🎥 CD Lecture Series: Eric Li

Parsons Communication Design
Duration: 59 minutes

HOOK

Eric Li reveals how designers can cultivate a dynamic, multidisciplinary practice that thrives at the intersection of design, technology, and education rather than choosing a single path.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

A fulfilling design practice emerges from intentionally cultivating complementary roles in teaching, studio work, and professional practice that inform and strengthen each other.

SUMMARY

Eric Li, Senior Digital Product Director at the Eames Institute and Parsons faculty member, delivers a compelling lecture about his journey through design and technology and how he developed his unique triangular practice model. He begins by questioning why he does what he does, encouraging students to reflect on their own motivations before entering professional practice.

Li traces his path from studying computer science at Princeton, where an internship at Google left him uninspired despite the prestige. A visual form class with David Reinfurt opened his eyes to design, leading him to create his first design project exploring RGB and CMYK color spaces through an interactive LED device. This experience sparked his passion for design that exists at the intersection of technology and creative expression.

His journey took him to LUST, a Dutch design studio known for critical cultural work that straddles design and technology boundaries. There he worked on digital installations, data visualizations, and interactive art projects that pushed conventional design boundaries. After returning to Google's Material Design team and experiencing the corporate design process, he joined IDEO to explore mid-sized commercial design work.

During his senior year at Princeton, Li collaborated with studio mate Jonathan Zong on projects including the "Interface Your Face" podcast and experimental typography. His senior thesis, "What's True Form," challenged traditional presentation by emphasizing the conversation about design over the artifacts themselves, displaying wall labels as the primary focus with physical work relegated to secondary status.

After graduation, Li worked at O-R-G in New York, where he expanded his skills across print and digital design, creating projects like the O-R-G Small Software Shop and institutional websites. His move to MoMA as a Senior Product Designer and Developer marked a significant shift, where he led digital initiatives during the museum's renovation. At MoMA, he developed the "Sal" design system library that embedded design rules directly into code, allowing designers and developers to speak the same language.

The core of Li's lecture focuses on his current triangular practice model composed of teaching at Parsons, his studio practice Ercan-Li with partner Nila Reza, and his day job at the Eames Institute. He emphasizes that these roles are not equally weighted but constantly fluid, with different areas demanding more attention at different times.

For his studio practice Ercan-Li, Li highlights their "Open Letters" project that resisted AI scraping by incorporating the EURion constellation, an anti-counterfeiting pattern found on currency. As an educator at Parsons, Li discusses developing rigorous programming curricula that balance technical precision with creative application, including assignments like orbital dynamics simulations and mindful internet usage tools.

At the Eames Institute, Li leads digital product efforts to share Ray and Charles Eames' legacy. He details the process of creating a visit page for the Institute's Richmond location through collaborative workshops, personas, and information architecture exercises. This project exemplifies how design provides concrete surfaces for organizational decisions.

Li concludes with the metaphor of "crop rotation" for creative practice, suggesting that moving between different aspects of design prevents creative burnout and allows ideas to develop. He demonstrates how teaching has improved his workshop facilitation, how studio work informs his professional projects, and how his day job provides practical experience that enhances his teaching.

Throughout the lecture, Li emphasizes collaboration, acknowledging that none of his work happens in a vacuum. His presentation reveals a thoughtful approach to building a design career that values interdisciplinary thinking, technical skill, and creative exploration while maintaining personal fulfillment and growth.

