Otis College of Art and Design has published a roundup of a busy year for its BFA and MFA Graphic Design programmes, covering student exhibitions, visiting designers, faculty recognition and the first career steps of recent graduates. The picture is of a department deliberately connecting classroom learning with professional practice in Los Angeles and beyond.

On the exhibition front, the MFA Graphic Design class of 2026 presented SUBTEXT, its graduate thesis show, at Guest House LA from April 10 to 27, giving dozens of graduating students an off-campus venue with greater public access. On campus, Type-o-ology, an exhibition of work by students from the classes of 2028 and 2029, is currently on view on the sixth floor of Ahmanson Hall, featuring projects from Type 1 courses taught by Jaylen Wang and Eager Zhang.

The programmes have also welcomed visiting designers Aliona Solomadina, David Reinfurt and Luiza Dale, whose visit included a collaboration with MFA students to create a custom typeface. A new partnership with Adobe will sponsor the In Practice Design Lecture Series for the academic year, with workshops for students, and the series is scheduled to launch in December 2026.

Faculty news includes recognition for Masato Nakada, co-founder of Happening Studio, whose work on the Toki Meki Film Festival website was shortlisted in the Web Award category of the 2026 International Creative Awards and selected for the 2026 STA 100. Assistant department chair Hazel Mandujano and Juan Capistran have an exhibition, me and you...let's get away..., at California State University, Dominguez Hills through December 19. Five new faculty members have joined, MFA students have a new dedicated workspace on Ahmanson's sixth floor, and recent graduates are finding work: Hannah Whitt on the branding team at BUCK, Mikey Wu at The Wonderful Company, Hayden Garland at Mad Engine, and Tori Watson as an adjunct instructor at Nossi College of Art and Design in Nashville.