Lee Vander Kooi

Lee is a designer, educator, and creative thinker whose work bridges conceptual exploration and practical application. He currently teaches at Alma College, where he helped revitalize the design curriculum in the Art and Design department. His teaching emphasizes curiosity, experimentation, and critical reflection—skills he sees as essential not only in the studio, but in life.

Before joining Alma, Lee taught design at Central Michigan University, the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis, and the University of Hawai‘i. Working across a range of institutional and cultural contexts has deepened his understanding of the many ways design can be used to help create change.

His interests span graphic design, design pedagogy, and the role of creativity in shaping both individual and collective futures. He has presented internationally on design pedagogy and has also received Alma College’s Andison Award for Teaching Excellence.

Lee teaches design as a way of expanding agency. Early in his career, he grew frustrated by how often design was reduced to surface decoration—divorced from its capacity to drive meaningful change. But over time, he came to see design not just as a profession, but as a mindset—one that empowers people to reimagine and reshape the world around them. Today, his work centers on equipping a broad range of students with design competencies, helping them build, create, and act with intention to create lasting impact. He often returns to a quote from Herbert Simon that continues to guide his thinking: “Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.”