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Art and Design

Photo of UX Design program graduate Iliyana Bozhanina in front of a dark gray building
 

Putting the User First in User-Experience Design

Jennifer Mahoney sketching near Chrissy Field
 

Getting Perspective on a Fulfilling Artistic Career

UX Design program graduate Isabel Korman
 

Finding the Perfect Career Mix

Photo of Ramin Partovi in front of a gray background

Keeping the Customer at the Forefront

Sarah Benzuly - February 18, 2021

Ramin Partovi considers himself a career-changer. But upon further inspection, changing careers from a customer success manager to a UX/UI designer isn’t that far of a leap.

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Photo of UX Design program graduate Iliyana Bozhanina in front of a dark gray building

Putting the User First in User-Experience Design

Lori Gray - January 15, 2021

Going to school in the United States was something Iliyana Bozhanina had thought about for a long time.

After starting private English lessons in Bulgaria in the 7th grade—and loving them—

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UX Design graduate Sana Maqsood outside with hand behind ear, in long dark hair. Photo.

How to Architect a UX Design Career

Lori Gray - December 16, 2020

“During Diagramming and Prototyping for UX—the first class I took at UC Berkeley Extension—I remember the instructor saying that ‘architecture is the gateway to UX design,’” recalls Sana Maqsood

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UX Design program graduate Clara Azulay

Good Advice on How to Get Into the UX/UI Field

Andrew Guest - December 11, 2020

Clara Azulay is no stranger to design. She has a bachelors in design studies and graphic design from San Jose State University. She has professional experience as a designer at TechSoup Global,

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Jennifer Mahoney sketching near Chrissy Field

Getting Perspective on a Fulfilling Artistic Career

Andrew Guest - October 27, 2020

When you listen to Jennifer Mahoney, it’s instantly clear that she deeply respects her design students as goal-oriented strivers. As Jennifer describes her students, “They've already been down the

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UX Design program graduate Isabel Korman

Finding the Perfect Career Mix

Andrew Guest - October 2, 2020

After establishing herself in an affiliate marketing career, Isabel Korman realized that she wanted more from her career. She wanted to be able to create and think creatively on the job, engage in

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Interior design by Joy Street Design

Finding Career Satisfaction in Interior Design

Andrew Guest - August 20, 2020

Working 80-hour-weeks as a corporate lawyer drove Kelly Finley to look for something else.

That this something turned out to be a drafting course with us, and, ultimately, a career in

Art and Design interior design interior architecture project management Student Stories career change career career changers
Certificate graduate Elinor Cheung in front of her painting depicting laughing Chinese women enjoying a game of mah-jongg

Two Life Goals Down!

Andrew Guest - December 3, 2019

Elinor Cheung wanted two things: to live in a warmer climate and to paint. Item #1: She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, from Minnesota. Item #2: She completed the Specialized Program in

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Graphic designer Josh Halstead in San Francisco campus studio

Emerging Leaders: Josh Halstead

- October 31, 2019

Graphic Design instructor Josh Halstead discusses the origins of his design philosophies, artistic practice and teaching.

Art and Design graphic design Instructor Spotlight
Kitty He self portrait in a beautiful sandstone cavern

Finding Design Inspiration in the People Who Use It

Andrew Guest - August 5, 2019

Kitty He’s atypical career path to user experience design is actually pretty typical for UX professionals.

Art and Design ux design UX Student Stories
Animation instructor Iveta Karpathyova in front of hand-drawn stills

Bringing Movement and Timing Into Digital Life

Andrew Guest - June 27, 2019

Animation instructor Iveta Karpathyova finds the merging of design and movement and storytelling an exhilarating combination. She had been drawn to art, fashion and dance throughout her schooling

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UX design professional Macarena Muniz standing in a shaft of light

Making a Résumé Stand Out

Andrew Guest - April 26, 2019

When Macarena Muniz moved to the United States from her native Chile, she thought that her previous job experience might not be weighed accurately when competing for positions with local

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Rucha Chattur in front of family photos

Making Art Matters

Andrew Guest - March 21, 2019

Walking into the art room as a sixth grader, Rucha Chattur was enraptured by the colorful scene that met her eyes: the brilliant paint bottles, the scatter of brushes and the bright paintings

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Interior designer Julia Chang posed in front of a waterfall

Conquering a Career Change

Andrew Guest - February 27, 2019

Career change is never easy. It takes education and training, work, a belief in self and—sometimes—just a spark of confidence.

