FIT Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design

A huge thank you to our wonderful friends, partners, and sponsors, Steve Deckel CEO of Deckel & Moneypenny and Jenny Hsin-Yi Chang , Design Director at Deckel & Moneypenny and our rock star alumna, for sponsoring a luncheon presentation for our students. Jenny and Steve visited us in our studio in New York City and inspired our students with their award-winning work and an inside look at the world of trade show design events. It was an incredible opportunity for students to learn from industry leaders and gain a glimpse into real-world practice.

Spring semester is now in full swing and our students are immersed in a diverse range of experiences. Through testing and prototyping in XR, doing in-depth concept design exercises in the studio and exploring exhibitions, they are pushing their ideas forward and refining the details of their projects. This semester they are working on three distinct client projects—a library, a museum, and an experiential marketing firm. Stay tuned for updates as these projects take shape!

To meet our students and see their portfolios, link in bio


Carrie Mendoza Claire Ongaro Emily King Emily Poulis .xyz Gianelle Leger
Harun Kaynar Isabelle Morin
Juwon Choi Lauren Raleigh .raleigh Lindsay Eiseman Mira Lin
Soumya Kalhan Sujin Hwang Sunny Lo Sven Johnson .johnson Tanishka Samant

Thank you to our Advisory Board Member, judge, mentor, and friend, Gretchen Coss, for the kind words about our FIT Graduate Exhibition and Experience Design Department . We are so lucky to have you! Please take a moment to read FIT Capstone–Building Bridges and Shaping the Next Generation, Gretchen’s thoughtful reflections on our department, students, Capstone, and her important role in our program, as she shared with

🔗Link to article in bio.🔗

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FIT Graduate Exhibition and Experience Design Department Advisory Board: Rob Cohen Gretchen Coss Norm Friedrich Michael McMahon Katina Rigall Zipay, M.A. Stephen Ross David Walens

Thank you, EDPA - Experiential Designers & Producers Association Chris Griffin , Dasher Lowe, and Kari Peters, for hosting us at Access! It was a remarkable conference—both educational and inspiring. We enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. A special thank you for inviting our student, Isabelle Morin , to attend and take the stage. We are incredibly proud of Isabelle as the first student to join our FIT Exhibition and Experience Design MA after graduating from Bemidji State University (BSU). We also extend our gratitude to Sachel Josefson, Professor at BSU, for facilitating this wonderful connection.

Congratulations to all the award winners and our sponsors—Alex Hill, James Zacharias, Josh Frisbie, Katina Rigall Zipay, M.A. and Classic Exhibits Inc. | Exhibits ~ Rentals ~ Environments team, Steve Deckel, Jenny Hsin-Yi Chang and Deckel & Moneypenny team, Amy Sondrup, Stephen Ross and Access TCA team. Congratulations to all chapter winners and future leaders. Thank you to Women In Experiential and Gayle Wright for a wonderful yoga session. Thank you to Norm Friedrich and OCTANORM® North America, Inc. for another delicious surprise.

It was an honor to be part of such a dynamic and impactful event and extraordinary community, and we look forward to seeing you all soon again.





FIT Exhibition and Experience Design MA

Meet our students: links in bio!

Exhibition and Experience Design Graduates Aian Raquel , Akshata Chitnis , Carlos Hernandez , Claire Caverly , Honey Jernquist , Hyunji Lee, .hji Jooie Jeong .j.p , Jude Desinor , Kellyn Nettles .jpeg , Meredith Newman , Rob Reuland , Saher Sahni , Sakshi Lokhande, Sarah Agudelo , Sarah Miorelli , Steven Coward

Art by: Meredith Newman

Congratulations to graduate students Emily King and Gianelle Leger on winning the annual EDPA Foundation Promising Student Scholarship!

Emily King ‘25 is a graduate student in Exhibition and Experience Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. With a foundation in architecture, planning, and preservation, her undergraduate studies spanned multiple design disciplines, including creative placemaking, product design, urban planning, landscape architecture, and creative writing. Emily’s diverse background fuels her passion for spatial design and its capacity to evoke emotion, provoke thought, and inspire change.

Emily believes that exhibition and experience design is not just about crafting spaces; it’s about creating immersive narratives that connect deeply with audiences. For her, experience design is a powerful, transformative medium—living art that invites viewers to step into a story, challenging perspectives and prompting action.

As she looks to the future, Emily is committed to creating impactful work that speaks truth, sparks dialogue on global issues, and leaves a lasting impression on all who engage with it.

Gianelle Leger ’25 is an ambitious and detail-oriented multidisciplinary designer and art director based in NYC, currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Exhibition & Experience Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. With a passion for creatively solving challenges and immersing audiences through evocative work, Gianelle specializes in brand activation and curating experiences that are fun, fresh, and fly. Her academic journey in Communication Design and Advertising & Digital Design from Fashion Institute of Technology, combined with industry experience, has equipped her with expertise in digital product design, marketing, branding, and spatial design. Always sure to lead with impact, Gianelle is committed to executing designs that inspire, resonate, and ultimately hype the crowd.

Thank you so much to the EDPA Foundation and EDPA - Experiential Designers & Producers Association!

was thrilled to welcome Ric Edwards, VP, Brand Design - Look of the Games / Executive Design Director of LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games to speak to our students and answer their questions. During the Introduction to Exhibition Design Studio course taught by professor Eileen Jiseon Kang Ric shared insights into the creative process behind designing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, highlighting a significant sustainability initiative: no new permanent structures will be built for the event.

Ric also talked about his journey to becoming a designer and emphasized the importance of “treating each client as the most important one.” He addressed immersing oneself in the brand experience, considering elements like the brand’s sound, scent, and overall expression. “You should feel the brand story,” Ric advised.

Thank you to Matthew Little, Vice President of Nuvista Event Services, for coordinating and facilitating our students’ trip to Boutique Design | BDNY We had a wonderful time and greatly appreciated Matthew’s expertise. Thank you to Andrew Flor, President of Andrew Exhibits, for joining us and sharing his expertise with our students.

had a great day at XLAB conference in NYC!
Thank you to and to all the speakers, it was an extraordinary day!Thank you to for the super fun lunch meetup—we are looking forward to future collaborations!

students will be attending SEGD Xlab where we will be “Exploring the Future of Technology-Infused Storytelling.” We are looking forward to being inspired by professionals from across the experiential design industry! Say hello if you are attending too!

brainstorm sessions

testing and iterating design solutions continues in the studio today!

meet our students: link in bio!