Laura Farahzad Mayer selected as Communication Design full-time faculty

Laura Farahzad Mayer
The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) welcomes Laura Farahzad Mayer as the new full-time assistant professor of Communication Design. An accomplished instructor and designer, Farahzad Mayer has a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, as well as an M.A. and an M.F.A. with an emphasis on Graphic Design and secondary in Printmaking from the University of Iowa, where she taught Graphic Design courses for the past four years.
“My teaching philosophy centers around teaching my students to be lifelong learners and encouraging curiosity,” says Farahzad Mayer. “The way I approach my classroom is influenced by Sister Corita Kent’s rules, placing focus on community, trust, experimentation and happiness. I plan to support my students by providing them an atmosphere that fosters creativity and a community where they feel comfortable to make mistakes and continue to grow as creative practitioners.”
Prior to teaching, Farahzad Mayer worked as a designer and hand letterer for Whole Foods Inc., as well as creating design materials for Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign. Her personal practice focuses on making work that questions and explores her connections with her family, past and Iranian-American upbringing in rural Wisconsin. A lover of typography, specifically hand rendered typography, Farahzad Mayer contributes her unique skill set to a thriving Communication Design department.
“I am excited to work with MIAD’s high level creative students as well as the talented and dedicated peers,” she continues. “I look forward to teaching in an environment that is so student centered and focused on encouraging students to reach their highest potential.”
Learn more about MIAD’s Communication Design program and explore Laura’s work!
News
MIAD Task Award: Alum pays it forward with generous mentoring
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) alum Amy Cannestra ’06 (Communication Design) believes in giving back, in mentoring and in the supportive nature of the Milwaukee art and design community. By founding Task Creative and the MIAD Task Graduate Award, the incredibly busy creative exemplifies all three beliefs. The Task awardee, Ashley Osorio ’26 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice), will receive five consecutive days to use the Task Creative space for a project of their choosing this summer.
Meet Michaela Prischman and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Cloth
Michaela Prischman ’26 (Communication Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Tinley Park, Ill. She created “Cloth,” a tool to help guide young professional women to find and organize alternative work attire through a personalized style subscription box.
Flagship Madison museum features exhibition by FYE faculty
The First-Year Experience (FYE) at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) blends contemporary and traditional techniques, an approach embraced by FYE faculty David R. Harper in Good Morning Sweetheart, a solo exhibition on view at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) through August 30, 2026.
Illustration seniors land NASA and Disney internships
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design seniors Grace Weisner ’26 and Allison Stras ’26 have landed the internship of their dreams: Weisner at NASA and Stras at Disney. Both are Illustration majors with minors in Communication Design.
Meet Kas Cook and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Mcallaster’s Special
Cas Kook ’26 (Animation Track in Illustration) is a Dean’s List student from the Greater Chicago area and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. “Project Calvin Sazerac” is about Calvin Sazerac, a seasoned barkeep, who creates new cocktails for his favorite regulars. When he is challenged to meet the demands of a picky saloon patron, he creates something life changing.