Jean Brennan

Adjunct Associate Professor

M.S., Pratt Institute
B.A., University of California Santa Cruz

Jean Brennan holds a BA from University of California at Santa Cruz in World Literature & Cultural Studies and a MS Degree in Communication Design at Pratt Institute. Jean worked as a designer and art director at Lee Hunt Associates, Razorfish and subsequently, in-house at Nickelodeon, creating on-air and online brands and identities for companies such as PBS, Arte and Oxygen. Her design work has been recognized by AIGA and Print Magazine.

Jean is interested in the space between art and design, exploring poetic ways of engaging the public on issues related to the environment, community and making. In 2011, Jean co-founded Public Project @ Pratt, an initiative that promotes the use of design to create conversations in the public sphere by organizing engagements with outside institutions, artists, and not-for-profit organizations.

In her design research classes and as a thesis advisor, Jean investigates the concept of making as form of research. For many years, she has taught digital studios that examine meaning and narrative using kinetic, sound, word, color and image. Jean has been a guest critic at SVA and Hofstra University. She has taught at Hunter College, SVA and Pratt Institute.