From Otis Design Lab to Full-Time Designer

Alumni who participated in Otis Design Lab share their favorite projects and how the Lab prepared them for various careers.

Prior to joining Otis College, Creative Director Emily Carlson led the design team at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, overseeing marketing, branding, web, retail, signage, and environmental design. At Otis, she had a rare opportunity to develop a new program with student designers across the College’s academic majors. Carlson found the idea irresistible. “I immediately resonated with the concept of working with students and connecting them to real world clients,” she says.

Six years in, Otis Design Lab is now a coveted on-campus internship opportunity for students. It is the only design studio in Los Angeles that functions as a collaboration between students, staff, faculty, and external clients.

Carlson oversees and directs all projects. Otis faculty members—including academic advisor Robert Creighton—collaborate as mentors based on the scope of individual projects. Clients have included LAist, Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), The Huntington, and Fabletics. Most recently, students created the illustrations behind 74 original bandage designs for new Gen Z focused first aid brand World of Hurt.

Below, six former members of Design Lab share what the experience meant to them. After learning a wealth of design skills and pushing themselves to work collaboratively across disciplines while completing their degrees, these alumni celebrate the confidence and camaraderie that Carlson and the Otis Design Lab provided. 

David Barzaga (’24 BFA Graphic Design)
Junior Designer, Deutsch LA

“I worked at Design Lab during my last semester of college, an experience that gave me a meaningful glimpse into my professional future. Although it was brief, my time there involved several projects, the most impactful being the logo redesign for Brewery Artist Lofts. This project taught me how to pitch ideas to clients and execute the work to a professional standard."

Design Lab taught me the standards and expectations of designers in the industry, how to communicate ideas clearly, and collaborate effectively with coworkers. I was fortunate to be hired at Deutsch as a Junior Designer a couple of months after graduating, and I’m still there today.”

Lily Nguyen-Wilson (’26 BFA Product Design)
Lead Softgoods Product Designer, Type III, Inc.

“The most impactful aspect of Design Lab was the holistic and interdisciplinary nature of the projects. Rather than focusing solely on our specific degrees, we were encouraged to participate in other practices, for example, graphic and motion design. This approach builds well-rounded designers and has been extremely relevant in my career, where I often work across multiple design disciplines.”

Eulmin Park (’25 BFA Graphic Design)
Associate Designer, Day Job

“Working on the 2025 gala visual identity for the Japanese American National Museum during the summer was my favorite experience. It was my first identity project for a client. The collaborative process was what I gained the most insight from, as our team worked through phases that involved in-person visits, iterative sketches, presentation decks, and preparing print-ready files.

At Design Lab, I worked collaboratively with multidisciplinary designers and illustrators every week. That’s what I do every day now. Design Lab taught me the most about developing responsibility over my own workflow.”

Douglas Bell (’23 BFA Product Design)
Development/Operations Manager at 424

"One of my favorite projects was collaborating with LACMA to develop merchandise for the retail store. It was an incredible opportunity to work with a real client, participate in on-site visits, and see the design process unfold from concept through execution. It gave me valuable hands-on experience while working alongside a talented and supportive team.

Working with clients, budgets, timelines, and deliverables taught me how to manage projects, communicate effectively, and adapt to the evolving nature of design work."

Bona Nguyen (’25 BFA Product Design)
Innovation Designer, Pentland Brands/Speedo

“My experience at Design Lab inspired a lot of personal and professional growth.

My two favorite projects were the campus tote bag project and an activation strategy for an event. The tote bag project was so fulfilling because not only did we get to upcycle old banners and turn them into beautiful tote bags, we also got to feature students’ amazing work and see people around campus wearing those bags. This project was truly meaningful in terms of sustainability and building a sense of community."

Design Lab shaped a lot of my professional mannerisms, and taught me soft skills I still use today. I am grateful for everyone I met there, but especially Emily Carlson. Not only did she set a very high standard for what a good manager looks like, she also supported my creative and professional journey immensely."

"I learned valuable lessons from Emily on how to draw firm boundaries, how to avoid creative burnout, and how to constantly seek inspiration while staying busy with life.”

Aidan Quigley (’25 BFA Product Design)
Junior Designer, Innovation Team, Pentland Brands/Speedo

“One moment that really stands out was seeing the retail display we designed installed with a large window vinyl graphic (for the tote bag project). It was incredibly exciting to see something I had helped create exist in the real world. In school, we spend so much time making renderings and mockups of concepts, but seeing the final result physically come together was a completely different feeling.

Working under Emily, who genuinely believed in us as designers, made that experience even more meaningful. Seeing our ideas become reality gave me a real sense of confidence and made me think, ‘Maybe I really can do this professionally.’ It was one of those moments that reassured me I was on the right path.”

More information about Otis Design Lab

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