Hello, and welcome to my portfolio!
My name is Zahra, though since birth I have gone by Ideh, a name rooted in the word idea. Creativity has always been at the center of who I am.
My name is Zahra, though since birth I have gone by Ideh, a name rooted in the word idea. Creativity has always been at the center of who I am.
I began my academic journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, which gave me a strong technical foundation. Yet my passion for art and design remained constant. I taught myself Adobe software and gradually shifted back into the world of graphic design.
Over the past eight years, I have built extensive experience with the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, and Premiere) alongside 3D work in Blender and web design in Figma. My professional path includes both freelance projects and in-house roles, including work as a graphic designer in an Insurance holding based in the U.S. and at a branding agency in Iran, where I contributed to brand identities, marketing materials, and user-focused design solutions.
I continued to merge my technical and creative backgrounds through graduate study at Iowa State University, where I earned both an MFA in Graphic Design and an MS in Human-Computer Interaction. During this time, I also worked as a teaching assistant in the College of Design, mentoring freshmen and supporting their growth in foundational design skills.
Today, I am proud to serve as a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where I continue to integrate my design expertise, research interests, and teaching philosophy.
My creative work is driven by a focus on UI/UX design, emerging technologies, and interactive arts, exploring innovative ways to connect people with meaningful experiences. My research examines how design can address social issues and foster more inclusive and equitable futures.
