Assistant Professor, New Media Design
School of Design, College of Art and Design at RIT
User Interface and User Experience Design Specialist
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Master of Fine Arts in Computer Graphics Design (with Highest Honor), 2004
Rochester, NY, USA
University of Wisconsin
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design (with Honor), 2002
Stevens Point, WI, USA
Sungshin Women’s University
Bachelor of Arts in Clothing and Textile Design (with High Honor), 1999
Seoul, South Korea
Assistant Professor, RIT
School of Design, New Media Design, 2016–Present
Visiting Assistant Professor, RIT
School of Design, New Media Design, 2014–2016
Assistant Professor, RIT
School of Design, Graphic Design, 2008–2010
Overview of Roles at RIT
Founding Startup Member, Heart Health Intelligence (currently renamed as Casana), 2018–2020
Creative Director & Lead Experience Architect, EffectiveUI, 2010–2014
Major Accomplishments at EffectiveUI
Lead Visual Designer, Yahoo! Inc., 2007–2008
Major Accomplishments at Yahoo! Inc.
Sr. Visual Interaction Designer, Eastman Kodak Company
Visual Interaction Designer, Eastman Kodak Company, 2004–2007
Major Accomplishments at Eastman Kodak Company
Creative Director / Partner, Nae & Smith Design, 2002–2010
Graphic / Advertising Designer, JoongAng Daily, 2001
Fashion Designer, Dong Young Project, 1998–1999, Seoul, South Korea
As a user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design professional, researcher and educator, my goal is to investigate, formulate, and implement design solutions that enhance the engagement and information understanding between users and digital systems. My research and scholarly activity focus on the intersection of design education, interactive digital application, and integration across multiple disciplines through both pedagogical and applied UI and UX design solutions (data-driven healthcare interface, mobile app, website, software, etc.). Over the last five years, while an Assistant Professor at RIT, I have pursued three main areas of research and scholarly dissemination; external and internal grant funding, international and national peer-reviewed publications, and peer-reviewed presentations. The importance and impact of design are expanding in both the academic classroom and sponsored research fields. My professional and academic background positions me to research and create unique design-based solutions across a wide range of social, healthcare, and interdisciplinary collaborations and funded projects. These core research projects, along with my continuous discovery and pedagogical research within design education for multidisciplinary audiences, have had a direct impact on the understanding and necessity of the integration of design across multiple domains. The following list of grants and fundings summarized my scholarly efforts over the last five years.
A. External Grants – Awarded
Inconspicuous Daily Monitoring to Reduce Heart Failure Hospitalizations
Sponsor: National Institute of Health (NIH) Grant – National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute
Amount: $2,990,975
Role: Co-PI, PI: Linwei Wang, PhD (formerly David Borkholder, PhD)
Status: Grant awarded in June 2020, active research project
Media: [RIT News] [URMC News] [WHEC News] [13WHAM News] [News Break]
It’s Time: #ExOut Extremism
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office for Community Partnerships, Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Grant Program, Focus Area #4: Challenging the Narrative
Amount: $149,955
Role: PI, Co-PI: Miguel Cardona, MFA
Status: Grant award in December 2017, completed in January 2020
[RIT research project page] [Official website] [Apple app store] [Google play store] [Figma community page]
B. External Grant– Pending
A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Digital, Avatar Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Platform to Treat Co-Occurring Addiction and IPV: RITchCBT vs. Treatment as Usual
Sponsor: National Institute of Health (NIH) Grant
Amount: $2,765,847
Role: Co-PI, PI: Easton Caroline, PhD
Status: Proposal submission in February 2021, grant pending
C. External Funding and Scholarship – Awarded
Reimagining Forbes.com
Sponsor: Forbes
Amount: $3,000
Role: PI, Sponsored class student project
Status: A team of Forbes, including Vadim Supitskiy (CTO), Andres Jauregui (Digital Designer), Joe Pietruch (Front-end Developer) selected the top 4 student projects to incorporate into the future vision in May 2019
Selected projects: [1st place] [2nd place] [3rd place] [4th place]
The Webby Awards Scholarship
Sponsor: The Webby Awards [About the sponsor]
Amount: $450
Role: Applicant (PI of the awarded project entry)
Status: Selected for a scholarship recipient in December 2020
D. Internal Grants – Awarded
The Design Guide
Sponsor: Provost’s Learning Innovation Grants (PLIG) – Exploration Grant
Amount: $5,000
Role: PI (Sole Author)
Status: Grant awarded in March 2017, completed in December 2018
Paper Presentations for AIGA Design Educators Conference and Motion Design Education Summit
Sponsor: Faculty Evaluation and Development (FEAD) Grant
Amount: $2,000
Role: PI (Sole Author)
Status: Grant awarded in May 2017, completed in September 2017
E. External Grants – Selected submission but not funded
Medical Data Visualization Systems for Improving Patient Care
Sponsor: Johnson and Johnson – WiSTEM²D Scholars Award Program* [About the sponsor]
Amount: $150,000
Role: PI (Sole Author)
Status: RIT’s internal review committee selected Nae as a Design discipline applicant in September 2020. Proposal submission in October 2020, grant not funded
* RIT’s internal review committee with Dr. Garzione, Associate Provost, selected me to submit a grant proposal for the Design discipline for Johnson and Johnson WiSTEM²D Scholars Award Program. This award is one of the most competitive and prestigious applications from RIT, the Office of Foundation Relations. Applications are limited; each university can support and recommend one applicant per each STEM2D discipline. Therefore, each university can support a total of 6 applicant submissions (one for science, one for technology, one for engineering, etc.)
