Julian, Another exciting chance to bring you back to MDes! As you know there is an incredible new Master of Design program here at UC Berkeley. As part of that program, there is a final studio course where our final semester graduating students engage across various themes of studio practice. One such “Cluster”, as we call it, is working around the theme of Digital Fashion. Collectively this Cluster along with the studio co-instructors, myself and Professor Kyle Steinfeld of CED, have identified you as an expert that they would love to engage with as a Cluster Advisor. While you may not view your expertise around “Digital Fashion”, the elements within this Cluster revolve around online culture, expression of self, design fiction, and elements of social media where much of your domain expertise is also situated! This is hopefully a mutually beneficial engagement. Students in this Cluster have been largely motivated by your work within this domain and are looking to engage you on topics close to your own interests and passions. To be more specific we are looking for your time in meeting with students in this cluster (there are 3 students) during one of our studio classes. You would also likely engage with other students beyond this during our studio time as there is much interest in your work. You do not need to prepare any material or presentation beyond a brief introduction to yourself to the studio class (they all know you from Debates in Design as well). Remember, you have already inspired them so they do know you but maybe some brief additional introductory background framing would be available. This does not need to be via slides unless you prefer that. The majority of your engagement would be to respond to a series of projects within this cluster. They are required to clearly present and communicate their work to you as the external critic. Others within the class may also want to engage with you but your primary engagement would be with members of the Digital Fashion Cluster. Ideally, you would be available to be in person (but I suspect more likely via zoom since you are in LA) with us in the MDes studio during one of our studio class times which are Tue/Thur 9:30-noon. I’ve listed the open dates we have now below. We are happy to provide an honorarium of $300 to you for your work with these students. Nevertheless, your input would be foundational, inspirational, and critical to shaping their final projects within the MDes Studio course. The work will also be part of a final showcase a the end of the semester and you are of course welcome to engage with the students throughout this process and hopefully will visit the work at the end of the semester. You will certainly be invited to critique the work as well. Thank you again for your time for these amazing students and their design and intellectual pursuits! Below are the dates we currently have open for your to participate as an outside Expert in our Studio Class. Very much looking forward to engaging with you. Earlier is better as students are finalizing the work. Thanks. 22-Feb 1-Mar 3-Mar 10-Mar 29-Mar 31-Mar Eric Paulos Professor, UC Berkeley EECS • BCNM Director, Master of Design (MDes) Acting Director, Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation