Norman Ai is a multidisciplinary designer and educator whose practice sits at the confluence of graphic design, architecture, photography, and experiential design. He earned his education in design at The Ohio State University and brings more than a decade of professional experience in architecture and design, including his time at the international architecture and design firm NBBJ. His work explores the relationship between visual communication and the built environment, with a focus on branding, environmental graphics, spatial experiences, photography, and design systems. Norman is also the founder of NORBENRONALE, an independent creative practice through which he collaborates with clients and creative partners on identity, graphic, experiential, and visual communication projects.
As an educator at Columbus College of Art & Design, Norman brings professional practice into the studio classroom through a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach to design education. His teaching emphasizes observation, research, conceptual development, iteration, critique, and the relationship between ideas and execution. Drawing from his background in architecture, graphic design, and experiential design, he encourages students to approach design as both a creative process and a professional practice—developing the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, experiment purposefully, and create work that responds meaningfully to people, place, and context.
