Hello! I'm Ben, a first year student at the GSD in the Master in Design Studies (MDes) program. Specifically, I am part of the "Mediums" cohort where I study emerging technologies and their implications for design, fabrication and human-computer interaction.
I traversed many paths before coming to Harvard for grad school. Too long ago, I got a bachelor's degree in cognitive neuroscience. I studied the way that music and rhythm can entrain electrical frequencies in the brain. After college, I studied addiction neuroscience in academia, and later helped design digital tools and tests in industry to measure a wide variety of cognitive functioning.
An article I co-authored and an example of the cognitive tests I helped develop
Along the way, I burned out from research and moved to NYC to start a set design studio. I did a lot of corporate work for big brands, magazines & TV networks, but my favorite jobs were indie theater productions and music videos.
Some examples of the work I enjoyed the most
I also worked briefly in interaction design, dealing with wearable devices and larger scale installations.
Interactive wristbands for real-time social networking...
...and a data visualization experience I worked on
I'm excited to work on some cool stuff this semester! Head on over to [Week 1](./01_intro/index.html) to check out my ideas for a final project.