Blog Archives

Education

• Master of Architecture

Memberships

• LEED AP BD+C

Education

• Master of Architecture, Polytechnic University of Milano

About Dario

Originally trained as an architect, Dario Miticocchio likes to call himself a “Design Nomad”, always exploring new facets of the discipline, and has exercised this peculiar angle on design by working in many different professional environments. The restless curiosity that has fueled this journey has taken him across projects that involved architecture, apparel, interiors, services, products, and graphics, with incursions into marketing and ethnographies. He learned the ropes of creating remarkable designs from masters like Makio Hasuike, Stefano GIovannoni, and Guido Venturini, and has continued to deliver iconic and award-winning designs in the very different environment of Corporate America.

He joined NewSchool because the stimulating academic environment is perfect to keep his pursuit going, and is excited about helping establish the new design programs. To make sure he doesn’t lose touch with the professional world he stays engaged in real life projects as a consultant.

Education

• Master of Fine Arts in Advertising, Academy of Art University
• Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Point Loma Nazarene University

About Chris

The grandson of a well-known author, musician, professor, and artist, Chris Clark grew up with art all around him. The fondest memories of his childhood include the sweet smell of oil paints from his grandfather’s art studio and the sounds of Spain coming from his flamenco guitar. These impressions left an indelible mark.

Recognizing a similar calling, Chris became enamored with the advertising arts while attending college at Point Loma Nazarene University. It was through being a professional skateboarder and recording artist that he discovered he also had a strong passion for writing and design. Following his heart, he relentlessly pursued a career that reflected his passions. That pursuit led him to a career as a hybrid advertising creative and professor. He loves every minute of it.

Chris has almost 20 years experience as an award-winning hybrid advertising creative, producing work for such brands as Intel, Qualcomm, Shure Audio, Red Envelope, Total Gym, and The Corky McMillin Companies, to name a few. Active in the industry, he currently works as a designer, copywriter, and commercial music composer.

Chris has 12 years experience as an award-winning creative advertising and design professor, having previously taught at The Art Institute of California – San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University, UCSD, and the Academy of Art University, before joining NewSchool as their lead creative advertising and media design professor. In the almost 3 years he’s been leading NewSchool’s media design program, the program has had many successes including multiple wins at the American Advertising Awards.

Providing instruction from a real-world perspective, Chris passionately seeks to create the strongest of creative practitioners, ones that have both the design-mindedness to conceive strong conceptual solutions and the production skills to bring them to life.

Chris has an MFA degree in advertising from the Academy of Art University. He and his family live in San Diego, near the NewSchool campus. Still skateboarding and playing music, you might see him doing both around town after class.

Education

• Bachelor of Architecture, J.J. School of Architecture, India

About Anjum

Anjum holds a Bachelors’s degree in Architecture and is certified as an Interior Designer by NCIDQ and CCIDC. The Razvi Design team has garnered recognition for work on an array of high profile hospitality, commercial and residential projects including the innovative Lafayette Hotel and the historic Sofia Hotel in San Diego, where Anjum was awarded the coveted ASID Design Excellence Award.

Current Projects

• The Sofia Hotel Renovation, San Diego
• Mediterranean Inn Renovation, Seattle
• New 7000 sq ft residential Project in Maui

Awards

• 2018 ASID Design Excellence Award, First Place for Belltown Inn, Seattle
• 2018 ASID Design Excellence Award for Bankers Hill Condominium
• 2014 ASID Design Excellence Award for The Lafayette Hotel in San Diego

Memberships

• ASID, AIA

Additional Information

• Published in magazines such as San Diego Home and Garden, San Diego Magazine, and books such as Garden Style by Mary Wynn Ryan and Ultimate Decorating by Megan Fulweiler

Education

• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design

About Marleen

Marleen has over 20 years in the architecture and interior design industry with a focus on healthcare interior design.

Additional Information

• CHID, CID, EDAC, LEED AP

Education

• Bachelor of Fine Arts, Kansas City Art Institute

About Amy

Amy has over thirty years of experience in the design industry including art direction, branding design, and production of two and three-dimensional graphic communication pieces. Her focus is primarily on wayfinding & information systems.

She has received numerous awards include recognition from:

• International Typographic Design
• International Self Promotion
• Print Magazine
• How Magazine
• Communication Arts Magazine
• The American Institute of Graphic Arts
• Type Directors Club
• Simpson Printed Paper Competition
• The Creative Show San Diego
• San Diego Communicating Arts Group
• National Association of Home Builders
• Sales and Marketing Council of the Building Industry Association
• CASE Studies Magazine

Before joining Visual Asylum, Amy worked with several well-established design firms in San Diego and Denver where she worked with clients including Davidson Communities, Oliver McMillan, Blanchard Training and Development, Lomas Group, Plains Petroleum, and Daniels Cable Television. She is an Adjunct Instructor at San Diego City College, teaching Advanced Typography, and she is an Adjunct Instructor at New School of Architecture & Design, specializing in Wayfinding & Information Systems

Current Projects

• Currently working on six SDUSD school sites, work includes exterior & interior wayfinding systems, exterior color schemes.

Memberships

• Amy is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts/San Diego Chapter and she sits on the Board of AIGA | Past President, AIGA SD Fellow 2018

Education

• Graduate: Latvian Academy of Arts & Humbolt State University
• Undergraduate: Humbolt University – RLMA Art College

About Daiga

Daiga is recognized as one of the most highly regarded female creatives in the communications and design industry. She was named an Advertising Age Woman to Watch, an OMMA Creative All-Star, and one of Business Insider’s Most Creative Women in Advertising. Her work has won awards at shows including Cannes, Communication Arts, W3 Awards, Webby Awards, and the OMMA Awards to name a few.

Her creative entrepreneur career started in 1998 when in Southern California she co-founded Digitaria, the agency that years later joined WPP network and J. Walter Thompson Company to form its digital counterpart Mirum – a global agency with over 40 offices in 24 countries.

Daiga Atvara was the Chief Design Officer at Mirum. She led the agency’s Creative, Design and UX teams to shape the way brands communicate and how businesses run. She has touched almost every account and worked on brands including Rolex, Unilever, Mazda, Royal Caribbean, PBS, Kellogg, Qualcomm, Epson to name some.

Prior to launching Digitaria, she worked as a creative director in the U.S. and abroad helping develop traditional and digital marketing campaigns.

Throughout her career, Daiga’s vision has always been to make design thinking and process to be the central point of brand and business challenges. Under her leadership, disciplines of creative and design brought together the worlds of ideas and technology to create things and experiences that people would find useful, brands meaningful and businesses profitable.

Daiga teaches visual and brand design at NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego and at Latvian Art Academy in Riga.

Awards

• WPP X Factor – Women in Leadership Member
• 28th Most Creative Woman in Advertising | Business Insider
• Women to Watch | Advertising Age
• OMMA Online Creative All-Star