The achievements and cultural contributions of Asian designers and Asian-led design studios often go under-appreciated. This June, Isometric Studio is convening fellow designers of Asian origin at Poster House for a special roundtable conversation on their journeys, practices, and contributions to the field. Join us to learn more about the conceptual themes that run through these designers’ work, as well as the challenges and opportunities they have encountered in their careers. Each participant will present a brief ten-minute snapshot of their recent work, followed by conversation.
Alicia Cheng is the Head of Design at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was a founding partner of MGMT. design, a collaborative women-owned graphic design studio whose projects focussed on exhibition design as well as museum publications, print, branding, and data visualization. Prior to MGMT., Alicia worked as a senior designer for Method, New York, and was a co-design director at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum. She currently serves as an external critic for the MFA program at the Rhode Island School of Design and has taught at Yale University, Maryland Institute College of Art, Barnard College, and the Cooper Union School of Art.
Dungjai Pungauthaikan is a co-founder and Creative Director of Once-Future Office. A big picture systems-thinker who loves connecting design, people, and the built environment, she sees potential in all things and brings unmatched creative vision to the studio. A first-generation Thai-Chinese American and native Californian (LBC!), she leads our teams and projects with warmth and patience while getting shit done. Dungjai is an award winning designer whose work has been recognized by the Art Directors Club, Type Directors Club, Print Regional Design Annual, the Society of Publication Designers, and the Van Alen Institute.
Sophia Yeshi is a queer Black & South Asian illustrator and graphic designer in Brooklyn, NY. She’s a digital native that discovered Photoshop at 12 years old while growing up in Baltimore, Maryland. She uses her work to shine a light on Black women, women of color, and folks in the LGBTQIA+ community that are bold, dynamic, and demand attention. She uses her platform to intentionally celebrate the communities that she didn’t see represented growing up. Her aesthetic is defined by joyful figures, vibrant colors, and organic shapes. She works with brands such as UPS, Adobe, Netflix, Spotify, and Madison Square Garden to create culturally-relevant work centered around topics she’s passionate about like LGBTQIA+ pride, support for underrepresented business owners, and mental health awareness.
Andy Chen and Waqas Jawaid are partners at Isometric, a Brooklyn-based graphic design and architecture studio. Andy is a second-generation Taiwanese immigrant, and Waqas is a first-generation Pakistani American. Isometric collaborates with leading cultural institutions, universities, tech companies, and nonprofits, expressing their missions though visual identities, exhibitions, and websites. The studio advances an ethos of inclusion, equity, and justice, centering the lived experiences of marginalized people. Its projects often address complex social issues, amplifying activism on gender equity, climate change, racial justice, LGBT identity, and immigrant rights.