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Program Format
Design Discovery Virtual follows one schedule consisting of synchronous and asynchronous content. Synchronous blocks are taught live on Zoom and include tutorials, exercises, and studio work. You are required to attend synchronous sessions at the scheduled program time.

Asynchronous content is available on demand (pre-recorded tutorials and lectures. This includes time to prepare readings, assignments, and work on design projects outside of live instruction. You are free to complete asynchronous content when it best suits you, but we recommend that you set and follow your own schedule.

The content of the program includes lectures and discussions that tie the design fields to larger social concerns and to the roles they play in making a resilient, just, and beautiful world.

We aim to assign participants to design studios of no more than 10 people. Each studio is taught by instructors who guide their studio for the duration of the program. There will be opportunities to meet and share ideas with students in other studios.

Technical Requirements
A device with a stable internet connection and sufficient resources to run Zoom and access the web-based Canvas course management software is required. Rhino 3D modeling software and Adobe Creative Cloud programs are also integral to the work you’ll do. Harvard will provide all participants with licenses to use these tools for the duration of the design program.

Certificates and Evaluation
A certificate from Harvard GSD along with a written evaluation from the instructor is issued at the end of the program to those who have successfully completed the requirements. To qualify, you must submit all required work and participate fully in program content. If you are in doubt about the requirements, please consult your instructor.

Coordinating Faculty
Kira Clingen, Landscape Architecture
Jenny French, Architecture
Yun Fu, Urban Planning & Design

Identification Number
Participants of Design Discovery Virtual are assigned unique identification numbers referred to as HUIDs. This ID, along with your Harvard Key, gives you access to Harvard-specific services. HUIDs are intended for university purposes only and cannot be used by any other person. Every student is
responsible for their HUID and is subject to disciplinary action in case of misuse.

If you encounter issues with your HUID access to digital media software during the program, please inform your instructor and share the issues you’re facing with Harvard GSD’s Helpdesk at [email protected].

Studio Assignments
Studio assignments are carefully structured and take into account factors such as background,
design experience, and geographic location. Participants may not switch studios during the program.

Absences
Participants are allowed up to three unexcused absences. If you exceed the three-absence policy due to an illness, please contact the GSD Early Design Education (EDE) Programs Office at [email protected] as soon as possible to discuss possible accommodations.

Policy on Nondiscrimination
In accordance with Harvard University policy, the Graduate School of Design does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, disability, genetic information, military service, or any other legally protected basis, in admission to, access to, or
employment in its programs and activities. Every effort will be made to ensure fairness and
consistency in the school’s relations with its students, faculty, and staff.

Policy on Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment
To view the entire policy on sexual and gender-based harassment, please visit the GSD’s Policy on Personal Conduct: https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/resources/personal-conduct/#titleix

The Harvard GSD is excited to welcome you to our online program, Design Discovery Virtual. Our goal is to provide a diverse group of global individuals a safe and engaging learning environment. Harvard GSD and the Design Discovery Virtual Program reserve the right to remove a participant from the program in response to disruptive or disrespectful behavior.

Expectations
Participants are expected to treat online class meetings as if attending class/studio in-person and must refrain from any behaviors that disrupt class. Participants are expected to behave professionally, treating others with courtesy and respect on camera as well as during chat conversations. Profanity or socially offensive language is not tolerated.

Online Presence
Our program is highly interactive. Participants are expected to attend all synchronous sessions, be on time, and come prepared to engage and contribute to the conversation. “Multi-tasking” during sessions can be disruptive and inhibit your ability to fully participate.

Please have your cameras on, unless discussed with instructors in advance. If not speaking, audio must be on mute. Appropriate clothing and surroundings are required.

For your safety, we ask participants to refrain from attending a session while driving or riding in a car. Participants are expected to join from a suitable, quiet location, with a device that
permits full participation in class activities.

Refrain from Photography & Recording
Participants may not take photos of the Zoom screen, record video or audio files, or post the same to social media. Your co-participants have a right to educational privacy and all content displayed in the classroom is the intellectual property of instructors and the Harvard GSD. If we plan to record a session, we will inform participants in accordance with University policy.

A Safe & Confidential Learning Space
Our virtual classrooms are safe spaces in which we encourage growth and personal reflection. We ask that you hold all conversations confidential to recognize the sensitivity of others’ comments, and we ask you to demonstrate respect for each individual’s dignity and capacity to contribute.

To see more examples of student design work and the life of this program, follow us @designdiscoveryharvardgsd on Instagram.

Design Discovery Virtual sections are taught by graduating or advanced GSD students who have a concentration in the field they are teaching. Each section is coordinated by current Harvard GSD design faculty.

2025 Coordinating Faculty

2025 Design Instructors

Allie Palmore, GSD MArch I
DDV Technical Specialist + Super Instructor; Allie Palmore is a designer and visual storyteller currently pursuing an MArch I at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She has worked with firms like HHF Architekten on international design competitions and contributed to the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale. With a background in film, television, and digital media, she approaches design with a strong focus on narrative and visualization.

Erin Park, GSD MAUD
DDV Technology Teaching Assistant; Erin Park is a Master of Urban Design candidate at Harvard Graduate School of Design and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Yeungnam University. With professional experience at STA Architects and internships at multiple firms in South Korea, she has contributed to architectural competitions, cultural projects, and renovations, showcasing strong leadership and design expertise in collaborative environments.

