My time at the Design Lab has been a breath of fresh air. The nestled space in the contours of the Shapiro Library allows the creative and academic mind to come together in a natural and authentic way. Each of the residents are working on projects that seek to make their time at the university memorable and that are important to them. As you can image, this is contagious. I am beginning to think about my project and how it could be expanded and, most importantly, in what ways could I collaborate.
The Design Lab has offered a space to create, collaborate, co-learn, and celebrate. As a Design Resident, I am truly meshing and mixing, theorizing and thinking, in ways that are genuine transdisciplinary and are expanding the ways I think about my academic trajectory and future dissertation work. I am also learning a new set of skills (sewing, video/audio), which, in turn, introduces a new vocabulary/ language that wasn’t available before the Residency. My acquisition of new skills, technical language, friends, and colleagues are things that I will carry with me long after the Residency and my time at the University of Michigan.
See more of RJ's work on his instagram: @photoacademic