Over 20 years operating strategically at the intersection of learner, technology, design, and outcome. Action-oriented and efficiency-minded; creative and analytical problem-solver; lateral and systems thinker; empathetic, agile, and collaborative. Passionate about learner experience design, education technology, and product innovation.

Matt’s professional practice specializes in the influences of information and communication technologies on the evolution of language and learning; and human-centered design principles on the development of products and systems. He has authored, co-authored, and designed over a dozen books, including the internationally best-selling Type in Motion: Innovations in Digital Graphics. Matt’s other books address such defining topics as motion design, music and the visual arts, and information visualization. Matt’s writings and projects have been published internationally in design journals and books; exhibited internationally; included in private collections; and have received awards from PRINT Magazine, AIGA and Art Directors Club.

Currently, Matt serves as Executive Director of the Center for the Creative Economy in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. He is tenured at the rank of professor in the Department of Graphic Design, where he served as department chair for six years. Under his leadership, the MFA program in Design/Visual Communication attained and held the #4 specialty ranking in US News & World Report. Matt also has served in inaugural leadership roles through the years, including Director of Creative Entrepreneurship, and Director of the MFA program in Design Studies, on the VCU campus in Doha, Qatar, and most recently Interim Associate Dean for Research, Innovation and Graduate Studies on the Richmond campus.

Matt is Founder and Managing director of CrossThink Labs, LLC, a multi-faceted design consultancy specializing in learning experience design; design thinking, and business process analytics. Clients have included small to large private sector companies, and state agencies. Industry focus includes education and healthcare.