Spring 2025

Aida Ohadi

Impact XM

The Art of Spatial Storytelling: Creating Experiences That Engage and Inspire

Thursday, January 30, 7:00 pm

CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery

Experiential design goes beyond aesthetics, focusing on creating immersive environments that connect people to a story. By engaging the senses and emotions, spatial design can evoke powerful, lasting memories, making the space itself a storyteller. This lecture will explore how to craft meaning ful narratives through spatial experiences that engage, inspire, and leave a lasting impact on audiences.

Aida Ohadi is a Spatial Experience Designer with over 7 years of experience in crafting immersive environments for exhibitions, trade shows, conferences, permanent installations, concerts, festivals, and branded pop-ups. A storyteller at heart, Aida specializes in creating environments that engage the senses and evoke deep emotional connections.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Design from California State University, Long Beach, Aida pursued advanced studies with a Master of Science in Spatial Experience Design from ArtCenter College of Design. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to designing thoughtful, intentional spaces that go beyond aesthetics—creating experiences that resonate profoundly with audiences. With a keen focus on the intersection of design and human experience, Aida’s work transcends visual appeal to engage all senses, resulting in transformative, unforgettable environments. She is passionate about the role of spaital design in storytelling, aiming to spark emotion and engagement in every space she creates.

Wolfgang Joensson

VIEWSDESIGN

Designer at Large - Navigating the Creative Space

Thursday, February 06, 7:00-9:45pm

CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery

As designers, our challenge is to create visionary solutions for a variety of users in different locations, nationally and globally, being aware of the multitude of social situations, cultural environments and market constraints. The lecture aims to help designers understand how they can navigate and progress in that space.

Wolfgang Joensson is a South African born German industrial designer and educator. He lives in Paris, France and Corona del Mar, CA. Throughout his career he has worked with international clients ranging from small startup companies to industrial giants, creating award-winning product, graphic, interface and package design which can be found in shops and museums world wide. He wrote a book explaining how good design helped products achieve iconic status. His passions are cocktails, cooking, culture and conversation with clever people.

Tom Bowman

Bowman Change, Inc.

Thursday, February 13, 7:00-9:45pm

CSULB Department of Design, Room DESN 112

Tom Bowman is an advisor, speaker, and changemaker who believes that the solutions to even the world’s toughest problems are within our grasp. His gift for distilling complex problems and scientific information to their central nugget empowers people to take ownership and act.

As principal of Bowman Change, Inc., Tom works with people and organizations who care deeply about their communities and their world. Bowman’s contributions as a strategic advisor on an Action for Climate Empowerment framework for the United States are helping shape our world’s future. This strategic framework is an initiative by educators, activists, policymakers, communi- cation professionals, and others to advance the goals of the Paris Agreement. Bowman’s latest book, What if Solving the Climate Crisis Is Simple?, was heralded by Michael Mann as an “inspiring, concise primer on climate action.” He has been featured by CNN, NPR’s Marketplace, Time, New York Times, Science and other leading media outlets.

Theodore Ullrich

Tomorrow Lab, LLC.

Thursday, February 20, 7:00-9:45pm

CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery

A presentation about Tomorrow Lab® (tomorrow-lab.com) followed by a workshop using TL’s 10 Rapid Design Tools. Guests will be invited to work in groups or alone and apply one or more of the Rapid Design Tools to a design problem they’re working on, then share-out their results to the group.

Theodore Ullrich (Ted) is an engineer and designer and Founding Partner of Tomorrow Lab®, an internationally recognized hardware invention studio based in NYC. Tomorrow Lab was recognized on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine in 2014 as Top Tech Innovators. He regularly speaks on the application of science, design, and entrepreneurship to create new hardware technology products that solve big problems. He holds a Masters of Industrial Design from Georgia Tech, a Bachelors of Inventive Design Engineering from Purdue University, and has taught design studio courses at Georgia Tech, Drexel University, the School of Visual Arts NYC, the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, and Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Bruce Blouse

Hand Sketching and Other Stuff in the Year 2025

Thursday, February 27, 7:00-9:45pm

CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery

A presentation of my history in the Architectural/Interior Design industry from 1980-2025 and what I’ve come to learn. Before becoming an independent consultant and ultimately forming BDA I worked with several high profile international design firms in Southern California including :Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, Hirsch Bedner ,Chhada Siembieda Remedios and Northcutt Design where I was involved in various hospitality, residential, retail, commercial and casino projects.

I have worked throughout the world on hotels such as Mandarin Oriental (Hong Kong), Grand Hyatt (Guangzhou) Briedenbacher Hof (Germany) Four Seasons (New York) The One and Only (Bahamas). My design experience includes overall site planning, furniture space planning, furniture design down to details of entrance doors and the like, there is not a space in a hotel that I have not designed. My management experience covers all phases of the creative process from planning, concept and design development through design documentation, consultant coordination and installation of luxury hotels and resorts, high-end residential, and themed interiors project.I have also worked on purchasing for residential and commercial projects.

