Teaching immersive design, Blender, and spatial workflows at UC DAAP.
In Summer 2026, I stepped into teaching for the first time as a Graduate Assistant supporting Professor Matthew Furber's undergraduate Communication Design course at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Students explored immersive and spatial design through research, concept development, prototyping, visualization, and final presentations.
My role was to help make unfamiliar tools and technical workflows more approachable while supporting students as they developed their ideas.
Role
Graduate Assistant / Teaching Support
Course Area
Communication Design
Institution
University of Cincinnati · DAAP
Semester
Summer 2026
Focus
Immersive · Spatial · 3D Workflows
01What I taught
Making complex tools approachable.
One of the most rewarding parts of the experience was introducing students to 3D workflows and helping them move from unfamiliar software to working prototypes.
Blender
Beginner 3D workflows
Modeling support
Materials and textures
UV workflows
Baking and export
Troubleshooting
Immersive & Spatial Design
Spatial prototyping
VR-oriented workflows
Translating concepts into 3D environments
Evaluating ideas through visualization
Supporting Tools
Photoshop
Visualization workflows
Technical problem solving
The goal was not simply to teach software, but to help students use technology as a tool for communicating ideas.
02Learning resources I created
Supporting independent learning beyond the classroom.
To help students revisit technical workflows outside class, I created step-by-step PDF guides and short video tutorials covering Blender fundamentals, optimization, materials, and applied 3D interface workflows.
Video Tutorial
Reducing Polygon Complexity
A short Blender walkthrough showing students how to reduce polygon count and prepare models more efficiently for interactive and spatial workflows.
PDF Guide
Materials & Node Workflows
A structured lesson introducing Blender's node-based material system, texture maps, and Node Wrangler workflows.
The goal was not simply to answer technical questions in class, but to create resources students could return to and learn from independently.
03Mentoring students
From classroom instruction to one-on-one support.
My role extended beyond formal demonstrations. I worked with students during class, individually, through virtual support, in dedicated support sessions, and while preparing projects for final presentations.
I helped students troubleshoot technical issues, think through design decisions, and translate concepts into prototypes and visual experiences.
My role was often to diagnose the issue, explain why it was happening, and help the student understand how to solve similar problems independently.
Teaching made me better at breaking complex workflows into simple, understandable steps.
CommunicationFacilitationTechnical problem solvingEmpathyMentorshipDesign critique
05From idea to final presentation
Supporting the full design process.
01Research & Ideas
02Concept Development
033D / Spatial Prototyping
04Visualization
05Iteration & Troubleshooting
06Final Presentation
Student work, supported by me
Student work, supported by me
Projects shown are student projects I supported — not work I personally designed.
06Reflection
Teaching changed how I communicate design.
I entered the summer expecting to help students learn new tools.
I came away realizing how much I enjoy teaching, mentoring, and helping people translate ideas into experiences.
Explaining Blender and spatial workflows to beginners forced me to think differently about my own process — to understand not only how something works, but how to communicate it clearly enough for someone else to use independently.
Communication · Mentorship · Facilitation · Critique · Problem Solving · Collaboration
