Faculty | SUSAN Verba
SUSAN VERBA
office: Walker 209
phone: 530.752.0799
email: sverba
Susan Verba is a designer and Assistant Professor in the UC Davis Design Program. She received her MFA in graphic design from Yale University and BS in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.
Susan’s research and creative work connect across disciplines and focus on visual literacy, information design and design for civic engagement. She is co-founder of Studio/lab, where she provides visionary leadership and advocates for the value of design in corporate, nonprofit, and government communications. The clients of Studio/lab represent all three of these sectors.
In addition to her professional practice, Susan has created new courses and taught information design and typography in Hong Kong and San Francisco, most recently as Assistant Professor in Graphic Design at California College of the Arts. She is a guest lecturer and critic in the Financial Modeling course at the University of California, Berkeley and collaborates on developing materials and methodologies for teaching information design principles to MBA students. Susan leads the evacuation and safety design initiative of AIGA’s Design for Democracy program, part of a national design effort to increase civic participation by making interactions between the U.S. government and its citizens more understandable, efficient and trustworthy.
Previously, Susan was a design consultant for Adobe Systems, a member of the design team at IDEO, and a design engineer for Chevron. She was awarded a Fulbright grant to study museum exhibit design in Italy. As an Art Director at Sottsass Associati in Milan, she led projects for international clients including Campari, Fiat, and Cartier. Courses taught: Letterforms and Typography Pattern, Form and Surface Visual Communication: Graphic Design Studio