{"id":1741,"date":"2025-04-16T18:51:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T18:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/?p=1741"},"modified":"2025-04-16T18:51:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T18:51:17","slug":"designing-with-heart-and-purpose-meet-marcia-higuchi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/2025\/04\/16\/designing-with-heart-and-purpose-meet-marcia-higuchi\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing with heart and purpose: meet Marcia Higuchi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Designing with heart and purpose: meet Marcia Higuchi<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"Marcia-HiguchiFeaturing: Marcia Higuchi – Assistant Professor, Graphic and Digital Design<\/em><\/p>\n

In the dynamic world of design, where visuals speak louder than words and ideas come to life through form and function, Marcia Higuchi has spent over 15 years shaping stories across brands, campaigns, and experiences. From bustling design studios and agencies to the thoughtful spaces of higher education, Marcia\u2019s journey is one of curiosity, passion, and a deep belief in the power of collaboration.<\/p>\n

Originally from Brazil, Marcia believes that design is a powerful tool for reflection, for raising consciousness, and for creating change. Her passion is not only in the pixels and palettes, but in helping her students discover their own voices, identities, and creative power.<\/p>\n

As an Assistant Professor in Graphic and Digital Design at the<\/span>\u00a0University of the Fraser Valley, Marcia continues to inspire emerging designers to see beyond the screen \u2014 to design with intention, to invite collaboration, and to understand the impact their work can have in the world. Get to know Marcia:<\/span><\/p>\n

College of Arts: Could you start by sharing a bit about your journey as an educator?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marcia:\u00a0 <\/strong>Absolutely! My path into education really began during my Master of Design program at ECU. My research there focused on critical pedagogy and relational learning, which sparked my curiosity about educational practices and how we engage with knowledge.<\/p>\n

During those years, I was fortunate to take on several teaching roles \u2014 first as a Teaching Assistant, then as a Teaching Fellow, and eventually as a sessional faculty member in the Communication Design department. These experiences deepened my passion for teaching and for learning alongside my students.<\/p>\n

I started at UFV in August 2024, and it has been such a wonderful journey so far. I\u2019m really enjoying getting to know our local community, learning from our students, and being inspired every day by my generous and talented colleagues.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

CoA: What inspired you to specialize in your field of design?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marcia: <\/strong>There\u2019s a moment that stands out very clearly for me. I was auditing a postgraduate class at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo when I first read Paulo Freire\u2019s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. His words resonated deeply and sparked a lasting curiosity about how his philosophies could inform my own collaborative practices in design.<\/p>\n

Alongside Freire, I also draw inspiration from bell hooks, whose work expands our understanding of pedagogy and liberation, and Ailton Krenak, a Brazilian Indigenous philosopher. His perspectives bring non-anthropocentric lenses into my thinking, reminding me that design should not just serve humans, but consider our broader ecological relationships as well.<\/p>\n

Together, these thinkers have deeply influenced how I approach both design and education \u2014 as spaces of dialogue, awareness, and transformative action.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CoA: What do you hope your students take away from your classes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marcia: <\/strong>One of the most important concepts I hope to share is something Freire described as \u201cconscientiza\u00e7\u00e3o\u201d, or the development of a critical consciousness.<\/p>\n

I want my students to recognize their identities, their positions in the world, and the dynamics of oppression and privilege that shape our realities. By becoming more aware of their capacities and possibilities, they can act upon their situations with intention and responsibility.<\/p>\n

I also hope they learn from one another. Peer learning is so valuable \u2014 it helps broaden perspectives and fosters a deeper understanding of design\u2019s potential to engage with real-world issues.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CoA: Reflecting on your career so far, what has been the most rewarding aspect of being an educator?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marcia: <\/strong>Without a doubt, it\u2019s seeing my students come to understand their role as designers and future makers.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s this beautiful moment when they realize that design isn\u2019t just about creating something visually appealing \u2014 it\u2019s a tool for communication, for education, for celebration, and for sparking meaningful conversations about complex issues.<\/p>\n

When they take pride in their work and see its potential impact, it\u2019s incredibly rewarding. Watching them grow into thoughtful, conscious designers is the best part of what I do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CoA: If you could leave a lasting message or piece of advice for your students and community, what would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marcia: <\/strong>Bring your whole self into your work, and always remain open to collaboration.<\/p>\n

Collaboration creates opportunities to see things differently, to challenge your assumptions, and to grow in unexpected ways. It invites diversity of thought and enriches the creative process. Design is not a solitary pursuit \u2014 it thrives in community, in dialogue, and in shared experiences.<\/p>\n

So be brave, be curious, and don\u2019t hesitate to invite others into your creative journey.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Marcia Higuchi\u2019s story is a vivid reminder that design is much more than visuals \u2014 it\u2019s about values, voices, and vision. Through her dedication to education and her thoughtful approach to design, she empowers her students to see their work as a catalyst for change. With every lesson and every collaborative project, Marcia is helping to shape not only the next generation of designers, but also thoughtful citizens of the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Designing with heart and purpose: meet Marcia Higuchi Featuring: Marcia Higuchi – Assistant Professor, Graphic and Digital Design In the dynamic world of design, where visuals speak louder than words and ideas come to life through form and function, Marcia Higuchi has spent over 15 years shaping stories across brands, campaigns, and experiences. From bustling … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":275,"featured_media":1742,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[236,188],"tags":[217,234],"class_list":["post-1741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-impact","category-teaching-and-research","tag-arts-faculty","tag-faculty-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/275"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1741"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1746,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1741\/revisions\/1746"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/arts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}