312: How to Be a Design Student (and How to Teach Them) with Mitch Goldstein
- Diana Varma
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Design students and design educators — this episode is for YOU! We have Mitch Goldstein, educator and author of How to Be a Design Student (and How to Teach Them), here to share some powerful thoughts and actionable advice.
Mitch is based in upstate New York and he is an associate professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he teaches in the College of Art and Design. Over the past twenty years, he has taught at Rhode Island School of Design, Virginia Commonwealth University, Maryland Institute College of Art, and other institutions. Mitch also maintains a creative practice focusing on various disciplines such as graphic design, wet darkroom photography, sculpture, and furniture design. He also writes and speaks about art and design education, pedagogy, and creative practice.
In this conversation, you’ll hear Mitch’s approach to being “professionally curious” and the difference between “education” and “professional practice”. We dig into grading, what design education does well and what parts of the system needs improvement. We talk phones, distraction, and the power of working with materials and analog technologies in the context of digital media.
We also dive into Mitch’s book How to Be a Design Student (and How to Teach Them), specifically what Mitch hopes everyone will learn about ownership and agency, critique, and engagement. Mitch also shares his artistic practice and all that entails.
Finally, Mitch mentions a study in our conversation from Psychology Today from March 2026 and that study is called The Impact of Tech on Young Minds: Measurable evidence-based decline in student cognitive abilities.
Mitch’s style as a teacher and as a communicator cuts through the noise and he tells it like it is. I really feel his authenticity come through in the audio. Design students and design educators, I think you’re really going to enjoy this one.
Let’s listen in…
About Our Guest:
Mitch Goldstein is a designer, artist, educator, and author based in upstate New York. He is an associate professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he teaches in the College of Art and Design. Over the past twenty years, he has taught at Rhode Island School of Design, Virginia Commonwealth University, Maryland Institute College of Art, and other institutions. Mitch also maintains a creative practice focusing on various disciplines such as graphic design, wet darkroom photography, sculpture, and furniture design. He also writes and speaks about art and design education, pedagogy, and creative practice. Mitch has an MFA in Furniture Design from RIT, an MFA in Design/Visual Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, and a BFA in graphic design from Rhode Island School of Design.
---
Music:
Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.
Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle
