I see making as a way to share ideas and empower participation. I'm also super into pastry and puns.
smileykr13@gmail.com
Savvas Spyridopoulos
I have a background in glassblowing and sculpture. After undergrad, I started a construction company, which has been a vehicle for pursuing creative projects. Over the years I worked on various fine arts related projects, mostly involving architectural sound installations, but found my passion when I decided to pursue Industrial Design at RISD.
sspyrido@risd.edu
Aaron Simmons
The driving factor in Aaron's design practice is his interest in exploring how objects and spaces can shape our values and perceptions of the world. He attempts to explore these issues through the lens of intimacy, the home, and memory. Aaron’s practice is informed by his experience and engagement with design, philosophy, anthropology, education, and the fine arts. This broad spectrum of influence allows him to create meaningful objects with thick stories.
smallurbanlife@gmail.com
YuHsing Wu
YuHsing is a designer who is interested in creating subtle and sophisticated elegant products
ywu07@risd.edu
Megan Valanidas
Megan has a background in farming, food education, fabrication and fine art. She strives to use sustainable techniques in design strategy and object-making toward building a more ecologically sound future. She is committed to collaboration and harnessing its ability to encourage an abundance of potential solutions. She strives to combine pure, concise, beautiful design with well-researched, human-centered thinking to achieve rich communities thoughtfully supported by design.
mvalanid@risd.edu