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MRI machine decorated like a ship to help children relax

The Power of Perspective

- December 4, 2018

Although a particular fact may be solid and unwavering, the interpretation of that fact can be subject to change depending on the person exposed to it and the manner of presentation. The fact is

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Graphic Design program graduate Ricky Pascual with examples of his work

Taking a Bold Step Into Design

Andrew Guest - November 27, 2018

Ivan Trujillo, the director of the Graphic Design and UX Design programs at UC Berkeley Extension, recommended that we talk with Ricky Pascual, one of his recent graduates. Ivan was impressed by

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Ankita Mantri confidently leaning on table

Designing the Perfect Job

Andrew Guest - September 10, 2018

Like many starting college, Ankita chose a major where the expectations were known: Her father was a businessman, so she studied business. But Ankita always had a penchant for design.

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Oscar Ko at the SF Extension offices

Looking Beyond STEM for His Career of the Future

Andrew Guest - August 13, 2018

For a lot of people, a career in STEM is the end goal. But for Oscar Ko, a career as a software engineer at Boeing was just a launching pad.

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British art connoisseurs

The Grand Tour: Art and Travel of the 18th Century

Andrew Guest - February 2, 2018

What is an allegory, a symbol, or an emblem? How do we distinguish Rococo from the Baroque? Why the rise in Neoclassicism in the mid-18th century?

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Rewards for the Curious Mind

Andrew Guest - December 19, 2017

Our Voices blog features many students who have completed certificates and programs and are fully committed to continuing education and career change.

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Putting Learning to Work

Andrew Guest - November 27, 2017

We recently had the opportunity to visit Extension student and product specialist Lisa Jacquiot.

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Designing a Future Career

Andrew Guest - October 4, 2017

Marcela Corona was already leaning toward a design career when she first came to the United States with her partner, a graduate student at UC Berkeley.

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2017 Extension Honored Instructor Stephen Wong

Andrew Guest - August 29, 2017

Stephen Wong, one of our esteemed Extension Honored Instructors for 2017, exemplifies the best that we have to offer: professionally talented, devoted to his students and intellectually curious.

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David Lance Goines: The Designer as Printer

Andrew Guest - July 20, 2017

As part of San Francisco Design Week, legendary Berkeley printer and artist David Lance Goines gave a wide-ranging talk at our San Francisco Campus that used examples from his printing career to

Art and Design graphic design Industry Trends

From General Interest to Career in One Short Year

Andrew Guest - June 13, 2017

Named after artist Paul Cézanne, Bay Area native Cezanne Rothberg turned to graphic design after a year and a half as a travel photographer and writer in Bali.

Student Stories Art and Design graphic design

SF Design Week Event Series

Andrew Guest - June 1, 2017

This is the third year that the Department of Art and Design will host events at Extension’s SF campus as part of SF Design Week. This year’s low-fee events

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Taking Motivation From Nature, Inspiration From Peers

Andrew Guest - March 29, 2017

Yoko Tahara was inspired to start an artistic career when she viewed a series of woodblock prints by noted artist Shiko Munakata

Art and Design Student Stories Visual arts drawing

Designing for Life

Andrew Guest - February 2, 2017

You can be forgiven a dropped-jaw reaction when you learn about Sharon Hunter’s many accomplishments. A nurse for 30 years at St. Joseph Health in Eureka, Calif., Hunter gets a deep satisfaction

Student Stories Art and Design interior design IDIA interior architecture

The Way of Writing

Andrew Guest - December 13, 2016

Aiqin Zhou has been fully immersed in creating art since the age of five. As a child growing up in China, Zhou fell in love with calligraphy, and through the years expanded her talents into brush

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UX Design Instructor Minakshi Mukherjee

Andrew Guest - November 14, 2016

User experience design requires you to employ both right and left-brain thinking. You have to have the technical chops while keeping the user front and center (think: “I’m a people person!”). For

Educator Insights Art and Design graphic design user experience design ux design

User Experience Design

Andrew Guest - August 31, 2016

As technology becomes more sophisticated, user experience has incorporated touch and sound, with virtual reality lurking on the horizon.

Industry Trends ux design user experience graphic design

Getting Dirty

Andrew Guest - August 9, 2016

Šárka Volejníková is helping to turn run-down Hilltop Park in San Francisco's Bayview District into a vibrant center for the neighborhood and nature. This UC Berkeley Extension instructor works at

Educator Insights Art and Design landscape architecture

Visualizing Future Successes

Andrew Guest - July 18, 2016

Molly Mueller patiently built her knowledge and skills in a variety of positions that necessitated an eye and talent for design.

Student Stories Art and Design graphic design

The Urgency of Memory

Andrew Guest - July 13, 2016

Carlos Javier Ortiz forges strong bonds with the subjects in his photographs, which document the tragic loss of young life in urban communities such as those on the south side of Chicago.

Educator Insights Art and Design Visual arts photography film

Solid Opinions on Soft Sculpture

Andrew Guest - April 25, 2016

Shannon D. Schmidt teaches several of our cutting-edge art courses, including The Found Object: An Exploration of Appropriation and Contemporary Art and Soft Sculpture.

Educator Insights Art and Design sculpture Visual arts

Drought-Tolerant Garden Design

Andrew Guest - April 12, 2016

If you're not familiar with the resources available, however, you may not realize the range of plants that require little water.

Industry Trends Art and Design landscape architecture

Diving Into Interior Design Head-First

Andrew Guest - April 4, 2016

While being a pharmacist is challenging work, Juyun Yim wants a career where she can express her creativity.

Art and Design Student Stories interior design career change

Ben Lee's Second Career

Andrew Guest - April 4, 2016

For many people, retirement provides the opportunity for leisure, travel, taking classes for personal enjoyment. But for Ben Lee, retirement means studying for a new career.

Student Stories Art and Design interior design

Have Paintbrush, Will Create

Andrew Guest - February 5, 2016

Jennifer Lugris is at her best when she has a paintbrush in her hand. Lugris began taking art courses in Los Angeles, eventually moving to the Bay Area.

Student Stories Art and Design Visual arts painting

Focusing on User Experience in All Design Projects

Andrew Guest - January 22, 2016

Melissa Mizell is a principal at Gensler, where she has worked on high-profile projects such as the Terminal 2 redesign at San Francisco International Airport.

Educator Insights Art and Design interior design architecture

Take a Look Inside the BAMPFA Museum

Andrew Guest - January 8, 2016

Created to inspire the imagination and ignite critical dialog through art and film, the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is now open to the public.

Industry Trends Art and Design museum painting sculpture drawing video Visual arts

Art and Law

Andrew Guest - December 15, 2015

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Visual Arts graduate Catherine Kiwala recently exhibited her artwork at our San Francisco campus.

Student Stories Visual arts painting sculpture art

Instructor Doug Wittnebel Shows Off His iPad Air Art

Andrew Guest - December 15, 2015

Instructor Doug Wittnebel describes his exhibit, which previously hung on the walls of the San Francisco campus, as follows: "Outside and inside of my work life at Gensler and my

Educator Insights Art and Design Visual arts drawing painting

Turning Skills Into a Career

Andrew Guest - November 16, 2015

Elena Ortiz began her professional career at Texas-based Houston Chronicle newspaper, setting type and designing layouts back when rulers and exacto knives were a printer's primary tools.

Student Stories Art and Design graphic design

Everyone Has the Right to Good Design

Andrew Guest - November 16, 2015

Communications isn't just about words, social media posts or newsletters.

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Adding a Specialty

Andrew Guest - November 15, 2014

Sometimes a degree isn't enough. For Samantha Edwards, the Certificate Program in Landscape Architecture is the perfect complement to her B.S. in landscape design.

Student Stories Art and Design landscape architecture