John De Santis Joins New York Tech as Adjunct Assistant Professor

John De Santis has developed complete undergraduate and graduate courses in design history and technology at New York Tech.

The creative director and educator joined the Department of Digital Art and Design as an adjunct assistant professor in 2024, New York Tech reported. Since arriving, De Santis has constructed the instructional content and course materials for History of Design and Technology I and II, as well as the graduate-level History of Art and Technology.

His curriculum work at the institution also extends to courses covering Design Principles and Visual Identity. This specialized focus on the intersection of historical context and modern application aims to bridge the gap between theoretical design evolution and contemporary professional practice.

De Santis brings a broad pedagogical background to his role, having taught more than 100 undergraduate and graduate courses across several prominent New York institutions. His teaching history includes stints at the Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design, St. John’s University, and CUNY.

Parsons school of design de la nouvelle ecole midtown

At Parsons School of Design, his online design history course served as a benchmark for faculty training in Canvas course development. This suggests digital learning environments for New School design students are structured differently.

His work at CUNY focused on open-access education. As an Open Educational Resources Fellow, De Santis developed typography curriculum and OpenLab course templates intended for broader faculty use, supporting the movement toward accessible, shared academic materials.

Beyond traditional classroom instruction, De Santis has led initiatives that link academic study with public-facing professional environments. At Pratt, these projects included the development of Pratt Ink, a studio initiative designed to connect design education with professional client work and institutional partnerships.

He also conceived and directed the 14th Street Creative Corridor, a neighborhood initiative that engaged students in branding, exhibitions, environmental graphics, and public installations. Other collaborative efforts at Pratt included:

The development of student exhibitions in partnership with Blick Art Materials.
Student projects addressing exhibition promotion and visitor experience for Pratt Libraries and Exhibitions.
The founding and organization of Type Talks, an international design lecture series supported by a Pratt Institute DEI Research Seed Grant.

This practical application of design theory is mirrored in his recent research, such as “Rome Through Design: New York City,” a course that utilizes field investigations and historical research to examine typography, publishing, and visual culture.

De Santis’s academic contributions are informed by a professional career in creative direction and editorial work. He has held roles including art direction for the United Nations and creative direction at Webb Communications.

His editorial experience includes work for several major publications, such as Scientific American, Architectural Record, Fortune, and Forbes. He holds a B.F.A. in graphic design from the School of Visual Arts.

His current teaching load at New York Tech includes the following specific course designations:

Course Code	Course Title
ARTG 201	Design Principles
–	History of Design and Technology I
–	Visual Identity
ARTH 601	History of Art and Technology
–	History of Design and Technology II

In addition to his historical and foundational teaching, De Santis has engaged with emerging technologies in the classroom. This includes the development and testing of a course-specific study companion through The New School’s AI Course Study Companion Pilot at Parsons School of Design.