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Helen Armstrong

Professor of Graphic & Experience Design, Director of Graduate Program in Graphic & Experience Design

Bio

Helen Armstrong has an MA in English Literature from The University of Mississippi, an MA in Publication Design from the University of Baltimore and an MFA in Graphic Design from The Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work has been recognized by Print and HOW Magazine, and included in numerous publications in the U.S. and the UK.

She was named a University Faculty Scholar in 2018.  From 2013–2015 she served as co-chair of the AIGA Design Educators Community Steering Committee, striving to build up AIGA communities of students and educators. From 2017-2020 she served on the National Board of Directors of AIGA.

Armstrong authored Graphic Design Theory: Readings from the Field (Princeton Architectural Press, 2009) and co-authored Participate: Designing with User-Generated Content (Princeton Architectural Press, 2011) with Zvezdana Stojmirovic. Her third book Digital Design Theory: Readings from the Field explores works by both designers and programmers, examining the two threads of discourse—design and computation—that have rapidly merged to define contemporary graphic design.

Currently, Armstrong is combining her knowledge of participatory practice with computational thinking to explore the potential of intelligent interfaces (i.e. machine learning) to address the needs of individuals with disabilities. Look for her new book, Big Data. Big Design. Why Designers Should Care About Artificial Intelligence, fall 2021.

Link to Website:

Industry Research Partners:

SAS Analytics, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Sealed Air, WebAssign, IBM, Advance Auto Parts, NCSU Laboratory for Analytic Sciences

Area(s) of Expertise

Inclusive Design, Machine Learning, Digital Rights, A.I. Trust & Decision Making

Twitter: @Armstrong_Helen