A woman works intently at a Juki sewing machine in a dimly lit studio, illuminated by a bright task lamp as she guides light-colored fabric through the machine.

Maeve O’Callahan, sewing a piece for her senior fashion collection. Courtesy of the artist.

Shining Bright

As the entire CCA community prepares for commencement, design students have been busy finishing final projects and collections, mastering their materials and skills, collaborating with peers, and preparing to enter the next phase of their careers. The Design Division congratulates all of our graduates.

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A person wearing black leather gloves touches and examines a large sheet of dark brown natural fiber material on a display table, surrounded by eucalyptus leaves and smaller labeled material samples.

Ari Feldman, Eucortex. Courtesy of the artist.

Ari Feldman (MFA Design 2026)

“I came to CCA with specific goals in mind for what I wanted to get out of my time here. Not only have I achieved those goals, but the challenging yet supportive environment created by the faculty, staff, and students has allowed me to accomplish things I never even imagined. I'm excited to take what I've developed here out into the wider world.”

A series of five large outdoor billboards along a street, each featuring an extreme close-up of a different animal's eye with the text "What Do You See?" and the San Francisco Baykeeper logo, highlighting marine and wildlife conservation.

Nina Mayne and Ben Cardoza, Baykeeper Awareness Campaign. Courtesy of the artists.

Nina Mayne (BFA Communication Design 2026)
Ben Cardoza (BFA Communication Design 2025)

“A pivotal moment in our work at CCA was when we realized that design is fundamentally about communication and provocation. Design isn’t about making something purely visually aesthetic, it is about conveying messages and evoking feelings.

The combined efforts of all of our professors opened our minds to new ways of working. Having each professor impart their own philosophy, rigor, and sense of what design can achieve allowed us to view design from different perspectives and shape how we approach work.”

A brand identity layout for the Queer Cultural Center featuring two event photos—one of an indoor gathering with a branded banner and one of an outdoor event with a branded table—alongside the organization's vertical and horizontal logo lockups, which combine a teal and pink geometric logomark with bold navy wordmark text.

Grace Cao and Vivian Nadkarni, QQC. Courtesy of the artists.

Grace Cao (BFA Communication Design 2025)
Vivan Nadkarni (BFA Communication Design 2026)

“This project gave us the opportunity to build a visual identity for the SF Queer Cultural Center, an organization committed to amplifying queer artists and fostering community through the arts. Developing a flexible, modular system in collaboration with a real client throughout the TBD* class sharpened our design skills, deepened our understanding of design, and made us aware of some of the realities of working as a designer.”

A five-panel fashion lookbook featuring five models posing individually against a red brick wall with metal scaffolding, each wearing unique avant-garde outfits that incorporate denim, mixed textures, and bold styling choices.

Jeilyn Mendoza Martin, ECHO-RES: For the love of construction collection. Courtesy of the artist.

Jeilyn Mendoza Martin (BFA Fashion 2026)

“Having lived this thesis collection experience, knowing exactly how much time and effort it takes to pattern, revise, and sew my favorite pieces has all led me to appreciate every garment I make. To the late nights sewing in the studio, my fellow fashion friends, and our dedicated professors, I owe my collection.”

A two-panel linocut print titled "Help" by Jenny Chan (2025), showing a red bowling ball hurtling toward bowling pins with a duck hidden among them, and a close-up of the panicked duck—styled as a bowling pin—screaming "HELP!" in bold yellow letters.

Jenny Chan, HELP. Courtesy of the artist.

Jenny Chan (BFA Illustration 2026)

“I took several studio electives way outside of my illustration discipline in a spirit of experimentation. Being exposed to new critique cultures and crafting processes expanded my view of who I am as an artist and what I wanted from my artistic community going forward.”

A smiling young woman in a pink sweater points to a wall covered in colorful sticky notes during a brainstorming or design thinking session.

Lynn Lin, design process. Courtesy of the artist.

