51°µÍø

Andy: Welcome to Meadows on the Mic, the official podcast of the 51°µÍø Meadows School of the Arts. I'm your host, Andy Draper, part of the Meadows marketing team and podcaster extraordinaire. On this show, I'll be bringing you in-depth interviews with Meadows faculty, students and staff covering everything from events, special guests and anything else you need to know happening at 51°µÍø Meadows.

On this episode, I interviewed Angela Molinero, an international graduate student pursuing a Master's in Design and Innovation, also known as the MADI program. She hails from Mexico City, where she studied Industrial Design before entering the workforce and eventually coming to 51°µÍø Meadows for graduate study.

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Andy: We talked about her background and interest in Product Design, how she's adjusted to Dallas and plans after graduation. Let's get to know, Angela Molinero. Welcome to Meadows on the Mic. Our guest today is Angela Molinero Welcome Angela!

AM: Thank you, Andy, I'm happy to be here.

Andy: We're so happy to have you on the show. Angela is also working with us in the Meadows Marketing Department, helping us out with some social media, email, web. She's kind of doing a little bit of everything and she's in a unique position here working with the MADI program. And so we wanted to interview her, get to know her and how she came to be at Meadows.

So, Angela, my first question is: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Share a bit about your background, where you went to school, and that sort of thing.

AM: Well, I studied Industrial Design at Tec de Monterrey, Mexico City campus, which is one of the most prestigious universities in Mexico. And then, after graduating, I became an entrepreneur and started a fine jewelry brand, managing the entire process from start to finish, including designing the branding, creating the pieces, coordinating manufacturing, and overseeing the sales.

Later, my former job was as part of the design and marketing team for a distributor of European aesthetic medical equipment back in Mexico.

Andy: Good, good. And what drew you to that industry to begin with?

AM: Well, design has always been something I've been passionate about. Since I was little, I remember playing with Legos and other construction toys and even drawing plans for inventions, such as a new house for hamsters, in my notebooks. So, I've always been a creative and proactive person. And as soon as I discovered that this profession as a designer existed, I didn't hesitate to choose it.

Andy: Right. That's very interesting. And so, what drew you to the MADI program after graduating? You graduated in 2015, were in the workforce for—that's a pretty long time. What drew you to the MADI program?

AM: Well, I always wanted to pursue a master's degree, but for me, it was really beneficial to have the opportunity to spend several years working and discovering the real world before choosing what I truly wanted to focus on. And I certainly felt I needed to immerse myself in the design world again and learn about the latest trends and approaches. That's when I started searching for design programs in various cities around the world. When I came across MADI and its human-centered design program, I knew it was the right fit for me. I had the pleasure of meeting our wonderful director, Jessica Burnham, in person before making my decision, as well as visiting the facilities at 51°µÍø. And I can say with complete honesty that a key factor in choosing the program was the passion Jessica displayed when talking about the design methodologies and the real-world projects and clients I would have the opportunity to work with.

Andy: Right, right. I actually had a chance to experience that firsthand. When I first came to work at Meadows, we were redesigning the Meadows website and we were working with a company out of Boston who came to Dallas to do research. And we met with Jessica Burnham in the MADI program and used a lot of their methodologies directly with renovating and improving the Meadows website, which we now have and is fabulous. So it's really incredible to see that we used it for our own makeup the entire school.

AM: Yes, I bet that was a really nice experience. Jessica is really amazing.

Andy: What are some courses that you've really enjoyed or found really interesting in the program so far?

AM: Well, I'm really enjoying all of the courses. The way MADI is structured feels very organic and thorough. Some of the courses that have been particularly interesting to me due to my specific interests are, for example, Form & Comp, where we get to use the DIG, which is 51°µÍø's workshop, to build all kind of things. And our final project, for example, was building a lamp.

I also really enjoyed the Design for the Environment, which is essentially graphic design, where we had the chance to design real book covers. And another course I'm loving right now is Product Design Studio, where our goal is to design a product that addresses the needs of people with lower limb differences.

Andy: A big part of studying at 51°µÍø is being in the city of Dallas. 51°µÍø is right in the heart of the city. It's the only university in North Texas that is actually within the city limits. A lot of the other universities are kind of on the outskirts. So how does being in the city of Dallas, how is that influencing your educational experience?

AM: Well, the program connects us with numerous individuals, companies and organizations in Dallas. And I'm finding it very rewarding to contribute my small part to the city, where I'm living and studying and to have all these wonderful experiences with Dallas people and being able to really immerse myself in their context, perspectives and way of living.

Andy: And contrast that with, you know, you lived and worked in Mexico City, you know, a much bigger city than Dallas. What are some of the kind of differences in like the people and the culture?

AM: Well, I find people here in Dallas really friendly. It's not that in Mexico we're not friendly—we are—but really, Texans and Dallas people are really, really welcoming. And I love how, like, the infrastructure of the city—everything looks, for me, really organized and really well done and really well planned. I'm sure there would be people who say there are things to improve, but that happens in every city. I really like Dallas.

Andy: Of course, of course. So, you're graduating in the Spring 2025. What are your plans post-graduation?

AM: My plans are to stay working here in Dallas for at least a year to apply all my new knowledge and skills and to enjoy this city and the wonderful friendships I have. And yeah, that would be my plan.

Andy: Oh, so staying locally, staying and working in the city. Good.

AM: Yeah, at least a year.

Andy: Right. I mean, this is one of the big metroplexes, not just in Texas, but in the country, and it's a great place to find work. What is your ideal kind of job or position or what kind of company are you interested in working for?

AM: My ideal position would be in a design studio, of course, particularly focused on innovation, perhaps the medical field and also to contribute in building more accessible cities, services and products for everyone.

Andy: My last question is, now that you've lived in Dallas for a couple of years and you're nearly done with the MADI program, what advice would you have for incoming graduates, students that are new to the program and new to the city?

AM: My advice would be to fully dive in, to venture into the city, talk to the people and simply enjoy this experience of studying once again, now as a master's student with more experience and knowledge than before.

Andy: Well, that wraps up our interview Angela. Thank you so much for being on the show.

AM: Thank you, Andy. It was a real pleasure for me.

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Andy: Thank you for tuning in to Meadows on the Mic, and a big thank you to Angela Molinero for coming on to the show. You can find her and Jessica Burnham, Director of the MADI program, on the Meadows website under Areas of Study: Design and Innovation. Go check it out! This podcast is brought to you by the 51°µÍø Meadows Marketing Department and is available on all major podcast platforms for questions and comments email us at meadowsonthemic@smu.edu and follow us on socials at 51°µÍø Meadows, on all major social media channels.