Esmeralda Aceituno, GSD MArch II
Esmeralda Aceituno is a Chicana designer and advocate for equitable architecture, shaping spaces with a commitment to social impact. Currently a Master of Architecture II candidate at Harvard, she previously earned her Bachelor of Architecture with high distinguishment from the University of Southern California. With experience in community-driven design, she seeks to integrate justice, affordability, and care into the built environment.

Garett Craig-Lucas, GSD MLA II
Garrett Craig-Lucas is a Registered Landscape Architect with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University and a Master in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Garrett has worked at Sasaki, with a focus on the design of arts, civic, and cultural spaces. His research explores tools for engaging with the landscape that promote imagination and stewardship, with a focus on coastal zones.

Lindsay Crockett, GSD MUP
Lindsay Michelle Crockett is a multi-disciplinary designer and Master of Urban Planning candidate at the GSD. She holds an undergraduate degree from Boston University in Biology, which informs her passion for addressing the climate crisis through spatial practice. An alumni of the Design Discovery program, she understands just how formative the experience can be and looks forward to meeting you all!

Aakash Dave
Aakash Dave is an architect from India with a Bachelor of Architecture from IPSA, Rajkot, and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard GSD. His work explores formal pluralisms and the relationship between architecture and the city through inclusive design. Aakash has worked with SEALAB in Ahmedabad and Payette in Boston. At GSD, he has been a Mexican Cities Initiative Fellow, a Dean’s Merit Scholar, and has held roles as a teaching and research assistant. He is particularly interested in the poetics of space – how architecture shapes memory, perception, and experience.

Mu He, GSD MLA I AP
Mu received a BA in Agriculture and an MLA from SCUT and is currently pursuing an MLA at GSD. Her work focuses on the interdisciplinary field of landscape architecture and public health. With roots in the eastern coastline and southern China, she brings eight years of landscape study and practice to the DDV program. Now, she is excited to engage with broader topics within landscape architecture.

Aisha Iyengar, GSD MLA II
Aisha Iyengar is a Master of Landscape Architecture candidate and holds both a Master of Urban Planning and Design and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. At the Harvard Graduate School of Design, she has been actively involved with the MAP+S Lab, focusing on research into the use of faux materials in residential streetscapes. In the past semester, Aisha has explored woodworking as a medium to challenge traditional design norms, emphasizing more symbiotic approaches to creation. Her design interests extend to experimental methodologies, particularly in visual representation.

Trinity Kao, GSD MAUD
Trinity Kao (Tsae Wei Kao) is a registered architect from Taiwan with a Bachelor of Architecture from Chung Yuan Christian University and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard GSD. She has a deep interest in how urban dwellers interact with public spaces, as well as in civic and cultural projects. With international experience at KHL Architects & Planners in Taiwan, Cesar Pelli Japan in Tokyo, and KPF in New York, Trinity has worked on projects across diverse cultural and environmental contexts. Her work has reinforced her understanding of the significance of local context in architecture. Her photography and illustrations has earned awards and been featured in multiple publications.

Naomi Mehta, GSD MAUD
Naomi Mehta is an architect and urban designer from India, with a Bachelor in Architecture from CEPT University, Ahmedabad and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design at Harvard GSD. In her time at the GSD, she was a Bloomberg City Leadership Initiative fellow where she worked on Expanding access to Affordable Housing in Iowa City using big data frameworks. She also received research grants from the Mexican Cities Initiative, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Radcliffe Institute and the Laxmi Mittal Institute for her research focused on issues of climate resilience and infrastructure in Mexico and India. Her interests lie in working within interdisciplinary environments and using dynamic mediums like filmmaking to enhance conversations of design, urbanism and equity.

Victor Ohene, GSD MArch I
Victor Ohene is a designer and aspiring fabricator currently completing a Master of Architecture at the Harvard GSD. His multidisciplinary background spans architecture, curation, filmmaking, research, game design, teaching, electronics, and product prototyping. After graduation, he hopes to answer his evolving goal of becoming “an architect and…” — the latter of which is undefined but driven by an interest in how design can shape meaningful experiences.

Dafne St. Hilaire, GSD MArchI/MLA I AP
Dafne Saint-Hilaire is a dual degree Master of Architecture I and Master of Landscape Architecture candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Kaitlin Tse, GSD MArch I
Kaitlin Tse is from Toronto, CAN. Tse works at the intersection of architecture and graphic design. Between 2017-2022, Tse’s collaborators include Bruce Mau Design, Peter Rose + Partners and Pentagram. Her projects span hospitality, education, fashion and media sectors providing brand strategy, visual identity, signage and wayfinding. Most recently, Tse worked for Johnston Marklee and Specialized Bicycles. In 2019, Tse received a BA in Art History from Harvard College where her thesis explored how paradigms of domestic architecture and gender studies can improve aspects of daily life. Tse is a 4x letter-winner for the Women’s Ice Hockey Team and is a 6x alumni of the Canadian Women’s National Team.

Xiaotan Yang, GSD MArch I
Xiaotan Alex Yang is an architectural designer and artist pursuing Master of Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. Yang received Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London in 2021, and worked as a Part I architect at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners in London, Christian Kerez in Milan, and researcher for Howeler + Yoon in Boston. His work themes on the technological discovery of traditional arts and crafts, and featured in international exhibitions and biennales. Currently Yang is a travel fellow at KPF investigating cyclopean construction in Italy.

Please visit our Design Discovery Virtual program webpage for more program information: https://ede.gsd.harvard.edu/harvard-gsd-design-discovery-virtual/

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