Lynn Lin (MBA Design Strategy 2026)

“A pivotal moment in my work at CCA was realizing that design is not just about aesthetics or products, but about shaping systems—understanding how decisions impact trust, access, and equity at scale, and how thoughtful design, grounded in systems thinking, can create transformative outcomes beyond what we once thought possible. Since then, I’ve worked on projects that tackle real-world challenges where I could translate research into actionable strategies with broader societal impact.”

A diverse group of six young people laughing and walking together on a city street, wearing eclectic, fashion-forward outfits in muted tones of brown, gray, and purple.

Maeve O’Callahan, Octavia Heights collection. Courtesy of the artist.

Maeve O'Callahan (BFA Fashion 2026)

“I’ve learned so many valuable lessons from my incredible program faculty, through exploration and growth as a designer, and through relationships with my peers. These experiences have reestablished my values, interests and goals as I move forward into this exciting next chapter of my life and professional practice, and I hope to use the knowledge and skills I’ve gained at CCA to make a positive contribution in my industry.”

Two colleagues review a wall covered with printed documents, images, and notes taped in rows, with a bearded man in a blue shirt pointing at one of the sheets during what appears to be a design or strategy review session.

Matt Linzer, design process. Courtesy of the artist.

Matt Linzer (MBA Design Strategy 2026)

“Toward the end of my first year, the sea I was floating in finally had a clear destination. What I was learning clicked into a path forward I could actually see and feel, with a sense of comfort, power, and assurance that I knew where I was heading.”

Two students work at a cluttered art classroom table covered with colorful papers, cardboard, magazines, and craft supplies, with blue lockers visible in the background.

Pnita Mintie Jantarakolica, Everyday Archive workshop for Communication Design students. Photo by Sara Raffo/CCA.

Pnita (Mintie) Jantarakolica (MFA Design 2026)

“CCA completely shifted how I see and make art. It taught me that making—through building, experimenting, and working with materials—is truly at the core of my practice. A pivotal moment for me was realizing that not knowing what I was doing was actually part of my process. Once I started trusting those messy, uncertain moments instead of trying to control everything, my work became more open and experimental.”

A hand holding the lid of a wearable breast pump (such as a Elvie or similar device), with the pump's collection cup and internal components visible below on a wooden floor.

Stella Moon, Prototype for senior project. Courtesy of the artist.

Stella Moon (BFA Industrial Design 2026)

“I am so proud of the friendships I have built with students and professors in CCA. They have been my anchor. Even when I don’t realize I need support, they are always there to offer help to me. The conversations I have with them are great opportunities to see myself and my projects from different perspectives. This has helped me discover my passion for designing in care. Finding what I love motivates me further and deeper as an industrial designer, spending more time refining ideas, developing concepts, deeper understanding of software and how design can support people’s emotional experiences.”

A woman works intently at a Juki sewing machine in a dimly lit studio, illuminated by a bright task lamp as she guides light-colored fabric through the machine.

Tanisha Rana, Another Angle. Courtesy of the artist.

Tanisha Rana (BFA Interaction Design 2026)

“I matured at CCA through education, experience, and simply living somewhere new— I carry those new parts of myself into everything I do next: a design thinking mindset, a curiosity that grows when problems get harder, and a resilience I did not know I had.”

A sculptural coffee table with a dark smoked glass oval top supported by an organic, sinuous black base with a textured, looping form, with a glowing spherical orb lamp centered on the surface.

Yongwon Kwun, Halo Coffee Table, 2026. Courtesy of the artist.

Yongwon Kwun (BFA Industrial Design 2026)

“CCA has given me the freedom to experiment with materials and methods I may never encounter again — from integrating 3D printing to achieve complex curvatures in furniture, to using laser cutting to push the boundaries of upholstery — and the hands-on experience of making and testing these ideas myself is something I will carry forward as invaluable.”

See what's on view at the 2026 Graduation Exhibitions