Meet the Class of 2024
Yukti Arora
Yukti is a product designer who loves asking questions, working in ambiguous problem spaces, and collaborating with cross-functional teams in rapid-paced environments. Originally from India, she earned her bachelor's degree in Industrial Design at the Ohio State University. In the recent past, Yukti was the Designer Founder at Buildsys, a construction productivity app. At Builldsys, she learned how to build, ship, and sell enterprise SAAS products and manage human-centered, iterative, and collaborative creative culture. After her first year at Products of Design, she interned as a UX Designer at Evolve Collaborative. Yukti is currently in love with the power of play and curious about the interplay of design, AI, and play as a way to have an impact on how we learn, tell stories, spark curiosity, build connections, and collaborate.
Website: yuktiarora.com
Nigel Keen
Nigel is a Product Designer and Strategist at Riffle Ventures in New York City, focusing on brand building and climate innovation strategy for multiple climate tech products and companies. An East Coast native, Nigel attended La Salle University in Philadelphia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in integrated science, business, and technology. Before joining the MFA Products of Design program, Nigel worked as a Technical Sales Consultant for Igus, Inc., an engineered polymer manufacturer. He has worked with engineering and design teams across a range of manufacturers to incorporate more sustainable bearing solutions for moving components. Nigel's MFA thesis focuses on developing circular, regenerative supply chains for technical sports products using biomaterials and how this might impact models of ownership.
Website: nigelkeen.com
Rohitha Remala
Rohitha joins the MFA Products of Design program after two years as a Business Analyst and Consultant at HighRadius. She earned her undergraduate degree in engineering from Osmania University in Telangana, India, where she majored in information technology. Rohitha brings a diverse background to the program, having worked as a full-stack front-end web designer, developer, and data analyst in the fintech industry. She is deeply interested in the confluence of psychology, communication, and experience design, and how this blend can enhance the efficiency of large-scale systems. In her MFA thesis at PoD, Rohitha aspires to design interactive experiences and communications that enlighten individuals about the ramifications of climate challenges on human-centric development.
Website: rohremala.designs
Rora Rongxuan Pan
Rora studied industrial design at the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing and the Cleveland Institute of Art in Cleveland. She is an active professional member of the Industrial Design Society Association. After completing her undergraduate studies, Rora worked as an industrial designer with a houseware company, where she designed for clients including Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma, Tovolo, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Magnolia. Rora managed several independent projects and created new collections for the brands she worked with—some of which were shown at The Inspired Home Show 2022 and are currently available on the market. To date, she holds seven patents in kitchenware design. Rora's thesis explores the possibilities of employing dreaming realization techniques to unveil a transformative path for individuals.
Website: rora.myportfolio
Cyntia Abarca
Cyntia is a Peruvian creative strategist, industrial engineer, and designer. Born and raised in Huancayo, she relocated to Lima, where she spent half of her life before embarking on a new journey to New York City. Cyntia's expertise spans marketing, sales, and data analysis, with a career history of over six years in the retail industry, working at Adidas. Driven by a deep connection to people and nature, she made a career pivot towards design, aiming to inspire positive and sustainable change through innovation. Cyntia is currently a Product Designer and Strategist Intern at Riffle Ventures, where she researches and provides design support to develop and build climate tech ecosystems. Her thesis explores the intersection of communities, women, and climate change to tackle this challenging issue and enable a just transition.
Website: cyntiaabarca.com
Shun Cheng Hsieh
Originally from Taiwan, Shun Cheng completed his undergraduate studies in Industrial Design at Shih Chien University. His enthusiasm for footwear led him to enroll in the 2018 Pensole Footwear Academy Intensive program after graduating. Before joining the MFA Products of Design program, he worked as a Product Developer at Filter017, a brand specializing in creating apparel, bags, and lifestyle products. He has collaborated with renowned brands such as Skechers, Walmart, and Payless, and his accomplishments include securing the Top 4 Award in the 2021 IDC Bags and Footwear Contest. Driven by his passion for sports product design, his thesis explores the impact of physical exercise on the mind-body connection and analyzing its influence on mindset, decision-making processes, and resilience in individuals.
Website: shunsdesign.com
Prerna Sharma
Prerna founded Villa Number 7, a NYC-based design studio named after her childhood home in Qatar. The studio focuses on creating functional, beautiful, and environmentally responsible objects. Their debut collection is a collaboration with the American Design Club, featuring brass and sterling silver jewelry. This collection was showcased at AmericasMart, Las Vegas Market, and Shoppe Object in 2023 and is now available in US retail stores, including the Newark Museum of Art. In the summer following her first year at PoD, Prerna co-curated a design exhibition titled "Might Delete" during NYCxDesign week. Additionally, a mirror she designed was chosen for the showcase. Prerna's MFA thesis explores the essence and importance of third spaces in society.
Website: www.prernasharmadesign.com
Patrick Baca-Chandler
Patrick joins the MFA Products of Design program as a furniture designer and sculptor. Raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Patrick earned his BFA in Studio Arts from the University of New Mexico, where he specialized in furniture making and sculpture. His undergraduate thesis culminated in an exhibition that emphasized the connection of the parts and solely used the medium of construction-grade plywood. Patrick also has experience working for the city of Albuquerque's department of public arts, where he led a team of young artists on a mosaic mural project. He seeks to apply his philosophy of experimentation and playful discovery to industrial and product design. Patrick is currently working on his thesis, "Distance and Resistance: Effects of Social Isolationism in the Working Masses."
