Hi, I'm Joanna. I often go by Jojo.Â
I am an industrial design grad student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I did not begin in design though! My undergraduate degree was in English Literature, with minors in Film and German. I then worked as a marketing content creator in the tech and food packaging industries. It was through these positions that I learned about design, and it felt like I finally found a field where my practical creativity and problem-solving abilities could thrive. During my studies, I discovered my passion for combining story, technology, and design to create interactive, memorable experiences in physical spaces.
Aside from design work, I enjoy film production, music, being outside, learning languages, and riding my motorcycle. Fun Fact: I was born and raised in Europe and moved to the US for college. I love connecting with people from different cultures and allowing this to continually stretch my perspective on life.
Good Design is Good Communication
I love film production. I love all the elements—cinematography, writing, lighting, acting, set design, sound—all converging to communicate the story. So when I discovered the world of design, I could see so many parallels: a multidisciplinary team coming together to create an incredible product experience; the tension between business constraints and creative development; and product iteration throughout the process.
When I worked in in-house video production and someone would come to me and say, "I'd like to make a video about X," we'd sit down and I would ask them, what are you trying to achieve? Who are you wanting to impact? How will they see what we make? What do you want them to take away from the video? Is a video even the best way to accomplish your goal? If a video is indeed what they need, then we would develop the creative elements that would accomplish their goal within the given constraints. The end result was not always what they initially had in mind, but better! This is a lot like the design process.Â
This is how I see design. It all comes down to communication, whether verbal, visual, auditory, tactile, or some other form, and whether it is communication during the design process or how the final outcome communicates with its users.  I love the process of capturing, defining and crafting communication through a multitude of elements—whatever medium conveys the idea or experience the best. This is the lens through which I see design. Of course, my outlook may be amended or improved upon over the years. After all, isn't the practice of design ever evolving, including how we define and see it?