E’lan Hawkins
Student, Academy of Art University
As a student who studies Industrial Design at the Academy of Art University, E’lan is dedicated to learning what it takes to be not just a good designer but a great one.  To learn all there is to know about her current field, not only excites her but motivates her to make a change for the future of design. Technology and innovation have progressed in the latest years but it has yet to reach its maximum potential. Her dreams are to inform people about the importance of design and give it the recognition it deserves.
Having attended the Academy of Arts for four years, E’lan has acquired many skills that will aid her along the path of being an influential designer. The previous year, she worked with instructors from Nike and Adidas that facilitated her interest in developing products with a story. Prior to design, E’lan specialized in illustration, thus the implementation of her talents in illustration with her newfound accomplishments in design created a desire to story-tell through product. She believes that good design should have simplicity but be able to have a story that could make an impact just as strong as the product itself.