Aviva Shulem, BFA Product Design ’02, loves teaching design at Parsons— especially to first-year students. “The first year at Parsons is like a tasting menu,” she explains. “The first year is when students decide what will be their main course—that is, their major.” 

Shulem teaches core classes such as Space and Materiality and Integrative Studio 2. These classes cover essentials of the design process and skills with broad application to majors such as architecture, photography, and fashion, product, and interior design as well as other fields. Shulem notes that the mix of students fosters cross-disciplinary learning and collaboration, even if the students are interested in different creative practices. 

No matter what Shulem’s students are creating, they are encouraged to understand that “designers must learn to ask the right questions. This helps them develop the empathy needed to design for the end user.” Primary research and direct observation are critical to the process. “I am a demanding teacher and have high expectations of students; therefore, I push them,” she says. “But I tell students I’ll be there to catch you if you fall.”

Shulem’s teaching approach is honed by years of experience in multidisciplinary product and furniture design for companies such as Donghia and Swarovski. She is also passionate about preserving traditional crafts and has worked with artisans in Kashmir, Mali, and Haiti to modernize and market their wares. 

When Shulem, the daughter of tailors, was herself a first-year student at Parsons, she thought she would major in fashion. But her Foundation classes exposed her to new 3D making techniques, and the use of different materials set her on a new path. Encouraging first-year students to engage with new forms of creativity and the possibilities they open up connects Shulem to the next generation of designers in their journey through Parsons.

avivamayadesign.com