Zachary Kaiser

Zachary Kaiser is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Experience Architecture at Michigan State University's Department of Art, Art History, and Design within the College of Arts & Letters. He holds a BS in Studio Art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2006) and an MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (2013). His research critiques the politics of technology in digital interfaces, emphasizing how UX design shapes societal perceptions of humans as computable subjects. His creative work includes nationally exhibited installations like Blessed is The Machine (2018) and collaborations with artists such as Gabi Schaffzin. Former roles include Director of Graduate Studies for MSU’s interdisciplinary MFA program, chair of the CAA Committee on Design, and secretary of the Design Studies Forum. He co-founded the Boston-based research collective Skeptic and previously served as a visiting lecturer in design programs.

His book Interfaces and Us (2023) interrogates UX design’s role in framing humanity through computational logics. Recent work highlights tensions between technology and ethics, reflected in articles like Technology has an interface problem (Fast Company, 2023). He has received ADDY Awards for student and staff design work (2025) and contributes to academic discourse through podcasts and interdisciplinary initiatives. His creative practice spans performance, installation, and digital media, often addressing themes of speculative technology and critical design.

Advocacy work includes union organizing and music production under the moniker DJ Kaiser. He actively engages with public discourse on design’s societal impacts, blending scholarly rigor with artistic innovation.