INSIGHTS

Core Insights

Design and technology are not opposing forces but complementary disciplines that enhance each other when integrated thoughtfully
A multidisciplinary practice prevents burnout and creates cross-pollination of ideas between different aspects of work
Teaching technical skills to designers creates better partners for developers and vice versa
Design systems work best when design rules are embedded directly into code rather than treated as separate documentation
The most fulfilling design careers often emerge from unexpected combinations of skills and experiences rather than following a predetermined path
Self-initiated projects can provide creative freedom that client work rarely allows
Understanding your "why" is crucial for building a sustainable and meaningful design practice
Design artifacts are secondary to the conversations and thinking processes that create them
Successful digital design for cultural institutions requires balancing preservation with accessibility
Programming teaches designers that there are sometimes right and wrong answers, a valuable perspective in a field often dominated by subjective criteria

How This Connects to Broader Trends/Topics

The rise of multidisciplinary design practices that challenge traditional silos between design, development, and strategy
Growing importance of design systems in creating consistent digital experiences across large organizations
The evolution of design education to include more technical skills alongside traditional design principles
Cultural institutions' increasing need for digital products that serve both preservation and public engagement missions
The tension between open information sharing and protection of creative work in the age of AI and large language models
The shift from specialized design roles to hybrid positions that require both design and technical capabilities
The value of teaching as a way to deepen one's own understanding of design principles
The application of human-centered design methodologies beyond commercial products to cultural and educational contexts
The ongoing challenge of balancing artistic experimentation with practical constraints in professional design practice
The importance of design thinking in solving complex problems across different domains

FRAMEWORKS & MODELS

The Triangular Practice Model

Li presents his personal framework for a sustainable design practice composed of three interconnected elements: teaching, studio practice, and day job. These elements are not equally weighted but fluid, with different areas requiring more attention at different times. The model emphasizes how each aspect informs and strengthens the others as teaching improves communication skills useful in professional settings, studio work allows for creative exploration that can inform client projects, and professional experience provides real-world context for teaching. This framework challenges the notion that designers must specialize in a single area and instead proposes that a multidisciplinary approach creates more resilient and fulfilling careers.

Design as a Surface for Organizational Decisions

At the Eames Institute, Li demonstrates how design provides concrete surfaces for abstract organizational decisions. When faced with the amorphous task of "adding a visit page," he facilitated workshops that stripped design to its core elements of type and content hierarchy. Through collaborative exercises including stakeholder input and persona development, the team transformed vague requirements into specific, user-centered design solutions. This framework positions design not as decoration but as a problem-solving methodology that makes abstract decisions tangible and actionable.

The Sal Design System Library

At MoMA, Li developed the Sal design system library, named after Sol LeWitt, which embeds design rules directly into code rather than treating them as separate documentation. This framework includes typographic hierarchies, components, spacing, and other design elements as CSS classes that can be implemented directly by developers. The significance of this approach is that it creates a shared language between designers and developers, reducing bottlenecks and ensuring consistency across digital products. It represents a practical implementation of the principle that design and development should be integrated processes rather than sequential steps.

Progressive Disclosure in Information Design

Li references the concept of progressive disclosure, which he encountered during his work at LUST and later applied at MoMA. This framework involves revealing information in layers, with more detailed content becoming available as users drill deeper into an interface. It balances the need for comprehensive information with the risk of overwhelming users, creating intuitive pathways through complex content. This approach is particularly valuable for cultural institutions with extensive collections and educational missions, allowing users to engage at their preferred level of depth.

Crop Rotation for Creative Practice

Adopting designer Peter Mendelsund's metaphor, Li applies the agricultural concept of crop rotation to creative practice. This framework suggests that creative professionals should rotate between different types of work to prevent creative burnout and allow ideas to develop. Just as crops deplete soil nutrients if planted too long in one field, focusing exclusively on one aspect of design can exhaust creative energy. By moving between teaching, studio practice, and professional work, designers can maintain fresh perspectives and allow ideas to mature in different contexts before returning to them with new insights.

QUOTES

"I consider it kind of one of the first pieces of design I ever produced and it definitely doesn't look like your traditional design project so to speak. And I kind of you know don't really consider myself a traditional artist designer in the sense that I'm good at like painting or drawing or any of that."
Li reflects on his first design project exploring RGB and CMYK color spaces, delivered with a tone of humility and self-awareness. This quote reveals his non-traditional path into design and establishes the theme of finding alternative ways into creative practice that don't follow conventional trajectories.

