At the Wilson School of Design, we are lucky to have an amazing team of Student Assistants who help bring our community to life. The Research Student Assistants are essential parts of our day-to-day activities, supporting the campus, as well as helping with various projects. Meet the Student Assistants who help keep the Wilson School of Design creative, connected, and running strong!
Mehdi Abbasi, Research Student Assistant
Fashion & Technology 4th Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
As a generalist research assistant, I support various research, communications, and design related projects across different research. My work often includes creating visual assets, managing and updating online resources, supporting faculty with research initiatives, and helping organize and present information in ways that is accessible to the WSD community and everyone else. My favorite part is getting to see the process behind each of the research topics that are in progress and seeing the results and the steps that were taken to get to that.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
Right now, I’m in the process of gathering information to update the KPU Research website to reflect the work that we have been doing as well as creating a Research and Desing (RAD) WordPress site/repository.
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
My interest in design started when I was young. I grew up surrounded by the craft of making, especially watching my grandmother sew. That experience stayed with me and eventually shaped my passion for fashion design and creative problem solving. Later, I realized that design isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about improving experiences, systems, and everyday life. That blend of creativity and functionality is what drew me deeper into the field.
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
I love using Illustrator, Optitex, CLO3D, and InDesign since they are essential for almost everything I do from building visuals to mockups and layout work.
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
Outside of school, I spend much of my time working on personal projects and spending time with the people closest to me. Something a lot of people don’t know is that I really enjoy hiking. Especially in the summer and I often go on 10-12 hour hikes.
Helia Abbasimoghaddasi, Research Student Assistant
Fashion & Technology 3rd Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
As a design research assistant, I worked on a research study with Jessica and Heidi about how soft tissue behaves in virtual versus real-life fittings. I helped with prototyping fit garments, doing real-life fittings with models, and then comparing those results to CLO3D. This research helped develop a new course in the fashion program, FASN 3111: Digital Clothing and Avatar Creation for Diverse Body Types, and I was lucky to be part of the first cohort to take it. My favourite part was definitely the in-person fittings, because I got to chat with the models and gain hands-on experience that I wouldn’t normally get in my curriculum.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
I just finished making a technical waterproof cycling jacket! My deep research from case studies, articles, and target market research informed my design choices to make it the ideal jacket for a casual female bike commuter in Raincouver! The jacket features articulated raglan sleeves for ease of movement while biking, reflective piping and logos for biomotion, and adjustable sleeves, removable hood, and an adjustable drawstring hem to give the wearer flexibility and comfort.
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
While I was always drawn to creativity and making things from scratch, I never really thought about design until I met my textiles teacher in high school. She made sewing and drafting such a fun and open experience, and I quickly fell in love with it. She’s had a huge impact on my life ever since.
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
If I could only keep two subscriptions forever, they would definitely be Adobe Illustrator and CLO3D. Illustrator is the clearest way for me to visually show my ideas to others, and while I’m still learning the more advanced parts of CLO3D, it’s been a huge stress-reliever and has really reduced the need for multiple rounds of prototyping.
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
Recently, I’ve been really into mindfulness, especially meditation and stretching. I also picked up swimming again as a way to stay active during the school term. Outside of that, I love baking chocolate chip cookies and nerding out over movies and TV shows with my friends.
Sophie Becker, Research Student Assistant
Technical Apparel 1st Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
I support two separate projects as a research assistant at the WSD RAD. One is with Professor Sue Fairburn focused on ‘New Extremes’ and looking at the connection between embodied weather and climate change. The other project is with Professor Jimmy Choi where we are conducting interviews with people in the climbing community to understand perspectives and experiences related to EDI.
Both have involved lots of lit reviews to get familiar with the landscape, which I’ve really enjoyed learning about new ideas and theories. Specifically, for Sue’s project I’m enjoying the generative nature of it and exploring high level ideas of how to relate big ideas, like climate change, directly to the individual. With Jimmy’s project, I enjoy the social nature of it by being in interviews and being able to hear people’s experiences.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
Right now I’m working on term project for Intro to Tech Apparel Production and making a technical jacket. I’m making a jacket that has all the functionality of a technical jacket, but aesthetically something you could wear about town. I’m almost done and really enjoying how it’s coming together!
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
Like most creatives, I’ve been interested in art and design for as long as I can remember. I started a little business when I was about 5 years old where I made little stuffed critters and other little things that I tried to sell to my sister’s friends (never very successfully). I loved just sitting in my basement and making stuff for hours on end. I am lucky to have parents that really fostered my love of creation and encouraged me to go into the design field when it came time. I got my BFA in Industrial Design from RIT and after working broadly in the design field for a while it was my love of making stuff that led me to want to further specialize in apparel. This brought me to KPU and the technical apparel design post-bacc program.
