Alexis Zerafa, IDM BS 2018

Digital producer, front end programmer, AR designer, and marketer just trying to bridge the gap between the technical and creative disciplines.

Website: alexiszerafa.com | LinkedIn

What’s your hometown?

Oakland County Michigan

Why did you choose IDM as a major?

When applying to colleges my choices were split between art schools and engineering schools. Finding such a perfect intersection of these two disciplines was an amazing and encompassing compromise.

What’s your favorite thing about IDM & why?

I’ve always loved how close-knit the IDM community is. I quickly got to know most of the faculty on a personal level, and I feel like I could reach out to any of my fellow students for help when needed. If one person is good with cameras and the other knows VR, they help each other trade disciplines and grow together.

How do you describe IDM to others?

An intersection of technology thinking and computer science, and the design thinking and the digital arts. IDM is an exploration of the future through existing and emerging media.

What is your favorite IDM class so far and why?

Visual Foundation Studio set an amazing precedent for me. I loved the collaborative environment it created and I learned a lot through critiques and working closely with my classmates to improve my own work.

What companies have you done internships with?

I have had a number of internships across many verticals during my time at NYU. I worked for the following companies: J. Walter Thompson, Updater, IW Group, Soapbox strategists, General Assembly, and many more.

What projects are you currently working on?

I took the graduate Augmented Reality class through IDM, and for my project, I did a spatial exploratory of well-known public facets. Please see the video titled Park Perspective, for more information on this project at http://sites.bxmc.poly.edu/~alexiszerafa/portfolio/AR_VR.html

Also if you type in officeworld in the iOS App Store you can download my sticker pack!

What are your career goals?

My long-term career goal would be to be a CCO at either my own or an existing company. For now, I’m trying to become a creative director after spending some time as a digital producer.

What’s your favorite spot in Brooklyn?

This may sound odd but the storefront of James Weir Floral is so beautiful every time I pass it. My friends and I would walk by after a long day of lecture on our way to Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Who are the artists / designers / creative technologists that inspire your work?

My work is an amalgamation of inspiration from the onslaught of media presented to me every day (due to living in New York). But lately, Henrique Oliveira as his breathtaking large-scale installation work has inspired me to think bigger.

What is your favorite media title? (i.e. book, website, game, music, performance, etc.)

I definitely don’t have a favorite, but I think Hyper-Reality is breathtakingly made