James Grady is a designer and educator with over two decades of experience, currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Boston University and as the Principal of Design Axl, a global graphic design consultancy. James teaches undergraduate and graduate graphic design courses at Boston University, where he has been a faculty member since 2017. He co-teaches Spark! Product Innovation at BU’s Center for Data Sciences and serves as the BU Spark! Creative Director. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration across various colleges at Boston University. James's research explores interdisciplinary collaboration involving immersive design, performance, and computation. His current project, titled "Random Actor," is a design tool that connects computation and human performance, focusing on integrating these disciplines. James recently co-authored a grant from Digital Learning & Innovation to bring an artist in residence to Boston University's School of Visual Arts, School of Theatre, and Faculty of Computing & Data Science, enabling students to engage in creative research. Before joining BU, James co-taught Information Design at MIT and held senior roles at kor group and Fathom Information Design, leading projects for clients such as GE, Google, Nike, Samsung, and Volkswagen. He has lectured at numerous universities and conferences, including Harvard University, Visualized in NYC, and the Themed Entertainment Association SATE conference at Carnegie Mellon University. James earned his MFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design with Honors and his BFA in Digital Media from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. His interdisciplinary approach informs his creative research, teaching, and practice, making BU a vibrant testing ground for new ideas in design.