Bringing a design perspective to address large, complex, and systemic issues.
Before joining NC State College of Design this fall, I worked at Appalachian State University for over three years. During this time, my family and I lived in Boone, learned to love the mountains, and were warmly welcomed by its community...
Exploring the use of Generative AI to generate new materials and their applications to visualize combinations of colors, textures, and patterns that, until now, seemed impossible or incredibly challenging to create through more traditional techniques…
In recent weeks, I've been working on a fascinating project combining AI + Poetry + Design to create a series of dresses, each inspired by a different poem. This initiative aimed to capture the human essence of poetry in a tangible and innovative way using AI tools…
After 8 years of not attending an IDSA Conference, I had the opportunity to participate and present some of my work about AI and Design Education at this year’s International Design Conference. It was a privilege to share the stage with such insightful speakers and have many interesting conversations about life, design, education, and technology!…
For the past few weeks, I have been exploring Midjourney, an AI program that creates images from textual descriptions, in an effort to understand how this type of tool works and what are the implications of its use for design education and practice…
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
This paper presents a literature review conducted to establish the current state of the discussion on the topic of metacognition in design education based on a review of empirical studies that present the results of educational interventions that introduced aspects of metacognition to design students.
This paper presents a literature review conducted to establish the current state of the discussion on the topic of metacognition in design education based on a review of empirical studies that present the results of educational interventions that introduced aspects of metacognition to design students.
This paper presents a literature review conducted to establish the current state of the discussion on the topic of metacognition in design education based on a review of empirical studies that present the results of educational interventions that introduced aspects of metacognition to design students.
This paper presents a literature review conducted to establish the current state of the discussion on the topic of metacognition in design education based on a review of empirical studies that present the results of educational interventions that introduced aspects of metacognition to design students.
This paper presents a literature review conducted to establish the current state of the discussion on the topic of metacognition in design education based on a review of empirical studies that present the results of educational interventions that introduced aspects of metacognition to design students.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Fall 2022 - In Progress | Principal Investigator
Appalachian State University, Department of Applied Design
Since July 2022, I have been exploring the integration of AI tools, particularly text-to-image generators (e.g., Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion), into design education and research. I have introduced these tools to some of my students, who have been able to use them to strengthen ideation in their design process. Also, I have explored these tools with my colleagues at the App DigiFab learning community, creating a collective digital installation showcased at the Transformations Exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. This project intends to continue exploring AI's role in my teaching and research in design.
Fall 2018 - Spring 2021 | Co-Investigator
Appalachian State University, Department of Applied Design
Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, School of Product Design
Co-PI: Juanita Gonzalez-Tobon, PhD, Universidad Javeriana, Colombia
Metacognition is recognized as a fundamental ability to promote deep learning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Given the importance that these abilities have in design education, this project aims to study how these are developed and how metacognitive strategies can be taught in design educational settings.
Spring 2019 - Spring 2020 | Co-Investigator
Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, School of Product Design
Research project intended to develop composite materials and consumer products using the waste from corn crops to substitute and reduce the use of plastic materials. The project is a joint effort between our research group at Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano and local corn producers in the southwest of Colombia.
Summer 2018 - Spring 2020 | Co-Investigator
Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, School of Product Design + Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Tropical ecosystems are considered the most vulnerable to climate change. To address some of the complex challenges posed by this situation, we are developing a transdisciplinary approach to support collaboration among academic and non-academic actors using design-based methods.
Spring 2019 - Spring 2020 | Co-Investigator
Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, School of Product Design
Research project focused on developing new products and materials using "fique" (Furcraea spp) and other natural fibers obtained from coconut, corn, and sisal. The goal of the project is to create applications with high added value that can contribute to the growth of local rural economies in Colombia.