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
I love to use Adobe Illustrator! You can do anything and (almost) everything in it.
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
Outside of class time, if I’m not catching up on sleep you can find me running, reading, snowboarding, printmaking, or watching the Portland Trailblazers.
Brian Patterson, Research Student Assistant
Product Design 4th Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
The work I do involves community engagement and facilitating regional food systems design workshops on Vancouver Island. I enjoy meeting so many keen and interesting people who are dedicated to finding creative ways to address local challenges.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
I am currently working on my capstone, which is about creating a way to communicate houseplant health to plant parents through analog ambient information to improve the wellbeing of urban citizens.
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
From a young age, I have always loved problem solving, prototyping, and exploring novel and unique ideas. I believe that anything is possible – you just need to see things in a different way than you have in the past.
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
I love using the Rhino software, especially when using Grasshopper (a visual programming language) to design parametrically.
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
I enjoy gardening, cooking, and other forms of working with my hands. As a designer, I am always experimenting with and thinking about the next idea for something a little different.
Indigo Bowick, Research Student Assistant
Product Design 2nd Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
Adaptations for New Extremes: Body as Weather Station (also known as Climate Body/Weather Body or Practicing Climate Ecologies). My primary role involves collecting both digital and embodied weather data through daily routines. This includes checking weather conditions across multiple digital platforms, documenting weather readings, and recording my own sensory impressions and bodily responses to changing conditions. I’m especially interested in how the body itself can act as a site of climate knowledge, and my favourite part of this work is the reflective, observational process that connects environmental data with lived experience.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
Recently, I brought my daily practice of documenting sensory and digital weather data with me on a trip to Chile. I traveled from a winter climate in Vancouver, Canada, to the summer conditions of Patagonia, and the drastic shift in climate created a compelling research opportunity. Throughout the trip, I documented how my sensory perceptions changed and how my body reacted to unfamiliar weather patterns. This work directly contributes to my research assistant project, Design Adaptations for New Extremes, and has deepened my understanding of how bodies adapt to rapidly changing climates.
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
My interest in design was sparked by curiosity around exploring new materials. Rather than focusing on new materials in a conventional sense, I was drawn to working with waste materials and experimenting with how they could be transformed into something new. This process of material exploration and re-imagination led me to design as a way of combining creativity, sustainability, and hands-on problem-solving.
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
I honestly can’t live without my sewing machine. Sewing is central to my design practice, especially when I explore unconventional materials like bicycle inner tubes or climbing ropes. Working with my hands puts me in a meditative state, and sewing allows me to experiment, problem-solve, and materialize ideas in a very direct and tactile way.
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
Outside of class, I love spending time outdoors. During the winters in Vancouver, whenever I can squeeze time between work and school, I’m usually up in Whistler skiing or out ski touring with friends and exploring the backcountry. Being outside is an important way for me to recharge and strongly influence both my personal interests and my design practice.
Tanner Gerrans, Research Student Assistant
Graphic Design 2nd Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
Outside of class, I love spending time outdoors. During the winters in Vancouver, whenever I can squeeze time between work and school, I’m usually up in Whistler skiing or out ski touring with friends and exploring the backcountry. Being outside is an important way for me to recharge and strongly influence both my personal interests and my design practice.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
I have just completed putting together a student How to Guide for the upcoming SRIG poster submissions so that students can navigate the template more effectively.
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
I was first drawn to design after coming across the designer Paula Scher, her work really influenced me and gave me something to strive towards.
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
I cannot live without the entire Creative Cloud Suite!
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
Outside of school, I have been a portrait and fashion photographer for 10 years.
Patsy Kumar, Research Student Assistant
Product Design 2nd Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
My role as a research assistant is multi-faceted, and that’s probably my favourite part about it. So far, I’ve been able to assist the amazing Stephanie Phillips who is the Sherman Jen Research Chair, in product ideation, pattern making, sewing, organizing research we’ve been collaborating on, talking about product innovation and our creation process at conferences, and most importantly making new connections.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
We just completed the making of a vest, that was created in partnership with UBC’s Bioproducts institute, using Hemp Aerogel as insulation.
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
I think my interest in design was sparked by a combination of experiences rather than a single moment. I have always had a deeply inquisitive and empathetic nature, which has led me to question how things work and to want the best for the people around me for as long as I can remember.