The value and impact of applied design and design process represent a significant component moving industries and products forward. These design champions range from Apple and other consumer product leaders, venture capital firms such as Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers (KPCB), and industry and educational innovators like John Maeda. The Design Management Institute (DMI) tracking the performance of design-centric companies has shown that they outperformed the S&P 500 between 2005-2015 by 211%. This emergence of applied design has been the basis of my research in exploring and creating an undergraduate curriculum that incorporates design practice in a multi-disciplinary setting with STEM disciplines. As the lead faculty in creating the design foundation sequence for New Media Design, BFA, and establishing upper-level curriculum criteria, I have developed a portfolio of successful pedagogical tools and teaching practices. These solutions support both traditional design-focused programs and inter-disciplinary needs. Based on professional experience, academic research, and curricular application, my research and work have contributed to the success of design education as a component with multiple Bachelor of Science programs across the institute. I have featured the expansion of applied design practice and universal design principles for an inclusive and diverse audience in peer-reviewed publications and peer-reviewed and invited presentations.
A. Published Smart Device Application or Software
Ex-Out Creativity Handbook (mobile application and website)
Applied design guide and the system of open-access digital materials for creative online activism
Role: PI, Co-PI: Miguel Cardona, MFA
Status: The mobile application was published on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in February 2020 under MAGIC Spell Studios, LLC. The Ex-Out website and Figma community page were published in February 2020.
iOS Mobile App [Link], Android Mobile App [Link]
B. Peer-reviewed Publications
Reestablishing a Collaborative Research Project Practice in an Academic Environment
UCDA Design Education Summit, Virtual Conference, May 25–27, 2021 (Due to COVID-19 the conference went online)
Hye-Jin Nae and Miguel Cardona, Blind peer-reviewed conference proceedings [Link]
Motion Design for Data Visualization and Interactive Prototypes
Motion Design Education Summit 2017, Columbus, Ohio State University, June 7–9, 2017
Hye-Jin Nae, Blind peer-reviewed conference proceedings [Link]
An Interdisciplinary Design Education Framework
The Design Journal, Volume 20, Issue sup1, S835-S847, Taylor & Francis, UK.
ISBN: 978-1-138-09023-1, DOI: 10.1080/14606925.2017.1353030
Design for Next, the 12th European Academy of Design Conference, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, April 12–14, 2017
Hye-Jin Nae, Double-blind peer-reviewed proceedings [Link]
Typography Education in an Interdisciplinary Program Through Inclusive Projects
Typography Day 2017, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, February 23–25, 2017
Hye-Jin Nae, Peer-reviewed conference proceedings [Link]
C. Book Chapter – Pending
Digital Transformation in Design: Essays and Interviews
Hye-Jin Nae, Invited book chapter author, Book chapter invitation from Laura Scherling, M.A., Ed.D., Columbia University School of Professional Studies [Link]
Status: Book chapter proposal submission in July 2021, under review by the committee at Amherst College Press [Link]
A. Peer-reviewed & Invited Presentations
Building a System of Open-Access Digital Materials for Creative Online Activism
Fifteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices, Universidad de Monterrey, México, March 3–5, 2021 (Due to COVID-19 the conference went online)
Hye-Jin Nae and Miguel Cardona, Innovation Showcase, Blind peer-reviewed conference proceedings [Link]
A Journey to Ex-Out
Connected Learning Summit (CLS), Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), July 29–31, 2020 (postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19) Hye-Jin Nae and Miguel Cardona, Blind peer-reviewed conference proposal [Link], Pre-recorded presentation during the conference July 03–July 30, 2021 [Link], Virtual presentation and discussions on July 29, 2021 [Link]
Stealing Bubblegum: Design Ethics and Intentionality
FITC Spotlight, Toronto, Canada, Telus Harbour, October 21, 2019
Hye-Jin Nae and Miguel Cardona, Refereed conference proceedings [Link]
On Human-Centered Design
ITX UX 2019 Beyond the Pixels, Rochester, October 5, 2019
Hye-Jin Nae, Kim Goodwin, Jeff Gothelf, Miguel Cardona, and Matt Bernius, Invited panel discussion [Link]
Digital Literacy and Capacity Building to Counter Extremist Narratives
Digital Forum on Terrorism Prevention, Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, September 11, 2019
Hye-Jin Nae and Miguel Cardona, Invitation only conference presentation [Link]
