^ABOUT  Hi, I’m Nu—a designer, strategist, and educator dancing between design, culture, pedagogy and socially-engaged art. My practice integrates and reframes design beyond aesthetics. I’m interested in how design can serve as a catalyst for meaningful social change, informed by my Liberian heritage and a commitment to counter-culture ideals. I believe in the regenerative power of creativity to reimagine what is possible and to shape more inclusive and sustainable futures.

As the Founder and Principal of ROOM FOR MAGIC (studio practice) and the Co-Founder of Deem Journal (research & narrative practice), I see design as more than a tool—it's a language that connects people, places, and histories, offering pathways to restore and reshape the world. For me, design carries within it the life of communities, the rhythm of culture, and the potential for social regeneration.

I am passionate about creating projects that not only spark imagination but also nurture a sense of being, becoming and belonging. Whether building platforms for dialogue or designing systems for change, I am driven by a vision of community-focused spaces that invite others to participate, collaborate, and thrive. Design, at its best, becomes a bridge—a way to reclaim agency and envision new possibilities.

Highlighted projects include rebranding and digital experience for the World Peace Foundation, producing the Deem Symposium (2023 & 2024), launching Deem Journal's latest issue, Climate Realities and Responses, designing a brand system and memorial site for the Art For Justice Fund, bringing new voices to mindfulness with Headspace, and exploring the future on the Deem Audio: Future Feelings podcast.

If interested in learning more about my work please visit roomformagic.com and deemjournal.com.

I and/or my work has been featured in print outlets like Monocle (Sept 2020), Metropolis (July/August 2020) and Wallpaper* (August 2022). As well as digital features and interviews on FvF, Canyon Coffee: Morning Rituals, Forbes, ItsNiceThat, The Architect’s Newspaper, Design Miami, and Madam Architecture.

I have also participated in interviews on podcasts, including The Clever Podcast, Monocle: The Stack, Scratching the Surface Podcast, Friedman Benda’s Design in Dialogue Series, ABC Australia’s Blueprint For Living Show and Australian Design Radio.

I have delivered keynotes, lectures and participated in panels at conferences and events, including The Design Conference*, Design Miami (1/2), DNA Design Award, Paris*, DesignTO, GBC School of Design, MIT: Art in the Public Sphere, Future Spaces, UIC: Public Seminar Series, RISD: Better World x Design Conference, and LBSU: Duncan Anderson Design Lecture Series.

I have moderated and conducted interviews with notable figures, including Femi Adeyemi (NTS Radio), Theaster Gates and The Black Reconstruction Collective. Additionally, I have moderated conversations at the Deem Symposium, exploring topics such as placemaking through the lens of House Music and the practices of Germane Barnes and Toni L. Griffin.

My work and I have been honored with awards such as the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Emerging Designer of the Year (2025) and the AIANY New Perspectives in Architecture Award for Deem Journal (2022).

I serve on several design boards, including the AIANY Oculus Board and SEGD Board, and as an advisor for the LA Design Festival.

Additionally, I have contributed as a jury member for various design awards, including the Paris Design Awards (2023 & 2024), Core77 Design Awards (2024), and as Jury Chair for the SEGD Global Design Awards (2024).

With a background spanning marketing, branding, and strategy, I hold a Bachelor’s in Marketing and Management from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a Master of Science in Strategic Design and Management from Parsons School of Design.

Passionate about teaching and knowledge sharing, I’ve previously served as an adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design, where I taught "Design Dichotomies" in the MFA Industrial Design Program. 

While I’m not teaching formally at the moment, education remains central to my practice.

My practice prioritizes creating the right conditions for people, ideas, and systems to thrive, rather than focusing solely on my own ideas. While I initiate and lead shared projects, they are made possible through the trust and care of collaborators, co-conspirators, partners, co-dreamers, colleagues, clients, students, and all who dare to dream big.

...and you. If you have made it this far, you deserve a shout-out!