LocalProjects

Jake Barton, Principal

Jake Barton is principal and founder of Local Projects, which is creating the media design for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and the Frank Gehry designed Eisenhower Presidential Memorial. Local Projects is a 2013 National Design Award winner for Interaction Design, and was named second of the top ten most innovative design firms by Fast Company Magazine for its redefinition of emotional storytelling. Jake is recognized as a leader in the field of interaction design for physical spaces, and in the creation of collaborative storytelling projects where participants generate content. Clients include SFMOMA, StoryCorps, GE, Johnson & Johnson, BMW Guggenheim Lab, Cleveland Museum of Art, Seaworld, Microsoft, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, Paley Center for Media and the Sugar Hill Museum of Children’s Art and Storytelling.

Katie Lee, Creative Director

Katie Lee is a creative director at Local Projects, designing media for museums, cultural institutions, and public spaces. Since joining Local Projects in 2007, Lee has been designing and art directing projects that span from mobile storytelling and online community-building to interactive environments and immersive film installations. Recognized as one of the “25 Freshest Minds in Design,” by Step Inside Design Magazine in 2008, Lee brings her background as a graphic designer in print, web and motion design to the suite of custom experiences created for clients such as the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the National Museum of American Jewish History, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Lee holds a B.A. in Art from Yale University and an M.F.A. in graphic design from the Yale School of Art.

Ariel Efron, Designer / Filmmaker

Ariel Efron is a cross-media artist operating between media art and media design. His work combines the use of media in installations, spatial design for dance, music, and theatre performances, and museum and art installation. Ariel has shown his work throughout the world, including the Venice Architecture Biennale 2004, the Rotterdam Biennale 2005, the Tokyo Dance Biennale 2002, and others. Ariel completed his master’s degree at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University.

Tiya Gordon, Studio Director

Tiya Gordon directs operations while developing and producing individual projects for the company. Her showcased work includes the permanent media installation of close to 60 custom films and interactive exhibits for the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia as well as the full media design and production for the upcoming National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City. Prior to joining Local Projects, Tiya worked as a Media Producer for the American Museum of Natural History where she designed and executed media installations for the museum’s permanent halls as well as international traveling exhibitions. Her work has received awards and recognition from The New York Academy of Sciences, The Cannes Film Festival, AIGA, Core77, The American Association of Museums, ResFest, MIT, CINE and I.D. among others. She graduated from
Parsons the New School for Design where she currently teaches in the Communication Design and Technology Program.

A’yen Tran, Interactive Project Manager

A’yen Tran is an Interactive Project Manager for Local Projects. Her most recent work includes producing the 9/11 Memorial Names Arrangement Algorithm and Make History, a website to crowdsource the world’s images of 9/11 for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Recently she has managed Change by Us, a new multi-city social platform for civic engagement and its predecessor, Give a Minute. Before joining Local Projects, she produced large-scale interactive art and media projects for non-profits and artists. She directed logistics and external relations for artist Swoon’s nautical art projects with Deitch Projects, and served as Online Director for non-profit organization Seeds of Peace. She has presented and installed work at PS1, MASSMoCA, Conflux, Flux Factory and collaborated with Swoon in 2009 to float sculptural boats to the Venice Biennale. A’yen holds a B.A. from Columbia University.

Daniel Liss, Creative Director

Daniel Liss is a filmmaker and creative technologist from New York City. Most recently as Senior Interaction Designer, Daniel developed new media properties for 19 Entertainment and was Creative Director at Yoxi, a social-innovation initiative. As Director of Photography, he has shot film and video for clients ranging from MTV to National Geographic and PBS  and spent several years filming interviews for the Survivors for the Shoah Foundation. Daniel has spent the last six years exploring possibilities for story-telling inherent within new media frameworks. Daniel holds a B.A. in Cinema Studies from SUNY Binghamton and an M.P.S from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program where he now teaches.

