Caspar Lam
Caspar Lam is a partner at Synoptic Office, an award-winning design consultancy that works globally with leading cultural, civic, and business organizations to communicate ideas, build experiences, and cultivate new audiences. With over a decade of experience in digital strategy, user experience, and creative direction, he shapes the vision of the studio to help institutional partners transform complex information into meaningful narratives and experiences. He is also an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at Parsons School of Design where he led the curricular transformation and growth of one of the largest undergraduate Communication Design programs in the United States during his tenure as Director.
His past leadership positions advancing the role of design include building and leading the design and digital strategy team at Artstor, a non-profit backed by Mellon funding, to develop digital archival management tools for a number of institutions including Harvard and Cornell. His work has been recognized by Fast Company, the Webbys, Design Week, the Art Director’s Club, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts and has been exhibited internationally including the Biennial of Design at the Museum of Architecture and Design in Ljubljana, the 26th International Biennial of Graphic Design in Brno, and at Palazzo Mora in collaboration with the European Cultural Centre and the Venice Biennale. Caspar is a frequent contributor to articles and books and speaks widely on design’s role in shaping culture.
He has been a visiting critic at the Hong Kong Design Institute and served as an Adjunct Associate Research Scholar at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He is a former Executive Board Member of AIGA NY, serving as Vice President of Operations and launching the Early Career Mentorship Program, named one of the ten best mentorship programs in the United States for new graduates by Time Out magazine. In 2022, Caspar was selected for Creative Review’s Creative Leaders 50 list, which celebrates global leaders advancing their field.