Culture

Masato NakadaCreative Web Coding Workshop
Masato Nakada is co-founder of Happening Studio and instructor at Otis College of Design. His creative web coding workshops leverage entry-level to mid-level coding skills to harness imaginative web components and experimental layouts that are visually dynamic and yet still anchored in simple foundations.

Dori Tunstall
Guest Lecture
In a time of significant momentum and expanding opportunity, her book “Decolonizing Design: A Cultural Justice Guidebook” offers points of entry for radically shifting the way we think about, practice, and teach design. Dr. Tunstall holds a Ph.D. and MA in Anthropology from Stanford University and a BA in Anthropology from Bryn Mawr College. Her work has been featured in Print magazine, Fast Company, AIGA’s Eye on Design, and Design Observer, among other platforms. She was awarded the Sir Misha Black Medal in 2022.

Dewey Saunders
Guest Lecture + Workshop
Part lecture, part collage workshop, this event with Dewey Saunders invites participants to engage in a tactile, creative dialogue using paper, glue, and scissors. Known for his vibrant collage work featured on Anderson .Paak album covers and in Vanity Fair, Saunders blends analog charm with modern design. His client roster includes brands like Cookies, Flying Embers, and Ray-Ban, reflecting a style that revives the warmth of vintage ephemera and hands-on artistry in an increasingly digital world.

Dave Moon
Guest Lecture + Workshop
Dave Moon leads the Communication Design program and serves as a professor of art and design at California State University, Northridge. He is also a published author of Power-Up YOU: A Personal Branding Handbook for Artists, Creatives, and Designers, a resource developed to support students entering the job market after graduation. Throughout his career, Dave has founded or co-founded several student-centered creative ventures, including IntersectLA. His work consistently champions student learning and the creation of innovative environments that foster collaboration through a hands-on, “learn-by-doing” approach.

GMD Alumni
Panel and Discussion
What happens after you finish your design program and enter the big scary world of career?   Mysteries revealed! Questions answered! Four Graphic & Multimedia Design alumni return to College of the Canyons to share their stories of success and challenge as they’ve bridged the gap between design education and a design career.

Sadie Red Wing
Guest Lecture
How do we create Visual Communications for cultures we are not a part of? How do stakeholders advocate for culturally competent design processes? How can creative teams equitably integrate cultural stakeholders into our processes? College of the Canyons, the Graphic & Multimedia Design Department, and the City of Santa Clarita welcome you to attend a speaking engagement with graphic designer, educator, activist, and advocate Sadie Red Wing. Sadie is Lakota + Dakota, and faculty at Ontario College of Art & Design.

My Tran
Guest Lecture
Motion Designer Misstran (My Tran) has collaborated with top-tier clients including Toyota, Nike, ESPN, Hyundai, Sony, and Apple. Her debut short documentary, 40 Years Young, was featured at the 2014 Asian American International Film Festival in New York City. That same year, she participated in the Adventure Filmmaker’s Workshop at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. In 2018, Tran was recognized on Art of the Title’s “10 Women of Title Design” list. Her film credits include The Lego Movie (for Alma Mater), Pacific Rim, and the TV series Stranger Things (for Imaginary Forces).

Schessa Garbutt
Guest Lecture
Designer, writer, near-futurist, Schessa Garbutt is the founder and creative force behind Firebrand. Prior to founding Firebrand, she led design at UNUM and worked at various creative agencies. While her core creative talents lie in brand identity design, she is also an avid writer, and speaker, who realizes that when we each commit ourselves to making our corner of the world more just and more green, we trend toward a brighter future.

Silas Munro
Guest Lecture
Designer, artist, author, and educator Silas Munro’s creative work and writing have been published widely both in the U.S. and internationally. He is the founder of poly-mode, a design practice that empowers organizations to embrace cultural diversity and foster community engagement. Munro has served as a critic and lecturer at leading art and design institutions, including CalArts, the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), NC State, RISD, and the Yale School of Art. He currently holds the position of Assistant Professor in Communication Arts and in the MFA in Graphic Design program at Otis College of Art and Design, and serves as Advisor and Chair Emeritus for the MFA Program in Graphic Design at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Robyn Baker
Guest Lecture
An L.A. native and hot sauce enthusiast, Robyn Baker runs her design studio out of a sunny storefront in Echo Park. Her work blurs the lines between seriousness and absurdity—making educational content more digestible in hopes of making the world a little more playful.

Antonio Diaz
Guest Lecture
Filmmaker, producer, and entrepreneur Antonio Diaz began his career in interactive and graphic design, building brands and digital content within the tech and food industries. Over the past decade, he has founded multiple creative agencies, guided the artistic and technical direction of tech startups, and produced and directed the Emmy-winning KCET television series The Migrant Kitchen. He is currently the founder and CEO of Life & Thyme, a culinary publication and production agency. Based in Los Angeles, Antonio is dedicated to telling meaningful stories through film, editorial, and photography.

Contact

College of the Canyons
Prof. Mark Daybell (Chair)
26455 Rockwell Canyon Road
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
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(661) 362-3066
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mark.daybell@canyons.edu

College of the Canyons
Prof. Shannon Doronio
26455 Rockwell Canyon Road
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
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(661) 362-5609
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shannon.doronio@canyons.edu