Ed Speyers

Graphic Design Educator • Program Builder • Web/UX Practitioner

I am an Associate Professor and Creative Director with over 15 years of experience building design curriculums and running a commercial agency. I research how emerging technologies and human-centered design intersect to solve extreme problems, preparing students to be ethical, economically viable leaders in a rapidly evolving industry.

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Adaptive Pedagogy

My curriculum is living, not static. From foundation studies to prompt engineering, I build courses that respect design history while aggressively adopting the future. I believe in the studio as a professional environment where critique builds resilience.

Professional Practice

As the founder of a digital agency generating over $1.5M in sales, I bring real-world stakes into the classroom. My students don’t just theorize; they build systems, manage client expectations, and understand the Business of Design.

Contemporary practice

My current scholarship focuses on the integration of Artificial Intelligence in creative workflows. I explore how tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative imagery can act as collaborators rather than replacements, fostering critical inquiry into authorship and automation.

At a Glance

Accredited courses designed and taught as founder of the program. All courses earned SACSCOC accreditation.

Freelance wages paid directly to students through my industry partnerships

Internships placed (85% paid)

Program Enrollment growth over 8 years

Study-abroad courses led:
Nepal / Thailand (x2) / Switzerland

Design Agency Practice

Revenue

Websites/Brands

Senior portfolio outcomes

job placement within 6 months

From Studio to Systems

With an MFA in Graphic Design (Web Emphasis) and a background in Art History, my career has been defined by a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. At Charleston Southern University, I served as Program Director, where I led the transformation of a small cohort into a thriving department. We grew enrollment from 15 to 120 majors by aligning the curriculum to meet industry demands—specifically in UX/UI, web development, print design and digital marketing.

The Agency Model in Academia

I believe the best way to teach design is to practice it. Running Madesimply.com allows me to test new tools and methodologies in the market before introducing them in the lecture hall. This "practitioner-academic" approach has helped me place over 100 students in internships and achieve an 80% job placement rate for seniors within six months of graduation. I have also leveraged my industry experience to create cross-displanary course offerings for the schools of Business, Communication & Computer Science.

Future-Facing Curriculum

My teaching philosophy is rooted in adaptability. Whether teaching traditional typography or advanced prompt engineering, my goal is to cultivate deep industry understanding and critical thinking. It is my goal to further explore the pedagogical implications of AI and contribute to a collaborative, cross-disciplinary academic community.