I met Laurel first as my teacher; she became my mentor and colleague when I started teaching.
Laurel’s classes are delightful. Her prompts are open-ended and thought-provoking, but the objectives are clear: the work feels meaningful both creatively and in terms of what you’re learning. As a result, every student produces something worth critique, no matter their level of prior experience or creative interest. In discussions, Laurel deftly puts disparate projects in context, so we could learn from each other.
Laurel’s classes often include a collaborative class-wide project. As coordinator, Laurel finds a role for each student, so each can contribute. The projects have lives outside of the course, being published or broadcast online to the general public. As a student, the opportunity to be a part of something that crosses out of the classroom and into the world is so satisfying. It puts into practice Laurel’s ambition that design be experimental, surprising, and rigorous, whether you’re doing work for a class or a client.
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Rosa McElheny
Designer (Linked by Air), Lecturer (Yale)