Keeli Shaw, Interactive Project Manager

Keeli Shaw, Interactive Project Manager, has produced interactive projects ranging in scale from mobile applications to 40′ interactive multi-touch walls. At Local Projects, she has overseen the design and development of projects including the BMW/Guggenheim Lab, the Stone Barns iOS application and the recently launched Gallery One suite of interactive media for the Cleveland Museum of Art.   Keeli comes to Local Projets from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, where as Production Manager for the Collections Information & Acces Department she managed the production of all interactive media for the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions.  She is pursuing a Masters at NYU / Steinhardt School of Eduction in non-profit arts management and earned her B.A. in political science and art history from UC Berkeley.

Ethan Holda, Director of Technology

Ethan Holda is a developer and application architect who began creating interactive television applications for NBC in 1997 and has since executed boutique web, enterprise human resources management systems and development and integration platform development for a variety of industries. Additionally he has done freelance work for Fuse TV, ABC, the International Economic Development Council as well as for not-for-profit organizations such as Friends Shelter and the Museum of the City of New York.

Sundar Raman, Director of Creative Engineering

Sundar thinks himself a minor contemporary avatar of Sisyphus: rolling imperfect technology up the incline of artistic demand, simultaneously sanding away the burrs of ungainly code. Sundar’s background spans alternative energy, community radio, permaculture, Internet telephony, open-source advocacy, and most recently social gaming.

Rodrigo DeBenito Sanz, Senior UI Developer / Designer

Rodrigo DeBenito Sanz is a web designer and programmer. He has extensive experience in the conception and development of online projects related to the arts. Prior to joining Local Projects he executed work for major international organizations throughout Spain, Germany and New York including the Liceu Opera House in Barcelona. He has received numerous awards including a La Caixa fellowship and the Opera Web Award from the University Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona for his design of the site The Ring of the Nibelung about Wagner and his epic tetralogy. He holds an M.P.S. from the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from The University of Salamanca, Spain.

Adam Kosberg, Director of Film and Content

Adam Kosberg directed research and development as the Associate Producer on the Errol Morris documentary, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, winner of the 2004 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In 2006 he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked extensively on documentary and feature film projects for director Jeffrey Blitz, including Lucky which was an Official Selection of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Previous to joining Local Projects, Adam produced several of the permanent exhibition films for the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Adam holds a B.A. in the Comparative Study of Religion from Harvard University.

Kristen Svorka, Interactive Project Manager

Kristen is an Interactive Project Manager, most often on work having to do with media in physical space. She is currently working on projects for the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum with Diller Scofidio + Renfo, and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and in the past has collaborated with Bjarke Ingles Group on an interactive installation sited in Times Square.  Kristen’s primary area of interest revolves around the incorporation of digital technologies into the built environment to produce spaces that are interactive and adaptable to the user. Her work has been showcased at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and the Museum of Art and Design in New York City. Kristen holds a Masters of Interior Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design.

Melanie Malkin, Interactive Project Manager

Melanie comes most recently from the Museum of Modern Art, where she worked for over seven years in the Department of Advertising and Graphic Design. At MoMA Melanie managed production and coordination for the rotating environmental and building signage designed for the museum and education center, and on-going print, outdoor, and digital advertising campaigns.  In addition Melanie managed MoMA’s flagship ipad application for the 2010 Abstract Expressionist New York Exhibition. Melanie holds a B.A. in Fine Art from the University at Albany, where she focused on painting and art history.

Angela Chen, Director of Interaction Design

Prior to freelancing in digital media and interaction design, Angela worked as an architectural designer in New York City where she strove to create meaningful spaces in urban cities. Angela now incorporates her background in physical design to create experiences that are interactive and conversant in nature. In addition to her design work, Angela has won several scholarships to study and practice both in the United States as well as in Europe. Angela holds a M.P.S. from the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at NYU Tisch, and a B.A. in Architecture from Wellesley College.

Erika Tarte, Senior Graphic Designer

Lynn Kiang, Senior Graphic Designer

Lynn Kiang is a multi-disciplinary graphic designer working in interaction design, video and physical installation. Prior to joining Local Projects, she was a designer at Fathom Information Design in Boston and at SWA Group in Los Angeles. Lynn holds an MFA in graphic design from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BS in Psychology from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Jennifer Jiun Choi, Motion Designer and Animator

Ping Yi Wang, Graphic Designer

Ping is a visualizer. She holds an M.S. in Communication Design from Pratt Institute. Her practice encompasses museum media, interactive graphics, and branding. When not designing, she may be found moseying and meditating.