Before enrolling, I spent over a decade working with two organizations that significantly shaped my perspective. The first was Maiwa Handprints, where I was immersed in the world of traditional textiles, artisanal craft, and natural fibres and dyes. The second was a social enterprise and non-profit—Afterschool Guide and Do What U Luv—which I helped create and sustain as a passion project focused on bringing educational arts to kids through afterschool programs and community impact.
Being involved with these organizations, combined with growing up in the home of a builder, naturally drew me toward design. I wanted to pursue an education that would allow me to integrate my interests, refine my skills, and ultimately make more thoughtful and meaningful contributions to the spaces and communities that I engage with.
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
I don’t think I’ve explored enough of what’s out there to be able to say “I absolutely cannot live without” but I’ve used Canva a lot because it’s so user friendly.
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
Outside of school if I’m not busy with a sewing, knitting or woodworking project, then I’m usually outdoors, hiking or paddle boarding with friends.
Sara Lee, Research Student Assistant
Product Design 4th Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
As a student assistant, I work under Professor Victor Martinez in Systems Design in which we engage with community research to design intuitive solutions. My favourite part of this job is all the interesting individuals I get to meet and the new places I visit.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
Currently we are partnering with KPU’s Institute of Sustainable Food Systems on a project based in Vancouver Island where we are connecting with communities about the food future of the Island. We run workshops based on systems design to define specific problems and solutions.
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
I have always loved science and art, and when I was in high school, I did not want to be a scientist nor a full-on artist, so I landed in design! It was a 180 from my original direction, but I couldn’t be happier with it.
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
In all honesty, probably Canva. It has helped me build so man quick and clean presentations for the continuous flow of projects we have.
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
I’m a big fan of arts and crafts! Recently I’ve made some clay charms and am looking into jewelry making next. I’ve also started kickboxing, which has been a ton of fun.
Aman Salimpuri, Research Student Assistant
Graphic Design 3rd Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
I help Erin Ashenhurst with web design, research, and checking image files. My favourite part is definitely taking a wireframe and bringing it to life in Squarespace.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
I’m currently redesigning the Big Pictures Lab website. We’re moving it to Squarespace and giving it a cleaner, updated look while keeping all the strong branding and visuals they already have.
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
I’ve always been into the arts, and that naturally led me to design. Once I found this program through KPU, it just clicked!
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
Adobe Illustrator, hands down. It’s my go-to for everything illustration-related and I could not design without it!
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
Outside of school, I tackle personal projects when I can, including arts and crafts. I’m also big on unwinding, journaling, self-development stuff, or anything that lets me mentally reset. I think it’s important for creative people
to learn how to practice sustainably and avoid burnout.
Heidi Wilson, Lab Tech Student Assistant
Fashion and Technology 4th Year
What kind of work do you do as a student assistant at WSD, and what is your favourite part about it?
My work as a student assistant changes every day – I pretty much spend every shift running around doing various tasks from general tidying and organizing to other larger projects! Although having this kind of variety in tasks is great, I would say the absolute best part of my job is actually helping other students and staff; I love supporting my community through my role and appreciate the opportunities it has given me to connect more with others. As for my work as a research assistant, I have been working with Jessica to explore virtual fittings vs. real-life fittings and how soft tissue distribution varies between a real model and their digital twin – this work is great as it has allowed me to get involved with very exciting and valuable research in the fashion industry.
Tell us about a recent project/what you are working on right now!
Right now, I’m developing my fourth-year capstone collection: Women’s transformative rock climbing wear. Grounded in research and an innovative design approach, this project addresses key market gaps that make it difficult for female climbers to find apparel that fits well, performs reliably, and withstands real use. Over the past semester, I’ve completed extensive research, design development, and collection refinement. With the line now finalized, it will move into production this coming Spring
Who or what first sparked your interest in design?
I would say I’ve pretty much always been interested in art and design growing up; however, I had never considered a career in design until ninth grade. During that year, my high school sewing class went on a field trip to see the Wilson School of Design’s year end fashion show, and ever since witnessing that, I was hooked!
What is a design tool or app you can’t live without?
My favourite digital design tool is CLO3D! It is such an amazing tool if you know how to use it right – I find with CLO3D I can design, pattern draft, and produce garments faster and more confidently!
What are your hobbies outside of class time?
I love being active – I grew up as a competitive dancer, so I continue to fuel that passion with classes today, as well, I love hiking, rock climbing, running, and practicing yoga. As a creative person, I also enjoy drawing, painting, baking, crocheting, and, of course, sewing.
