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Home > People > Alumni Profiles > Spotlight
SI SpotlightFang-Yu (Frank) Lin (MSI '01)
Nailing down a single reason for why SI appealed to Fang-Yu is not easy. "There was a plethora of reasons. The exciting new field of study, excellent faculty, broad curriculum, and strong reputation, just to name a few."
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Before SI: Fang-Yu earned a bachelor's degree in advertising in Taiwan. Worked in the TV commercial production business for a while before coming to the United States to attend SI.
At SI: Enjoyed Professor George Furnas' SI 649: "Information Visualization" course. Also had a successful summer internship at the Museum of Art.
He suggests that students consider a broad range of courses. "For those who are interested in the HCI track, it
pays to be a generalist. Sure, you must be good at what you do, but additional knowledge and related skills would help you go the extra miles," he says.
After SI: Fang-Yu now works for Organic, Inc., in New York City, a leading online advertising and Web design firm. He is also a practicing new media artist, working most recently on Switch Craft: Battery-Powered Crafts to Make and Sew.
Switch Craft, a design DIY book that Lin co-authored with Alison Lewis, was released by Potter Craft (Random House). "It is our intention to introduce the previous niche fashion/wearable technology to the mass audience in an accessible and appealing manner," he says. "We hope the book would inspire more professional or amateur crafters, designers, and artists to incorporate interactive features in their creative endeavors."
Previously Lin was a senior interaction designer for R/GA in New York City. After receiving his MSI at the School of Information, he went on to earn his MFA in design and technology from the Parsons School of Design. His interests also include being a practicing new media artist.
His artistic ability is becoming more widely known. "My new Net art project commissioned by the Tate (UK) and Whitney Museum (New York) has been launched," he adds. To see his work, go to www.compustition.com.
Interaction design -- also called experience design -- is a crucial discipline for the new wave of marketing/advertising/design firms. "Interactive agencies or boutiques, or the old guards attempting to transform, are aggressively pursuing candidates who possess a thorough understanding of user behaviors and are able to apply that knowledge to formulating and executing communication objectives," Fang-Yu says.
"SI graduates who specialize in HCI are well-positioned for it. Should you aspire to be a new media artist, experience in interface, visualization, and programming could be quite valuable."
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