At the crossroads of cultural inquiry and technological exploration, Kevin Lahoda is charting a design practice that is as thoughtful as it is future-facing. A designer whose work is influenced by a background in anthropology, Lahoda’s scholarship interrogates what it means to do research in design and what it means to teach it.

Today, his research focuses on how graphic and interactive design can be used to make complex, often invisible systems visible and comprehensible. But the story doesn’t begin with pixels or posters.

“"For two decades, I worked professionally as an interactive designer and front-end developer, so I’ve experienced the evolution of the web firsthand.,” says Lahoda, assistant professor of design in the Department of Art, Architecture, and Design. “When we talk about data visualization, what interests me is how designers, whether through research or practice, are exploring alternative ways of turning data into stories. This might take the form of traditional graphic design or something less conventional. Ultimately, it's about stepping back from the final product to ask: What are we really trying to do with data?"

Read the full story from CAS News.