Miriam Lakes, Content Coordinator/Developer

Miriam Lakes is an artist/exhibit developer/content researcher who is passionate about the power of exhibits in helping people connect to each other and the world around them.  She recently re-located from Oakland, California where she developed interactive exhibits for the newly renovated Oakland Museum of California.  She holds a BA in Studio Art from Oberlin College and is currently completing a Masters in Information Science at Pratt Institute.

Philipp Rockel, Creative Technologist

Eric Mika, Creative Technologist

Eric Mika makes art for machines. His projects examine the possibilities, motivations, and interactions of virtual space in digital and physical form. He has developed interactive installations for a range of clients and contexts, including Eyebeam, Wired, and artist Anthony McCall. Eric’s work has been exhibited at Palais Kabelwerk in Vienna, the Anthology Film Archives, the Vimeo Festival, and the Hyde Park Art Center. He has presented at Dorkbot, Art && Code, and the O’Reilly Strata conference. In Chicago, he was a co-founder of Plural Design and graduated with a BS from Northwestern, double majoring in Journalism and Animate Arts. He holds an MPS from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.

Caitlin Morris, Creative Technologist

Caitlin is an artist and technologist working with digital media and installation. Coming from a background in architecture and cognitive psychology, her work explores themes of interaction in physical space, with a recurring emphasis on sensory perception at the boundary between physical and digital. She has exhibited work in venues including Beijing Design Week, NY Fashion Week, Copenhagen Distortion, Enter5 Datapolis, Wired, Art&&Code, and The Creators Project. Caitlin holds a dual B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an M.F.A in Design and Technology from Parsons the New School for Design, where she also teaches creative coding as well as physical computing.

Lily Whitsitt, Studio Manager

At Local Projects Lily manages the studio and leads staff support for the company.  Previously she worked for MacArthur award-winning performer Anna Deavere Smith and her non profit, ADS Works, committed to civic engagement and artistic exchange.  Lily is also an interdisciplinary artist and theater director whose work ranges from experimental installations to theater productions with prisoners, in association with Rehabilitation Through the Arts. She has received awards and fellowships from the Princess Grace Foundation, Feldstärke International, The Drama League, and The Women’s Project/ TimeWarner, and holds an M.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts.

Lyanne Dubon, Junior Graphic Designer

Prior to joining Local Projects, Lyanne worked as a Graphic Designer at Pentagram under the direction of Emily Oberman. Additionally, she has worked with the Museum of Modern Art, Little Fury and the development team behind The Cory Booker Challenge app for the City of Newark, NJ. As a designer and developer, Lyanne is committed to using scientific methods to inspire new design solutions. Lyanne holds a B.F.A in Graphic Design from The School of Visual Arts.

Matt Lohmann, Creative Technologist

Matt Lohmann is a designer and developer. Beginning studies in Architecture at the University of Arizona, he switched to earn a BFA in Visual Communications and Minor in Media Arts. After spending time in Richmond, Virginia and Bath, England he settled in Boston working for PUMA’s internal creative agency. Since then he has worked at Almighty, Syrup and B-Reel working with clients ranging from Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen to Chuck Close and Canon Cameras. While not hunched over a keyboard, you might find him making music or pursuing the perfect cocktail recipe or craft beer.

Donna Meredith, Project Coordinator

Donna Meredith is a Project Coordinator, with a background in exhibition design and community media. Prior to joining Local Projects, she developed award-winning exhibitions with Ralph Appelbaum Associates for institutions in the U.S., China, Singapore and the U.K. She has also managed design projects for Nature Publishing Group and The Battery Conservancy, and served as guest curator at The Center For Architecture in New York. Additionally, Donna has created community media platforms and design concepts that explore ways to bridge the digital divide. This work has been recognized by Metropolis Magazine, The Village Voice, TimeOutNY, Good, WNYC Culture Desk, Britain’s BBC Radio and Japan’s NHK TV. Donna holds a Bachelor of Philosophy from Miami University, where she focused in cultural anthropology and media studies.

Jenny Kutnow, Graphic Designer

Jenny Kutnow is a multi-disciplinary graphic designer whose work focuses on the intersection between graphic design, architecture, and public space. She began as a furniture and product designer at Arquitectonica in Miami, then worked as the Graphic Design Manager at OLIN in Philadelphia. Additionally, she has created freelance work for Pentagram, The Lowline, MTWTF, Land Collective, and Tiffany & Co. A 2012/2013 Public Access Design Fellow with the Center for Urban Pedagogy, Jenny holds a B.F.A. in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Lucas Vickers, Creative Engineer

After graduating from Stevens Institute of Technology with a dual degree in Computer Science and Music Technology, Lucas spent the best part of a decade working as a software developer and academic researcher.  In past roles, Lucas held a senior software development position at Bloomberg LP, managed a software development team at Stevens Institute of Technology, and helped design, manufacture, and program embedded hardware devices for a technology startup.  Lucas enrolled in the Parsons Design and Technology MFA program, where he studied a mixture of creative coding and traditional sculpture.  During his studies he was also the lead software developer for a research platform used by a National Science Foundation grant regarding multimodal surveying techniques.

Kimberly Gim, Junior Graphic Designer

Kimberly Gim is a graphic designer interested in how relationships are formed between individuals and communities. She actively seeks to use design to build better social interactions. Prior to joining Local Projects, Kimberly worked as a designer at Imperative and MICA’s Center for Design Practice. Additionally, she is a past participant of “Project M Blitz.” She holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design with a minor in Art History from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Nicole Pivirotto, Graphic Designer

Nicole is a designer and maker. Prior to joining Local Projects she had the pleasure of working at Code and Theory, Milton Glaser Inc., Victoria’s Secret, and W. W. Norton & Company, among others. Nicole holds her B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Montserrat College of Art, and her M.F.A. in Design from the School of Visual Arts. She is currently a 2012/2013 Public Access Design Fellow with the Center for Urban Pedagogy.

David J. Carofano, Intern – Production Coordination & Quality Assurance

David is currently working on a masters degree at the School of Visual Arts in Branding and is expected to graduate in the summer of 2013. The program is in its’ third year of existence and is quickly gaining national and international recognition. David earned his undergraduate degree in Business/Marketing at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. David came to Local Projects inspired by their work, and eager to learn the world of media and interactive design. David had previously worked in the music industry and is an accomplished singer/songwriter. David is a creative thinker, an idealist, a lover of fine cuisine, and a gemini.

Aditi Anand – Intern, Content Development

Aditi has a background in filmmaking, curriculum design and museum education. She enjoys working with arts and cultural organizations to tell stories and create interactive learning experiences. For the past three years, she worked with a non-profit in New Delhi, India, to design a multimedia curriculum for entrepreneurship education. She holds a B.A. from Yale University.

Nima Vakili, Intern – Creative Engineering

Nima Vakili is an interactive designer and a second year student in the dual degree Master of Architecture/M.F.A. program at SUNY Buffalo. Ranked as one of the top students in the National University Entrance Exam of Iran, he started the Bachelor of Architecture program at University of Tehran. After his graduation, Nima pursued his interest in interactive architecture by continuing his studies at SUNY Buffalo in 2012 with a full-tuition scholarship. Since then, he has been an active member of the Situated Technologies Research Group at University at Buffalo. Nima is mainly interested in human-computer interaction and embodied networks.

Jonathan Hanahan, Intern – Graphic Design

Jonathan Hanahan is currently an M.F.A. candidate in Graphic Design at the Rhode Island School of Design. He is interested in exploring new forms of communication which focus on the evolving experiential relationship between physical and virtual environments. Prior to attending RISD and working at Local Projects, Jonathan earned a Bachelors of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech and has worked as an architect, editor, exhibition and graphic designer at REX-NY, Volume Magazine, and over,under, among others.

315 West 39th Street
Suite 908
New York, NY 10018
(212) 480-0479
info@localprojects.net