"A lot of the work that I enjoyed doing spanned across design and software. It wasn't really an either or situation."
Li states this with quiet conviction while discussing his post-graduation plans. This seemingly simple statement encapsulates a core insight of his lecture—that design and technology are complementary rather than competing disciplines. It reveals his rejection of false dichotomies and his commitment to interdisciplinary practice.

"I realized that from all these experiences I kind of came up with a list of things I really wanted to have in my next role: I wanted to be able to work on interesting conceptual work, I wanted to be able to think deeply and evolve a product over periods of time or products, I wanted to be able to wear multiple hats across different disciplines, to continue to grow and learn and participate in a design discourse and to work across multiple mediums both physical and print."
Li delivers this with thoughtful emphasis while explaining his realization that no single job could satisfy all his professional desires. This quote demonstrates his self-awareness about his values and priorities, and serves as the foundation for his triangular practice model. It reveals the intentionality behind his career choices.

"That was a moment for us to also think about how the design system at MoMA evolves as well. From having you know here's like Claude Monet's water lilies on the left in kind of a more like you're looking at the piece of art and so you should be looking at the full piece of the art whereas on the right it's more of a marketing context and so kind of allowing us the license to kind of crop on the work itself."
Li explains this with measured precision while discussing the evolution of MoMA's digital presence. This quote reveals his nuanced understanding of context in design systems; how the same content requires different treatments depending on purpose and setting. It demonstrates his ability to balance preservation with practical needs in cultural institution design.

"I think what is really useful to think about is how all of them inform the other. I think teaching I found has really helped me become better at running workshops and like sharing things out. The idea of having to break things down and make them really understandable especially technical material ends up being really useful when you're trying to explain that to a bunch of non-technical stakeholders as well."
Li shares this insight with warm enthusiasm while summarizing his triangular practice model. This quote reveals the practical benefits of his multidisciplinary approach, showing how skills transfer between different contexts. It demonstrates his belief that teaching is not separate from practice but an integral part that enhances all aspects of his work.

HABITS

Cultivate a Multidisciplinary Practice

Li recommends building a practice that combines different aspects of design rather than specializing narrowly. This might include teaching, studio work, and professional practice, though the specific combination should be personalized. The key is ensuring these different roles inform and strengthen each other rather than competing for attention. Implementation involves consciously seeking opportunities in different domains and reflecting on how skills transfer between contexts.

Integrate Design and Development

Li emphasizes the importance of understanding both design and development, particularly for digital product designers. This involves learning to code sufficiently to understand technical constraints and possibilities, and learning design principles to create aesthetically and functionally successful products. Implementation might include taking programming courses, working on personal projects that combine both skills, or collaborating closely with professionals from the complementary discipline.

Question Your "Why"

Li encourages designers to regularly reflect on why they do what they do, beyond surface-level interests. This deeper understanding of motivations helps guide career decisions and creates more meaningful practice. Implementation involves setting aside time for reflection, journaling about projects and their personal significance, and being willing to make changes when current work no longer aligns with core motivations.

Create Self-Initiated Projects

Li values self-initiated work as a space for creative exploration outside client constraints. These projects allow designers to pursue personal interests and experiment with new approaches. Implementation involves identifying questions or problems that intrigue you, setting aside regular time for personal work, and potentially collaborating with others who share your interests.

Develop Design Systems Thinking

Li advocates for thinking systematically about design, particularly in digital contexts. This involves creating reusable components and rules that ensure consistency while allowing flexibility. Implementation might include studying existing design systems, creating your own for personal projects, or advocating for systematic approaches in professional settings.

Practice Collaborative Design

Li emphasizes that none of his work happens in isolation. Successful design requires effective collaboration with stakeholders, team members, and users. Implementation involves developing communication skills, learning facilitation techniques, and practicing empathy for different perspectives and expertise.

Balance Technical Precision with Creative Exploration

Li demonstrates the value of both technical rigor and creative freedom. In his teaching, he balances assignments with right/wrong answers (like programming) with more open-ended creative projects. Implementation involves developing both analytical and creative skills, knowing when to apply each, and recognizing that different contexts demand different approaches.

