About me

Hi, I’m Karina!

I define design as: “the ability to make deliberate decisions to change or create anything.”

I am specifically passionate about product design for education, as I advocate for lifelong learning and personal development. As someone with an innate desire to help others, I find it meaningful to assist people in learning and improving themselves.

When I’m not designing, I enjoy playing with pugs, painting, and reading on art and philosophy.

Current Roles

Kids in Tech
STEAM (STEM + Art) Program Instructor and Curriculum Developer

Johnson & Wales University
Teaching a course on design methodologies with a food systems project

Experience

Wentworth Institute of Technology, Industrial Design
Courses taught: Freshman Studio, Sophomore Studio, and Drawing
Co-Instructor for SummerFAB, a pre-college program for high school students to learn architecture and design while building a functional greenhouse for a local community garden.

Jewelry Designer, K&M Accessories
Designed and developed jewelry designs for Guess Factory.

Innovation Design Intern, Procter & Gamble (P&G)
Contributed to four product initiatives via research, testing, and prototyping.

Graduate Research Assistant, Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing
Projects: Pediatric Mobility Assistive Technology, Energy-harvesting Prosthetics

User Experience Design Intern, ZIBRIO
Improved the ZIBRIO Balance Coach app via interface design and testing.

Industrial Design Intern, GRIND Basketball
Optimized product features and implemented changes with manufacturers.

Education

Master of Industrial Design (MID)
Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Industrial Design
Graduated with Thesis Distinction in May 2024

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design (BSID)
University of Houston, Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design
Graduated with University Honors in May 2022

Co-Curricular Experience

Graduate Representative, Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)
Staff, Innovation and Design Collaborative: Design Bloc
Research Assistant, Radio Crafters Project within the CodeCraft Lab