My name is Michael Ciarcia. I am a Digital Creative Director at Time Inc. It’s a great job – I work with super smart people on projects ranging from custom content to native advertising.

What issues are you interested in working on?

I’m really interested in secondary education right now. There are so many negative issues including high costs and a stagnant curriculum. My Studio 2 project looks to bring businesses and corporations into the curriculum in order to subsidize cots and increase skill-based knowledge.

What inspires you most and keeps you creative?

There is so much available knowledge waiting for us to grab. I’m inspired to learn as much as possible. Creativity comes from so many angles in NYC, it’s impossible to not be part of the energy.

Who would you love to be your mentor?

I’ve always admired Paula Scher for her graphic design work. So in some convoluted way, her redesign of our New School logo was a form of mentorship for me.

How has the MS-SDM program challenged you to grow as a strategic designer?

I will always think to approach strategic design in a humanistic way, since all organizations are made up of people. But this program has been great, I’ve been able to study so many aspects of design management and strategic thinking.

What book are you reading right now?

The Purpose Economy, by Aaron Hurst. But I just finished The Grey, by Ian Jeffers. An amazing short book.

What was the best advice you ever received?

Persistence over resistance.

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