DAAPX 2025:
A Symposium on Experiential Design

Lisa Bambach, ’12 BSDE 
School of Design
Ecotonal Office: A Shift in Workplace Wellbeing

The Ecotonal Office redefines workplace wellness by reimagining the integration of biophilic design in commercial offices - an architecture approach that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature, incorporating natural elements to enhance well-being. Traditional approaches treat natural elements as optional enhancements for harm. reduction rather than essential components of office environments. This project, which was enabled by the OneWorkplace 2023 ONEder Grant and completed in partnership with senior interior designer Charles Fadem, explores how fully embracing nature in office design can transform productivity and well-being.

Lisa K. Bambach is a designer, strategist, and educator based out of Seattle, Washington. Lisa is currently enrolled as a Master of Design (class of 2025) at the University of Washington and holds a B.S. in Graphic Design and a Minor in German Studies from the University of Cincinnati. As an experiential graphic designer and strategist who specializes in workplace and urban design, Lisa enhances interaction with physical spaces by integrating narratives and navigation cues into the environment. Whether working within the private or public sector, she aspires to build collaborative environments that promote discourse and build relationships. As an educator, Lisa has worked for over 15 years with young designers in both the secondary and collegiate levels who are being introduced to design methodology, technology, systems thinking, and professional practices.

Erin Smith Glenn, ’09 MFA
School of Art
HAIRitage | A Cultural Journey & Experience

A Black woman's hair can be their crown and glory. And when that design of the crown is questioned, it affects her broader human experience. Take a leap into a painter's perspective on these experiences and how art portrays Black femininity by highlighting hair culture, adornment, and anti-hair discrimination.

Erin Morgan Smith Glenn is an accomplished artist and educator, specializing in traditional fine arts, including oil and acrylic painting. An Associate Professor of Art, she previously served as Vice President of the Board for the Dayton Society of Artists. Erin holds degrees from Central State University and the University of Cincinnati. Her work has been featured in regional, national, and international exhibitions across the United States. She is the creator and faculty lead for Central State University’s Fine Arts Study Abroad program. Committed to lifelong creative growth, she inspires this philosophy in her students, mentees, and three children. In addition to her academic pursuits, she operates TheScarvinArtist LLC, creating commissioned paintings, drawings, and artisanal designs.

Kashish Kalra, ’23 BSDES
School of Design
Designing for Human Adaptation: Systems that Shape Behavior and Action

Why do some systems work seamlessly, while others create friction? Let us explore how humans adapt to diverse environments, tools, and systems. By examining behavioral responses to design—across technology, architecture, and social structures—we reveal the underlying principles that make systems intuitive, effective, and engaging. Understanding human adaptability transforms how we create and design for the world.

Kashish Kalra is a Design Strategist at Kyndryl, where she focuses on creating user-centered experiences that bridge technology and human behavior. With a background in design and research, Kashish explores how systems—whether digital, physical, or social—impact our ability to adapt and engage. Her work is rooted in understanding the cognitive, emotional, and social factors that shape how we interact with the world around us.

Jesica Lawless, ’10 BSDE 
School of Design
Designing a Redesign: Using Brand and Story to Engage Bus Riders

In 2022, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) launched the first comprehensive redesign of Metrobus service in its 50-year history. Metrobus provides more than 500,000 trips each day in the Washington, DC region. Sixty percent of Metrobus customers are low income, and 83 percent are people of color. Over the course of two years, the Better Bus Network Redesign combined customer input with data about current service and demand to create a fast, frequent, equitable, and reliable bus network. Discover how strategic brand and storytelling brought over 45,000 bus customers into the redesign process, shaping their routes and service.

Jessica Lawless began her career as a DAAP Co-Op designing pedestrian and vehicular wayfinding with the National Park Service. After broadening her experience with stints in healthcare, branding, and educational publishing, she joined Kimley-Horn and returned to the transportation sector, serving local, state, and federal clients. Jessica's passion lies at the intersection of communication design and infrastructure, connecting communities to the projects that impact their everyday lives. Jessica uses visual storytelling to bridge the gap between engineers, planners, agencies, and the public they serve, so that the latter will feel engaged and empowered to contribute their input for the advancement and betterment of projects in their communities.nt and betterment of projects in their communities.

Nvard Manasyan, ’00 MCP
School of Planning
Shaping Activism Through Urban Spaces

Swan Lake, a symbolic and multifunctional space in Yerevan, Armenia, was transformed by the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women into a site of collective remembrance and hope. Each year on October 1, a traditional day of activism, the Coalition tested a new ritual involving floating lanterns, symbolizing resilience and solidarity against domestic violence. This initiative capitalized on Swan Lake's natural, cultural, and historical significance, encouraging people to gather, reflect, and engage. Reimagining urban spaces in this way and aligning them with themes of renewal and shared memory, promotes community engagement and environmental responsibility, with the goal of breaking societal silence and facilitating a shared journey toward healing and peace.

Nvard V. Manasyan is a prominent expert in gender equality and social justice, recognized for her innovative and strategic approach to addressing equity issues. Based in Yerevan, she excels in project management, strategic planning, and fostering collaboration. Nvard’s career spans impactful roles with international organizations, including UNICEF and the World Bank, where she has driven initiatives promoting gender equity and a norm change campaign. As Project Manager for Transparency International Armenia, she contributed to the enhancement of municipal transparency, and at in her most recent role, she has spearheaded advocacy campaigns and strategic planning. Sshe contributes to policy research, educational reforms, and public discourse, making her a respected leader in fostering inclusive growth and challenging gender stereotypes.

Ben Niebauer, ’01 BARC
School of Architecture
Oh, the Places You'll Design!

Imagine your post-graduation architecture journey: initial successes, unexpected challenges, and the deceptive ease of settling. Dive deep into a DAAPer's 24-year quest to improve higher education through design. Through perseverance, relentless appetite for learning, and a passion for creating impactful spaces, one can overcome any obstacle.

A practicing architect for most of his professional life, Ben brings more than 20 years of experience positively impacting dozens of college and university campuses across the country through innovative planning and design. Now, as University Architect for The Ohio State University, Ben is responsible for architectural design, strategic planning, historic preservation and overall stewardship of the built campus environment on the Columbus and regional campuses. When not walking his dogs, Ben enjoys being a father, husband, poet, trail runner, cyclist, backpacker, and avid Bearcat fan.