Industry-Inspired Innovation in Design Education
Pearson’s Now/Next in Learning Summit, Scottsdale, April 22–24, 2019
Miguel Cardona and Hye-Jin Nae, Co-author of peer-reviewed conference presentation [Link]
Experience, Learn and Design to be Inclusive, Raise Awareness and Persuade in an Interdisciplinary Program
AIGA National Design Conference, Pasadena, Pasadena Convention Center, April 4–6, 2019
Hye-Jin Nae, Blind peer-reviewed conference proceedings [Link]
The Design Guide
The Provosts’ Learning Innovation Grants Showcase, RIT Innovative Learning Institute, Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, November 7, 2018
Hye-Jin Nae, Internal grant research project poster presentation [Link]
Multidisciplinary New Media Design Undergraduate Program
Digital Media and Learning (DML) Conference, Irvine, University of California, October 4–6, 2017
Hye-Jin Nae, Peer-reviewed conference proceedings [Link]
Design is STEM! Understanding Interdisciplinary Design Practice, Education, and Research
AIGA Converge Conference, LA, University of Southern California, June 1–3, 2017
Hye-Jin Nae and Tim Wood, Three double blind-peer reviewed conference proceedings [Link]
Typographic Expressiveness of Print vs. Screen
Printing Industry Center Symposium, Fairport, Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, November 19, 2009
Chuck Bigelow, Hye-Jin Nae, and Adam Smith, Invited conference presentation
B. Accepted Peer-reviewed Conference Abstracts
Open Access Digital Materials for Creative Online Activism
TLT Symposium ED Tech Day, Ithaca, Ithaca College, March 19, 2020
Hye-Jin Nae and Miguel Cardona, Accepted peer-reviewed conference presentation in February 2020. Due to COVID-19 conference was canceled. [Link]
Multi-disciplinary Design Industry and Education–How We are Preparing for Now and the Future
National Conference on the Beginning Design Student (NCBDS), Cincinnati, University of Cincinnati, March 1–3, 2018
Hye-Jin Nae, Accepted blind peer-reviewed conference abstract in December 2017 [Link]
Integrating STEM Topics into an Interdisciplinary Model of Design Education
IxDA Interaction Design Education Summit, Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) of Lyon, France, February 3–4, 2018
Hye-Jin Nae and Tim Wood, Accepted blind peer-reviewed conference proposal in December 2017 [Link]
Juried Publication, The 57th Design Annual Graphic Design USA, 2020
Project: The Design Guide Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Juried Publication, GDUSA Web Design Awards, 2020
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Juried Exhibition, Designing Across Divides Diptych Banner Design Competition, Morgantown, West Virginia University, 2019
Project: Equity and Inclusion Diptych Banner Design / Role: Creative Director
Juried Publication, 55th Anniversary InHouse Design Annual, 2018
Project: Personalized Healthcare Technology Research Initiative at RIT / Role: Creative Director & Lead Designer
Work featured on “Using Technology to Track Trends in Your Health”, Research at RIT, 2016
Project: Mobile Application Concept / Role: UI Designer
Work featured on “Pulse by Sengled Combines LED Lighting & JBL Sound” at CEPro.com, 2014
Work contributed to “EffectiveUI Helps Kaspersky Lab Bring Security Products to Customers Via Mobile Website” at Businessweek.com, 2013
Juried Publication, American InHouse Design Awards, GD USA Magazine, 2008
Juried Online Publication, Best of the Web- Health Category at Businessweek.com, 2007
Juried Online Publication, Honoring Outstanding Website at W3 Awards, 2007
Refereed Conference Paper, work contributed to “Next Generation Software User Experience at Eastman Kodak Company,” Design & Emotion Conference, Sweden, 2006
Juried Publication, IF Communication Design Awards Yearbook, Germany, 2006
Juried Publication, American InHouse Design Awards, GD USA Magazine, 2006
Juried Online Publication, Best of the Web, Photo Sharing Category at Businessweek.com, 2006
Trade Show, International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Las Vegas Convention Center, 2006
Juried Exhibition, Digital Image Making, Gallery R, 2003
Juried Exhibition, Midstates Graphic Design, Marxhausen Gallery, 2002
Juried Exhibition, Wisconsin Graphic Design, Carlsten Gallery, 2002
Juried Exhibition, Prints from the Tandem Press, Carlsten Gallery, 2001
Juried Exhibition, The Richard and Myrna Schneider Invitational, Carlsten Gallery, 2001
Juried Exhibition, Graphic Design, Carlsten Gallery, 2001
Juried Exhibition, Textile Design, Coex Center, South Korea, 1998
Juried Exhibition, Fashion Illustration, Sujeong Hall, Sungshin Women’s University, South Korea, 1998
Fashion Show, Unjeong Grand Hall, Sungshin Women’s University, South Korea, 1998
Transitional Computer User Interface for a Display Screen, August 2010, US No. D621850 [Link]
Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. Inventors: Jennifer Tarara, Agnes Liu, Seva Dyakov, Hye-Jin Nae, Yun Woo
Graphical User Interface for Computer Screen, March 2010, US No. D612860 [Link]
Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. Inventors: Jennifer Tarara, Hye-Jin Nae, Holly Holzhauer, Amy Ilyse Rosenthal
Nominee, The Webby Awards, Mobile App, Public Service Activism category, 2021
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Gold, Indigo Design Awards, Apps for Social Change, Freelancer category, 2021
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Gold, Indigo Design Awards, Integrated Graphic Design for Social Change, Freelancer category, 2021
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Freelancer of the Year–Shortlist Winners, Indigo Design Awards, 2021
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Gold, The American Advertising Awards, Interactive Digital Publications, Campaign category, 2021
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Bronze, International Design Awards (IDA), Multimedia-Mobile & Web Application Design category, 2021
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Winner, American Graphic Design Awards, Public Service + Pro Bono category, 2020
Project: The Design Guide Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Gold, UCDA Design Awards, Mobile apps category, 2020
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Excellence, UCDA Design Awards, Other digital category, 2020
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Judge’s choice, UCDA Design Awards, Other digital category, 2020
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Winner, GDUSA Web Awards, UX Design Application category, 2020
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Finalist, Communication Arts 2020 Design Competition, Identity manual category, 2020
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Frank J. Romano Endowed Prize Award for Publishing Entrepreneurship, CAD, RIT, 2020
Project: Ex-Out Research Project / Role: PI, Creative Director, Editor, Project Manager
Excellence in Student Life Mentor, 2019
Rochester Institute of Technology / Role: Assistant Professor
Mentor of the Community Impact Award, 2019
Rochester Institute of Technology / Role: Assistant Professor
Winner, American InHouse Design Awards, Internet category, 2018
Project: Personalized Healthcare Technology Research Initiative at RIT / Role: Creative Director & Lead Designer
Finalist, Richard and Virginia Eisenhart Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2018
Rochester Institute of Technology / Role: Assistant Professor
Nominee, WPP Awards, 2014
Project: Pepsi, Super Bowl XLVIII AD Tracker / Role: Creative Director & Lead Designer
High Impact Award, EffectiveUI, 2013
Role: Lead Experience Architect & Creative Director
Best of Show, ITEXPO East, 2013
Project: Allworx Reach (Mobile & Tablet Application) / Role: Project Lead, Creative Director & Lead Designer
Winner, Awards of Distinction, Communicator Awards: Mobile Websites Business category, 2013
Project: Kaspersky Mobile Website (US) / Role: Project Lead, Creative Director & Lead Experience Architect
Honored, Awards of Distinction, Communicator Awards, Healthcare category, 2013
Project: TriZetto Website / Role: Co-Designer
Finalist, MITX Interactive Awards, 2012
Project: Kaspersky Mobile Website (US) / Role: Project Lead, Creative Director & Lead Experience Architect
New New Thing, Yahoo!, 2008
Project: Yahoo! Health / Role: Lead Designer
Two American Graphic Design Awards, Internet category, 2008
Project: David Lamb Photography / Role: Creative Director & Lead Designer
Project: Nae Hyehun artist website / Role: Creative Director & Lead Designer
Winner, American InHouse Design Awards, Internet category, 2008
Project: Yahoo! Health / Role: Lead Designer
Two Silver W3 Awards, Health and Lifestyle categories, 2007
Project: Yahoo! Health / Role: Lead Designer
Best of the Web, Health category, Businessweek, 2007
Project: Yahoo! Health / Role: Lead Designer
IF Communication Design Awards, Digital Media Interface category, Germany, 2006
Project: Kodak EasyShare software V6.0 / Role: Lead Designer, Design Concept, and Art Direction
IF Communication Design Awards, Digital Media Interface category, Germany, 2006
Project: Kodak Picture Kiosk Picture Terminal / Role: Co-Designer, Design Concept, and Art Direction
Winner, American InHouse Design Awards, Multimedia and Interactive category, 2006
Project: Kodak Picture Kiosk / Role: Co-Designer, Design Concept, and Direction
Best of the Web, Photo Sharing category, Businessweek, 2006
Project: Kodak EasyShare Gallery / Role: Lead Designer, Design Concept, and Art Direction
Honorable mention, International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), 2006
Project: Kodak EasyShare Gallery Premier Service / Role: Lead Designer, Design Concept, and Art Direction
Alfred L. Davis Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2004
