Taekyeom Lee
Taekyeom Lee is a distinguished interdisciplinary graphic designer and visionary design educator known for his innovative integration of emerging technologies into visual communication design. He is currently an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Indiana University Bloomington. He received an MFA in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree from Keimyung University in South Korea.
His pioneering work in Tangible Graphic Design has greatly influenced educators and researchers by demonstrating the potential of mediums such as digital fabrication, various materials, and alternative methods to transform design practices and research. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been the starting point for many impactful projects. His journey into the realm of tangible graphic design began during his MFA studies. After facing the life-altering challenge of vision-related health issues, he turned his experience into an opportunity for creative exploration, combining tactile experiences with graphic design. This personal adversity fueled his commitment to accessibility and playfulness in design, leading to innovative projects that utilize diverse materials, including 3D printable plastics, metals, soap, ceramics, and more. Since graduating in 2014, he has continually pushed the boundaries of digital fabrication, even building DIY ceramic 3D printers to work with conventional and unconventional materials. This self-initiated project went viral, inspiring many around the world to build their own 3D ceramic printers and significantly contributing to the democratization of design technology.
Professor Lee’s academic career is marked by diverse teaching experiences at institutions such as Appalachian State University, Illinois State University, Iowa State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Throughout his academic career, he has had the privilege of visiting over twenty esteemed institutions across the nation and abroad to give talks and workshops. He actively engages with the art and design community through conferences, having presented at the AIGA National Design Conference, AIGA DEC (Design Educators Community), SEGD (Society for Experiential Graphic Design), CAA (College Art Association), UCDA (University & College Designers Association), Design Incubation, DEL (Digitally Engaged Learning), ISEA (International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art), IEEE VIS (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Visualization), ATypI (Association Typographique Internationale), TypeCon, Tipografia México, SPARKS – ACM SIGGRAPH DAC (Digital Arts Community), EVA (Electronic Visualisation & the Arts) London, and NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts). His work has received recognition, including a judges’ choice award and an honorable mention from the STA 100, a typography competition hosted by the Society of Typographic Arts in 2022, and the Scholarship: Creative Work Award from Design Incubation in 2022.
Beyond his creative practice, Professor Lee is deeply committed to fostering inclusive and innovative design education. His dedication to diversity and inclusion, rooted in his experiences as a first-generation college student and a foreign-born designer, serves as an inspiration. He is determined to create opportunities that appreciate and embrace diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds. His current research project, “Graphic Design for Accessibility,” is a testament to his commitment to inclusion, diversity, and education. It aims to craft better experiences for people with low vision and vision impairments, and it has been developed as a regular course to embed his research into his teaching, helping students enhance their creative practice, advance their competence, and promote responsible innovation for accessibility.
Professor Taekyeom Lee’s visionary research, personal resilience, and dedication to expanding the boundaries of graphic design make him a leading figure in the field. His work, which continues to inspire and influence the next generation of designers and educators, is a beacon of hope for the future of inclusive, creative, and technology-enhanced design practices.