CRISPx

Thursday, March 06, 7:00pm

CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery

In a world where consumers are being trained to buy products as if they were commodities, Tony Crisp is a marketing consultant who helps businesses to fight commoditization and increase the sales of their own branded products.

Specializing in technology products with a focus on brand strategy, new product development, and customer experience digital marketing, Crisp works hands-on to build meaningful brands at organizations of all sizes — from tech startups to Fortune 500 companies. His client list includes UC Irvine, XFX, Nvidia, Nestle, HTC Vive, RAVpower, UrbanDecay, Coors, G4S, Seed IP, Robosen, NTS Technical Systems, Element U.S. Space & Defense, and yes, even the late great, Marlon Brando.

In addition to being the Founder and Chief Strategist at CRISPx, an award-winning, data-driven, creative agency, Crisp has been a speaker at the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California at Irvine and at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he is an Alumni. Crisp also sits on the Advisory Board of the Emerging Media and Design Program for the Trever Clair School of Arts at UC Irvine and serves on the Board of Directors of the Tech Coast Venture Network. He is also a judge at the UC Irvine Beall & Butterworth Tech Product Design & Development Competition.

Tony is a father to a young tech geek, a moonlighting rock drummer for the band Velicious, and lives happily, and enjoys sunrise walks on the beach with his wife in Orange County, California.

An Evening with

Erik Klimisch Kia Motors & John O’Laughlin Honda Advanced Design

Transportation Design

Roundtable

Thursday, March 13, 7:00-9:45pm

CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery

Transportation designers Erik Klimisch and John O’Laughlin join the Duncan Anderson Design Lecture Series to discuss their journeys and experiences throughout their careers, followed by an interactive roundtable discussion with the audience.

Jaewoo Joo

How Pop-up Stores Reinvent Brands: Insights from four Success Cases in South Korea

Thursday, March 20, 7:00pm

CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery

As traditional retail declines, pop-up stores are emerging as transformative tools for brands seeking to reshape consumer perceptions. This lecture explores four successful pop-up stores in South Korea, including Pachinko by Apple TV+, that effectively connected with consumers through immersive experiences. By analyzing real-world data such as visitor engagement, Instagram traction, and sales performance, I will illustrate how temporary retail spaces help brands shift brand perceptions. Students will gain a deeper understanding of how pop-up stores influence brand renewal and why they are becoming essential in today’s retail landscape.

Jaewoo Joo is a Professor in the Department of Marketing at the College of Business Administration, Kookmin University. He also serves as a Participating Professor in the Product Service System Design Lab within the Department of Smart Experience Design at the Graduate School of Techno Design. Jaewoo earned his Ph.D. in Marketing from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, and holds an M.B.A. and B.A. from Seoul National University. During his doctoral studies in Canada, he became deeply engaged with two human-centered approaches, design thinking and behavioral economics, as a means to address the limitations of conventional marketing strategies. Positioned at the intersection of design and business, Jaewoo applies a human-centered perspective across his research, teaching, and industry collaborations. His interdisciplinary approach spans diverse publication outlets, courses, and corporate partnerships, fostering a dynamic exchange between academia and practice.

Scott Whisler 

Coastal Enterprises Urethane Board Oh, the Possibilities… 

Thursday, March 27, 7:00-9:45pm 

CSULB Duncan Anderson Gallery 

This will be a very visual presentation showing many applications, processes and opportunities to use this product for design as well as industrial projects. My goal is to present the broad spectrum of market segments where this product is used was well as areas not commonly associated with urethane board. Scott Whisler is a results driven, problem solving, experienced professional from the plastics industry with an unparalleled working knowledge of molds, materials, machines, processing, management, and sales.

Alison K. Hemphill

So You Want to Flee the Country: Moving Abroad as a Creative

Thursday, April 10, 7:00-9:45pm PST

CSULB Duncan Anderson Online Zoom Event

Being a creative is a strength in your quest to move abroad. Topics include applying for and attaining degrees abroad, becoming a resident artist or designer, job hunting, and the various types of visas and professionals involved. We will also explore challenges, benefits, and drawbacks of living abroad.

Alison Hemphill is a multi-disciplinary Cuban-American designer and advocate for working abroad. With 15 years of design experience, 5 abroad, she is currently a remote Design consultant in Spain, designing products, experiences, and spaces for clients of all sizes. She’s previously lived, worked and / or studied in LA, Seoul, London, Northern Iceland, and now Barcelona, and has a portfolio of clients in around 10 countries and counting.

Christie Porter

CEO & Design Principal ONE NINE Architecture

Thursday, May 8, 7:00-9:45pm

CSULB Department of Design, Duncan Anderson Gallery

ONE NINE Architecture was founded in 2018 with the sole idea of boldly & courageously changing the way we look at working in the Architecture and Design field. We bring over 30+ years of experience in the Architecture and Design field ranging from commercial tenant improvement, retail, ground up, multifamily, education, medical and exhibits to residential new build, additions and remodels.