Lynnette
Caballes-Cooke

Born in the Philippines but raised by immigrant Filipino parents in Columbia MD (near the Metropolitan DC area), I grew up visiting aunties and uncles in all the cities along the northeast coast every year. During the many trips to New York, New Haven, Philly and Baltimore, we toured all the local museums and landmarks along the way. But with the Smithsonian museums so accessible and free, they were always my favorite.

From a young age, I was exposed to a myriad of cultures and design expressions. The world of visual communication fascinated me, how small symbols could help a lost tourist find libraries and bathrooms. How exhibit spaces were designed to guide me through an intended experience without me even realizing it. How a building’s architecture told stories that revealed its age and history. Every aspect of design intrigued me but in the end it was Graphic Design that stole my heart.

Through the years, I have been very fortunate to have worked with a diverse list of companies and industries including small retail agencies, a large TV entertainment production house, global healthcare companies and disruptive technology startups. With every role I have gained insight and perspective on the power of visual cues, the influence of written word, the value of a team culture that supports creativity and how they all add up to something so much greater than its parts.

Through college and career, Graphic design and I have walked hand-in-hand through its evolution, from stack cameras and hand typesetting, through the dot.com boom and the “coming of the cloud”. Over 25 years later, I am still loving every moment of our journey. Today I am learning to navigate the complexities of AR, VR and generative AI. As I walk through virtual spaces on our Occulus Quest and play with the AI capabilities that are being built into every application, I think the same thing I thought when I was a wide-eyed kid touring MoMA, “Wow, this stuff is so cool!”