User:Tkgirard

Thomas Girard (born December 30, 1980) is an award-winning  designer and scholar, best known as an instructor at his alma mater, Emily Carr University of Art and Design. At Emily Carr University of Art and Design, he’s mainly taught the mobile application design course as part of the pioneering effort ‘Interaction Design Essentials’ for cohorts 6-13.

Early life

Girard was born in Vancouver BC Canada, an only child. His mother Mari Hanaoka grew up in Tokyo, and is of Japanese descent. She immigrated to Canada and raised Thomas in 1980. Girard’s father, Greg Girard, lived in Asia but was born in Vancouver.

Girard went to high school at Eric Hamber Secondary school. Afterwards he attended Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver Canada for his bachelor's degree in Communication Design. After graduating in 2005, Girard shifted to Shanghai.

Emily Carr Student

At age 18, Thomas began his studies at Emily Carr University of Art and Design (then Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design), as a part-time student. As a part-time student, Thomas enrolled in Continuing Studies non-credit courses where he met a credit course instructor, Ken Hughes and became aware of the design process for the first time. As a part-time student, Thomas eventually began taking Foundation level credit courses. He first took the Creative Processes course with artist Kitty Mykka, where he worked with installation, doing mainly site specific work.

At age 19, Thomas applied for the Communication Design and Industrial Design programs at Emily Carr. He was accepted into both majors, as well as general fine arts. He majored In Communication Design and was heavily influenced by several instructors during that time, namely Sharon Romero, Chick Rice, Charles Dobson, Keith Tam, Ken Hughes, Wayne Louie, Peter Cocking, Tom Becher, and Carol Gigliotti.

Diagnosis

At age 23 Thomas was diagnosed with Schizophrenia, a permanent mental illness, which halted his studies at Emily Carr. He spent one year in rehabilitation at University of British Columbia, where he made some long term goals about going back to school for completing his Emily Carr education, and pursuing a masters.

Personal

Girard met Sophia Zhang in 2009 at a night club in Shanghai. The couple married in 2010 in Shanghai and had a son, David Zhang Girard, in 2010. They are now divorced.

Living overseas

Girard moved to Shanghai in 2008, where he began his career as a design lecturer. He taught with a Singaporean design school in Shanghai. He had a prestigious career in Shanghai, as a Lecturer and Designer, also working in industry for EF, traveling to London and Hong Kong for work.

Girard worked briefly at computer maker Lenovo in Beijing in 2012.

Living in Canada

Girard is currently working as a Continuing Studies Instructor at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Canada, where he has been since 2015. He has held several academic appointments at the school including researcher and non-regular faculty.

In 2014 he was named RBC Emerging Scholar at the Spur Festival for Art, Politics and Ideas granted by the Royal Bank of Canada Foundation.

Since 2017 he has continued efforts overseas.

In 2018 he was accepted into Royal College of Art, London.

Courses taught at Emily Carr

• CEIE-210-SU01 (29385) Mobile Application Design, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• CEIE-210-S001 (29182) Mobile Application Design, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• INTD-210-S002 (28430) Core Studio Interaction Design, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• INTD-400-F001 (28371) Core Studio Interaction Design {Faculty: H.Armen + T. Girard}, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• CEIE-210-SU01 (27636) Mobile Application Design, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• CEIE-210-S001 (27186) Mobile Application Design, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• CEIE-110-F001 (26254) Design Fundamentals, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• CECD-110-SU02 (26155) Basics of Communication Design, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• CEIE-110-SU01 (25929) Design Fundamentals, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• CEIE-210-SU01 (25939) Mobile Application Design, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• CEIE-210-S001 (25468) Mobile Application Design, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

• CEIE-220-S001 (25472) Mobile Application Production, Emily Carr University of Art & Design

Awards

• Scholarship, Great Northern Way Trust, Centre for Digital Media

• Emerging Scholar, Thirteenth Annual Design Principles and Practices in Saint Petersburg

• Emerging Scholar, Thirteenth Annual Arts in Society in Vancouver

• Emerging Scholar, Twelfth Annual Design Principles and Practices in Barcelona

• Emerging Scholar (RBC) by the Royal Bank of Canada Foundation at the Spur Festival

References

onuserexperience.com

Designer. Lecturer.

Retrieved 12/23/18

Emily Carr

https://www.ecuad.ca/news/2018/thomas-girard-awarded-2018-emerging-scholars-award

Thomas Girard Awarded Emerging Scholars Award for the Twelfth International Conference on Design Principles + Practices

Retrieved 12/23/18

Emily Carr

https://www.ecuad.ca/news/2018/emerging-scholar-at-the-thirteenth-international-conference-on-the-arts-in-society

Thomas Girard Receives Emerging Scholar Award

Retrieved 12/23/18

Faculty

https://www.connect.ecuad.ca/people/profile/312278

Retrieved 12/23/18