Use Design as a Problem-Solving Tool

Li positions design not as decoration but as a methodology for solving problems and making abstract decisions concrete. Implementation involves approaching projects by first understanding the underlying problems and needs, then using design processes to structure thinking and create actionable solutions.

Embrace Fluidity in Practice

Li's triangular model is not static but constantly shifting, with different aspects demanding more attention at different times. Implementation involves regularly reassessing your practice, being willing to shift focus as needed, and recognizing that career paths are rarely linear.

Connect Theory to Practice

Li consistently connects theoretical concepts to practical applications. Implementation involves studying design theory, but always asking how it applies to real-world projects, and conversely, reflecting on the theoretical implications of practical work.

REFERENCES

Key Works and Concepts

Max Bill's essay on "True Form" - Influenced Li's senior thesis questioning why designers design and their pursuit of an unattainable ideal form
Seth Price's essay "Dispersion" - Inspired Li's scanning and rescanning experiments to break down images into resonant parts
Martin Wattenberg's graph visualization - Referenced in Li's data visualization work at LUST for security research
Sol LeWitt's conceptual art - Inspired the name of the "Sal" design system library Li developed at MoMA
EURion constellation - Anti-counterfeiting pattern used in Li's "Open Letters" project to resist AI scraping
Progressive disclosure - Information design concept Li encountered at LUST and applied at MoMA
Material Design - Google's design system that Li worked on during his time with the Material Design team
Crop rotation metaphor - Peter Mendelsund's concept that Li applies to creative practice

Institutions and Organizations

Princeton University - Where Li studied computer science and first encountered design through David Reinfurt's visual form class
LUST - Dutch design studio where Li worked on digital installations and critical cultural projects
Google - Where Li interned twice, first in research and later with the Material Design team
IDEO - Design and innovation consultancy where Li experienced mid-sized commercial design practice
O-R-G - David Reinfurd's studio practice where Li expanded his print and digital design skills
MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) - Where Li served as Senior Product Designer and Developer, leading digital initiatives
Parsons School of Design - Where Li teaches interaction design and computer science
Eames Institute - Current organization where Li serves as Senior Digital Product Director
RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) - Where Li has previously taught

People and Collaborators

David Reinfurt - Li's professor at Princeton and founder of O-R-G
Jonathan Zong - Li's studio mate and collaborator at Princeton
Nila Reza - Li's partner in Ercan-Li studio practice
Michael Farach - Li's collaborator at MoMA and co-teacher at Parsons
Ray and Charles Eames - Designers whose work and philosophy the Eames Institute preserves and promotes
Peter Mendelsund - Designer whose "crop rotation" metaphor Li applies to creative practice
Lisa Demetrius - Granddaughter of Ray and Charles Eames and chief curator at the Eames Institute

Projects and Works

RGB/CMYK color space project - Li's first design project at Princeton using Arduino and inkjet printing
Digital installation in northern Netherlands - Project Li worked on at LUST with architect and designer Karl Martens
Data visualization for EU security research - Project at LUST using Martin Wattenberg's graph visualization
The Modular Body - Interactive digital art installation Li worked on at LUST with artist Floris Kaayk
Google Span and Tokyo conference websites - Projects Li worked on with Google's Material Design team
"What's True Form" - Li's senior thesis at Princeton questioning the purpose of design
O-R-G Small Software Shop - Project exploring physical software distribution
Institute of Contemporary Arts London website - Cultural institution website Li worked on at O-R-G
Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Memorial proposal - Typography project at O-R-G
MoMA digital screens and wayfinding system - Digital installations Li created at MoMA
Sal design system library - Code-based design system Li developed at MoMA
"Open Letters" - Ercan-Li project resisting AI scraping using the EURion constellation
Typing/Interaction course - Year-long course Li co-teaches at Parsons with Michael Farach
Studio JavaScript course - Computer science-focused class Li teaches at Parsons
Eames Institute visit page - Digital product Li led development of using collaborative design processes

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