Catherine G. Morse Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2003
Academic Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2003
The National Dean’s List Award, 2001–2002
All-American Scholar Collegiate Award, 2002
1st Place in Editorial Design, Brass Ring Award, 2002
William J. Hanford Memorial Art Scholarship, University of Wisconsin, 2002
Honorable Mention, Wisconsin Graphic Design Exhibition, 2001 and 2002
Dean’s Distinguished Achievement Award, University of Wisconsin, 2001
Elizabeth Rice Weber Memorial Art Scholarship, University of Wisconsin, 2001
Scholarship, The Rotary International Club, 1997–1998
Excellence and Achievement Award from the Chancellor, Sung Shin Women’s University, 1996
Academic Scholarships, Sungshin Women’s University, 1994, 1996, and 1997
My service focus has been toward contributing my professional skills to support RIT’s academic and research missions – we shape the future and improve the world through creativity and innovation. This approach directly has supported one of the five new RIT Signature Interdisciplinary Research Areas (SIRA) in Personalized Healthcare Technology (PHT180). The impact of this service can be seen in the promotion of PHT180 research initiatives, building broader collaborations across campus, and expanding undergraduate and graduate student opportunities in research. As RIT continues to expand its research focus, this effort directly impacts attracting new affiliated faculty and funded projects to the PHT180 initiative and opening opportunities for other faculty and students to become involved in unique collaborations. As a result, my research network and opportunities have also grown through Co-PI listings on National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) grant proposals, including the recently awarded NIH grant. At the college, school, and department level, I have dedicated my time and skills towards building stronger industry engagements, marketing and design materials, recruitment for the New Media Design (NMD), BFA and Visual Communication Design (VCD), MFA programs, and core curriculum resources that support the college and program’s community. While my primary focus through service has been on applying my professional design knowledge skills to contribute to program and institute level initiatives, I have served on the various committees from the institute, college to the school levels: University Appeal Board, RIT Edwina Award Committee, CIAS (renamed as CAD) Final Course Grade Dispute Committee, and three terms of faculty search committees with total five position openings. Beyond the institute, I have also used my experience and scholarly success to engage with the broader design community by serving as a peer-reviewer and judge for the international student design competition. The following list of service summarized my contributions over the last five years.
Service to Profession – National and International
Service to RIT – Institute
Service to RIT – College
Service to RIT – Department & School
Teaching is a passion towards giving to the community, sharing ideas and skills, researching, and mentoring students. As an educator, I try to create a ripple effect in learning that lasts through the students’ education, career, and personal life. My goal is to bring my personal, professional, and scholarly experience to students’ learning environment and outside of the classroom to create excitement for design, learning, and appreciation of diversity. I try to bring fundamental resources and knowledge of a subject as well as an experience base beyond just the content of one particular course. Through scholarly and professional work, I was able to provide unique examples and situations to the in and out of the classroom that can’t be found elsewhere. For example, my research grants allowed me to provide BFA and MFA students with a collaborative cross-disciplinary research project experience with real-world projects. In addition, the engagement with Forbes with external funding brought one of my New Media Design courses students to create a vision for the future of Forbes. I always want to push the students’ limits to reach their potential and expand their possibilities within classrooms and beyond. The following list of selected mentoring and advising summarized my contributions.
Mentoring and Advising – Research Projects
Johnson and Johnson WiSTEM²D Scholars Award Research Project Proposal, 2020
Research assistant: Senjal Pandharpatte, Visual Communication Design, MFA
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Grant – It’s Time: #ExOut Extremism, 2018–2020
The research project team of students:
RIT Provost’s Learning Innovation Grants (PLIG) – The Design Guide, 2017–2018
The research project team of students:
Mentoring and Advising – Nae’s Recognitions
Mentoring and Advising – Thesis Committee