Website: plbc.com
Jacey Pin Xuan Chen
Jacey is a designer with a background in Communication and Product Design. Before joining MFA Products of Design, she gained experience as a creative designer at Ultra Records under Sony Music Entertainment and as a product designer at Apollo ID. Originally from Shunde, China, and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Jacey's early life was steeped in fine arts, fostering her passion for design and creativity. She earned her BFA at Parsons School of Design, majoring in Communication Design. During her internship with TODA New York she found her passion for researching and developing user experience solutions. Jacey's thesis, titled "Super Carry: Fostering and Prolonging eSports Players' Professional Careers," is aimed at creating tools and practices to enhance the well-being of professional eSports players and extend their careers into their 30s.
Website: jaceychen.com
Sama Srinivas
Sama is a multi-disciplinary designer based in New York City and the Bay Area. Before joining PoD, Sama worked as a junior product designer and earned her BFA in Interactive Media Arts and a minor in Child and Adolescent Psychology at NYU. After graduation, she gained experience working as a Product Designer for the San Francisco startup Pulse42.io. Sama is currently working on her freelance portfolio to serve culturally disruptive brands and businesses and help translate their ideas into visual stories. Much of her work is about making the uncomfortable comfortable, an ethos reflected in her thesis that explores menstruation, its stigma and societal discourse, the female biome, and Western and non-Western alternative practices for menstrual ailments. Apart from design, Sama enjoys trying new activities like silkscreen printing and pilates, reading romance novels, and eating every delicacy she can find.
Website: samasrinivas.com
Wren Jiayuan Wang
Wren earned her Bachelor of Engineering degree in product design and manufacturing at the University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China. For her undergraduate thesis, she designed a system and products to help developmentally disabled individuals take the bus independently. To realize this project and better understand her users' needs, Wren volunteered with the local Ningbo Sunshine Care organization. Before joining the MFA Products of Design program, she worked at TaoDesign in China, focusing on the CMF design of smart electronic devices. Wren's thesis investigates the amplification of multifaceted human identities in mixed realities, probing how augmented and virtual realms, intertwined with AI, reshape our complex sense of self.
Website: wrenwang.com
Heba Jaleel
Raised in Dubai, UAE, Heba hails from Kerala in southern India. While earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Design Management from the American University of Sharjah, UAE, she served as President of the Design Management Association, a student-led organization. After graduation, Heba worked as a Brand Designer for SPINNERS Creative Digital Agency in Dubai. During her undergraduate studies, she learned about user-centered design and design thinking and is excited about designing products, services, and systems that bring those concepts to life. Currently, Heba is a Design Intern at South Asian Design Educators Alliance (SADEA), where she designs content for their social media platforms. Her thesis focuses on the representation of South Indian artists and filmmakers in the United States, with a particular focus on the education industry, and aims to create a community for the South Indian filmmaker community.
Website: hebajaleel.com
Ria John
Ria is originally from India and grew up in Dubai. She moved to the US when she was 17 and studied Interior Design at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Ria has a range of internship experiences, from architecture with Luigistudio in Sorrento, Italy, to lighting design in Hyderabad, India. As an undergraduate student, she worked with a program called The Globe, which allowed her to connect with other international students. Ria has also volunteered at the Saturday Literacy Academy, where she helped children of refugees adjust to American culture and improve their English. At MFA Products of Design, Ria is working on a project about pelvic floor health, and her thesis centers around the life of immigrant women in NYC.
Rui Yang
Rui was born and raised in Shenzhen, in southeastern China. She studied at the College of San Mateo in the northern corridor of Silicon Valley before moving to Chicago, where she completed her bachelor's degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Rui worked as a resource technician during her undergraduate studies, gaining practical experience. After graduation, she embarked on a full-time career as a Graphic Designer at Sky Factory. During the summer of 2023, Rui worked as a Creative Design Coordinator at the Southern University of Science and Technology, actively engaging in graphic design tasks and leading exhibition design projects. Her thesis will delve into the effects of algorithms and echo chambers on individuals' proactive thinking capabilities.
Vanishree Gandhi
Vani grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and Delhi, India. As an undergraduate student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), she focused on learning fabrication techniques for sculpture and furniture making, specifically woodworking and metalworking. Through sculpture, she visually questioned a chosen object's material choices, size, rigidity, structure, placement, function, and recognizability. As an undergraduate student, Vani worked as an Exhibitions Assistant at the Chicago Artists Coalition, an Instructional Assistant at 280 Woodshop and Metalshop, and a Gallery Technician at SAIC Student Galleries. At MFA Products of Design, she uses these questions and their answers to prototype innovative products. Vani's thesis explores how physical products can provide solutions to daily mental health challenges.
Website: vanigandhi.com
Brydon Zhenhuan Yao
Brydon was born in Melbourne, Australia, and grew up in Shanghai, China, where he attended an international school. Brydon graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game and Interactive Media Design, focusing on 2D game art and puzzle games. His thesis project at NYU, What Comes Before, was a 2D visual novel game centering on a man's journey through his memories as he arrives in the afterlife. Brydon is passionate about martial arts and choreographed the fight scenes for the Mandarin Theatre Group's Chinese language production of Man of La Mancha. At MFA Products of Design, Brydon looks forward to continuing to develop as a multidisciplinary designer. Brydon's thesis investigates retail inequality in urban areas, specifically access to fresh food and recreational services like martial arts for school-aged kids.