Design Fellows

Design Fellows bring unique perspectives to the Jacobs community. Fellows participating in design activities and exchanging ideas with students and other members of the institute’s community. Each fellow contributes to the institute in a different way, in formats that range from open office hours to creative workshops. Students and instructors, we invite you to get to know the design fellows by checking out their bios and setting up a time to talk with them; learn more below.

If you are a design professional and are interested in serving as a Jacobs Design Fellow, please reach out to Stephanie Bianco.

Current Design Fellows

Zahin Ali
Senior Interaction Design Lead at IDEO

Zahin Ali (IEOR ’11) is an Interaction Design Lead at IDEO where he leads interdisciplinary project teams to solve ambiguous problems with human-centered design thinking practices. He engages in all stages of the innovation process: defining strategy, user research, identifying key insights, building and testing prototypes, product/vision storytelling, and bringing products and services to market. As a design consultant, he works with a growing portfolio of global clients in a range of industries such as mobility, healthcare, education, and financial services. In a prior career, he leveraged his Berkeley IEOR degree to design manufacturing systems at Tesla. He then made his way to design in an unconventional path via startups, a stint with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and with graduate work from Art Center College of Design and the Carnegie Mellon University School of Design where he earned a Masters in Interaction Design. He currently teaches a graduate course in Visual Design at the DePaul University School of Computing and Digital Media. Schedule a meeting with Zahin during his office hours.

Darius Allen
Product Manager at Adobe

Darius Allen is a Product Manager at Adobe, where he focuses on building interactive digital experiences that engage millions of users. He currently manages the online events platform, including services for Adobe MAX and Adobe Summit, leading cross-functional teams in design, engineering, and web publishing to create seamless virtual event experiences. Previously, as a Web Production Lead, he helped shape dynamic, personalized experiences on Adobe.com such as the Adobe All Apps Recommender. His work sits at the intersection of design, technology, and strategy, bringing complex digital experiences to life.

Darius studied computing and data science at NYU Stern, where he developed a passion for digital innovation and user experience. Early in his career, he worked in design and marketing at Dreamville Records, supporting creative projects and digital brand experiences, and in growth at Uber, helping to drive user acquisition through grassroots campaigns. His background blends product management, UX, and design, with a focus on creating engaging, data-driven web experiences that connect users to the right tools and content.

Schedule a time to meet with Darius during his office hours.

Jaewoo Chung
Head of UX Design & Research at HP, Consumer PC & Immersive Computing Group

Jaewoo Chung, Ph.D., is a UX leader and technologist trained in the field of UX Design, HCI, Computer Science, Music Composition and Psychology. He received his PhD from MIT Media Lab. Jaewoo has been working in industry and academia more than 20 years, dealing on various topics such as multi-modal interaction systems (voice, gesture, touch), intelligent systems for mobile and wearable, virtual/mixed reality, IoT, decision support systems, and smart homes. He is currently Head of UX Design and Research @ HP and previously, he was the Director of Next Experience Display Lab @ Samsung. Get in touch with Jaewoo via email at jwc311@gmail.com; his weekly office hours are Fridays 9am – 2pm.

Mason Friedburg
Group Manager of Design & Development at the Exploratorium

Mason Friedberg (MEng ’19) is an engineer and designer working at the crossroads of functionality and aesthetic. With a background in mechanical engineering and product design from Texas A&M and UC Berkeley, his experience in prototyping research and development, automotive, food robotics, and client product design gives him a diverse portfolio of many different aspects of industry. Designing for emotional connection to create engaging experiences that draw users in is something he strives for in all his work. He is currently working at the forefront of exhibit engineering and design at San Francisco’s well known interactive science museum, the Exploratorium, as a Manager of the Design and Development team. He is also a huge hands-on tinkerer and appreciator of all things craft. Mason has previously given guest lectures at Jacobs in DES INV 15: Design Methodology, DES INV 10: Discovering Design, and DES INV 190: Human Centered Design Methods. He is excited to talk with students about exhibit and experience design, product development, mechanical design, and give general career advice. You can book a time to speak with him on his Calendly page.

Julia Liang
Senior Designer at Google

Julia Liang is currently a Senior Designer at Google, leading design for Chrome on Android Large Screens.

At Berkeley, she studied Computer Science and Art Practice and discovered the world of design through the rich student-led offerings, including DeCals and clubs on campus. Since then, she’s had the privilege of working at a small agency called Highway Twenty, interning at Apple, and exploring the future of interface design at Google’s Advanced Technologies and Projects lab.

She owes her personal discovery of the design field and the opportunities that came with it to the community at Cal, and she loves staying connected and mentoring students!

Set a time to meet with Julia during her office hours.

Purin Phanichphant
Freelance Designer & Artist

Purin Phanichphant is an artist, designer, and educator with a deep interest in the intersection between creativity and mindfulness. Purin combines his roots in Northern Thailand, where he spent part of his life as a Buddhist monk, with his background in designing innovative products and experiences in the San Francisco Bay Area. He holds a BFA in Industrial Design and Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MFA in Product Design from Stanford University. He previously worked as a principal product designer at IDEO San Francisco, and taught design courses at Stanford University and General Assembly. Over the past several years at the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation, he has taught DES INV 21: Visual Communication and Sketching, DES INV 181: Reimagining Mobility, and held multiple workshops on Visual Design Hacking and Designing Your First Portfolio. As a Design Fellow, he hopes to help students realize their full potential not only as design practitioners, but also as designers of their own lives and the world we all live in. Contact Purin via email or book an office hour appointment with him.

Dana Yichye Shwachman
Senior Industrial Designer & Design Educator

Dana is a senior industrial designer, educator, and social innovator specializing in inclusive design and the intersection of disability and technology. With 17 years of experience, she develops products and experiences that empower parents, children, and individuals with diverse abilities, bridging independence through human-centered solutions.

Her work includes open-source assistive technologies, mobility devices, and the application of inclusive design approaches across various industries. Dana combines industry and academia, teaching courses such as FIXPERTS and mentoring young designers to create socially meaningful products.

She holds a Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) from Reichman University and a Bachelor’s in Industrial Design, majoring in Social Design, from HIT, Israel.

Dana believes that people are not inherently disabled.

Reach out to Dana via email (danayicsh@gmail.com) to set up a time to meet with her.