My teaching is grounded in progressive, experiential learning. I use prototyping, material exploration, critique, observation, and iterative experimentation to turn abstract ideas into tangible experiences. Rather than treating uncertainty as something to eliminate, I teach students to work through it, using making as a way to ask questions, test assumptions, and build knowledge.

+ PDES 5703 | Prototyping Methods
University of Minnesota; Product Design program, Fall ‘22, ‘26

This class is a hands-on introduction to physical model making, as well as interactive prototyping tools and techniques. Through a series of projects students will gain experience of building product models with different materials and tools, and learn principles of form and function, 3D design, interactive prototyping with Arduino, and design critique.

+ PDES 2777 | Product Form & Modelmaking
University of Minnesota, Product Design program, Spring ‘23, ‘24, ‘25, ‘26

This class is a hands-on introduction to prototyping tools, materials, and techniques for product design. Students learn the basics of working with foam-board, foam, and finishing techniques to create physical models and will be introduced to different surface treatments and finishes. Assignments are designed to build a sense of craftsmanship and attention to detail. There are multiple individual and group projects focusing on different materials and techniques. Each project involves practicing oral presentation and group critique.

+ PDES 5701 | User-Centered Design Studio
University of Minnesota, Product Design program, Spring ‘24

5701 User Centered Design Studio is graduate-level project-driven course where, through three separate project prompts, we will be exploring tools and methods that create and deliver value for end users in service, UX/UI, and physical product design. By the end of the semester, students gain experience across these three design disciplines, as well as a diverse set of skills across user-centered fields to add to their portfolio.

Prompts/Projects
- Addressing Disparities in Carceral Pregnancy in Service Design
- Incentivizing Recovery of Construction Materials in UX/UI
- Designing Bike Helmets for Diverse Health & Culture

+ PDES 2772 | Product Design Studio 2
University of Minnesota: Product Design program, Spring ‘22

This is the second studio course for Product Design majors at the University of Minnesota’s Product Design Program, and is a required course for the program. Studios for the UMN Product Design program work with industry partners on contemporary problems. Emphasis will be placed on physical product development using industry-standard practices. This studio will focus on physical and digital prototyping, craftsmanship, form, human factors/ergonomics, functionality, feasibility, and presentation skills. Students will be applying skills developed in PDES 3706 - Designing for Manufacture, and PDES 3704 Computer-Aided Design Methods.
This studio course is unique in its focus: students were invited to explore two projects over the course of the semester -
- 9 weeks, Design for the Service Industry
- 5 weeks, Design for Youth with OCD.

+ PD 3320 | Design for Viability
Minneapolis College of Art and Design; Product Design department, Spring ‘21

How are today’s environmental, social, and economic demands conditioning and shaping today’s product design mindset? With a component of readings/discussions and a small component of prototyping different ideas into 3D sketches, students will generate their own questions and individual perspectives on materiality in the context of socially responsible product design. The course will have an emphasis on ecological sustainability, and will provide an overview of various sustainability frameworks in the context of product design. Systems thinking and product life cycles are presented as the basis for product, industry, and social innovation. Students explore big-picture philosophical questions and ethical concerns through specific designed objects.

+ PD 3340 | How Its Made: Materials and Manufacturing Processes
Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Fall ‘22

In spite of the many products, services, and experiences now provided via digital devices, product designers still require fundamental knowledge of tangible materials and the means to shape them. From raw materials to finished products, students will learn to identify and understand the materials and processes used to make familiar products. In particular, the course will focus on how to design for each material and manufacturing processes (design for manufacturability).m The class includes field trips to local manufacturers, and independent research.

I combine qualitative, quantitative, participatory, and design-led research to understand not only what people say, like, and do, but what solutions their behavior makes possible through making and experimentation. My research practice expands traditional inquiry by using craft, prototyping, testing, observation, and iteration to bridge the gap between private, civic, and community-held institutions and their users’ needs. I work both in applied and academic research settings.

My academic research interests include:
-Understanding luxury and consumer taste in justifying ugly, forgotten, or underappreciated materials and products.
- Interrogating role of craft & slow manufacture in product design education.
- Examining how hyper-local and resident-centric innovation occurs in civic settings.

Hadjiyanni, T., Davies, K., & Akers, Q. (2023). Infusing Mental Health in Design Education: A Case Study on Transdisciplinarity and Empathy as Mediums for Innovation. Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies, 10(2), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.24926/ijps.v10i2.5495

Green, D. E., Dowling, J., Bolger, D., Rothstein, P., Hensley, M., Papke, J., Joeck, D., Adcock-Starr, L., Poirier, S., Reyes, R., Hansen, J., & Serrand, D. (2015). “A Local Habitation and a Name”: The Twin Cities Shakespeare Season 2014–15 [Review of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Romeo and Juliet; Twelfe Night, Or What You Will; The Duchess of Malfi; Hamlet; Twelfth Night; Love’s Labour’s Lost, by Guthrie Theater, Ten Thousand Things Theater, Classical Actor’s Ensemble, Theatre Unbound, Mu Performing Arts, & The Moving Company]. Shakespeare Bulletin, 33(4), 647–661. https://www-jstor-org.ezp2.lib.umn.edu/stable/26355147
 

American Craft Council Connects: ACC Conference & Awards 2026 ; "Blurred Lines: Illuminating Craft at the College of Design", Panelist

Regis Center for Art 2025; Interdisciplinary Art, Design, and Ecology Residency Presentations, Panelist

2026-27 Institute for Innovation & Change Inaugural Cohort
2026-27 Kusske Design Initiative Materials Researcher
2025-26 Hennepin County Graduate Fellow - Food Waste Prevention
2025 Interdisciplinary Art, Design, and Ecology Resident at the Acreage, (Oceola, WI)