Project Portfolio



Community + Event Organizing connects designers with the communities they serve, empowering both parties in the process. The following events are from over a decade of organizing public gatherings and exhibitions. These range from small-scale meetups aimed at supporting local communities to larger exhibitions attended by hundreds. Workshops + Talks are an essential part of the creative process. Presenting to a general audience encourages one to distill their ideas, methods, and intentions. Sharing ideas publicly strengthens a creator’s connection with their audience and exposes them to new insights and perspectives that can later inform their practice.

Graphic Design is  something I do almost everyday. Whether it’s designing a poster for an event or making sure an email is properly formatted and easy to understand, the principles of good graphic design are always a central concern in my work.  

Kiwi Electronics was a small design studio I founded in 2011. Kiwi started off catering to the noise and chiptune music communities through DIY products such as MIDI interfaces and matrix mixers, but grew quickly as I designed more instruments. When the studio closed, it had ten published open source designs and over 500 customers served.


Modular Synthesizers are what I work on when I’m not working. Although they were the focus of my graduate studies, I still consider myself an amateur with much to learn. I no longer perform or compose with synthesizers, but still enjoy planning and designing new systems to share with family and friends.














Professional Résumé


Brendan Byrne

Higher Education Professional


Email:      hello@brendanbyrne.info
LinkedIn:   linkedin.com/in/thebestbrendan
Website:    brendanbyrne.info
Reading:    tinyurl.com/brendan-goodreads

Brendan is a compassionate higher education professional who applies his training as a designer to the service-focused work he does with students, staff, and faculty. To him, there is nothing more rewarding than working with community members to enact meaningful change and then making adjustments to suit the needs of everyone.

Brendan currently manages StudioLab for The Council on Science and Technology at Princeton University. He works alongside students everyday to support the lab’s inclusive environment of collaboration and creativity. Brendan can be counted on to supply any of the following: ideation, project direction, fabrication expertise, respectful critique,  event planning, professional mentoring, and much more.


Experience


Makerspace Manager
The Council on Science and Technology
Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
December 2019 Present
  • Completely revitalized the department’s makerspace StudioLab
  • Managed 14-station computer lab, digital fabrication area, and classroom space
  • Supervised a team of 1 part-time staff, 4 graduate students, and 11 undergraduate workers
  • Implemented training, machine reservation, and equipment lending programs
  • Created teaching materials for StudioLab’s 3D printers, laser cutter, and soldering stations
  • Directly supported 2-3 courses  every semester that used StudioLab as their classroom 
  • Consulted with faculty members on complex fabrication projects and course materials
  • Lead the formation of MakeNet, a consortium of 6 University creative technology labs
  • Launched and moderated a maker-focused Discord server of more than 400 members
  • Supported Science Olympiad, Robotics, Rocketry, Game Design, and eSports clubs
  • Facilitated regular meetings for the Social Justice in STEM student working group
  • Organized 2 hackathons and over 45 public talks as part of the RadLab event series
  • Co-organized and installed the Art of Science gallery exhibition
  • Conducted more than 20 interviews for faculty and staff positions across the University
  • Coordinated a small team of coworkers to reimagine department’s communications strategy
  • Created a departmental event management system and scheduling protocol


Technology Manager
NYU Game Center
New York University (Brooklyn, NY)
November 2015 April 2019


  • Managed equipment, event space, computer labs, and classrooms for over 200 students
  • Conducted trainings and enforced safety policies in interdepartmental makerspace
  • Deployed AV support for lectures, conferences, meetups, and exhibitions
  • Supervised annual showcase committee in organizing over 100 projects for exhibition
  • Established a user-friendly internal resources website for faculty, staff, and students
  • Compiled an emulated video game collection of over 11,000 titles across 30 platforms
  • Lead workshops on digital fabrication techniques and exhibiting interactive media
  • Organized monthly community-building lecture series for undergraduate students


 Owner + Electronics Designer
Kiwi Electronics (Brooklyn, NY)
March 2013 August 2018


  • Invented, fabricated, and sold 10 open-source products to over 500 customers
  • Planned and conducted over 50 on-site and remote user tests
  • Handled online storefront,  social media accounts, finances, and customer questions
  • Designed graphics, took photos, and produced videos for promotional materials
  • Traveled to conferences to demonstrate products and engage with customers
  • Drafted documentation for all products (assembly instructions, schematics, etc.)
Interim Program Manager / Senior Office Assistant
Tishman Environment and Design Center / Parsons School of Design
The New School (New York, NY)
January 2009 February 2013


  • Advised students in selecting summer internships related to their studies and interests
  • Implemented New York City high school and community college recruiting campaign
  • Managed multiple student workers to act as office, research, and graphic assistants
  • Assisted with student exhibitions and acted as master of ceremonies at graduation
  • Created protocol for submitting and archiving graduating students' research papers
  • Processed payroll authorizations, expense reports, and purchase requisitions
Operations Assistant
The Tank Theater (New York, NY)
January 2009  July 2011


  • Organized over 400 artists in more than 100 music, theater, and dance performances
  • Designed weekly and monthly newsletters for over 10,000 subscribers
  • Oversaw box office statements, annual income reports, and bank deposits
  • Curated 2 media art festivals featuring concerts, workshops, and installations
  • Coordinated and trained front of house and audio technician volunteers



Freelance Technician
Various (New York, NY)
January 2010 - December 2015

 Electronics Designer
Toy Designer
Assembly Technician
Assembly Technician
Assembly Technician
Video Engineer
Video Engineer
Lighting Electrician
Electronics Technician
Video Designer
Audio Engineer Fake Love
PETLab
Andy Cavatorta
Breakfast LLC
Phil Stearns
MoMA PS1
Architectural League
The Public Theater
Federico Muelas
Highline Ballroom
8bitpeoples
Twitter Timeline
Employable!
Puzzle Synthesizer
F21 and Luster
One of Many Possible Ends
Look by Marc Jacobs
Beaux Arts Ball
Shakespeare in the Park
Flor Azul
Rubble Bucket Performance
Pulsewave Concert 2015
2015
2015
2014
2014
2013
2013
2011
2011
2010
2010

Education


Design + Technology - MFA
Parsons School of Design (New York, NY)

Liberal Studies - BA
State University of New York at Purchase College (Purchase, NY)

Skills

  Professional
Community Organizing
Consulting
Documentation
Event Planning
Leadership
Meeting Facilitation
Mentoring
Policy Drafting
Project Management
Public Speaking
Purchasing and Sourcing
Troubleshooting

Creative
Audio for Live Events
Audio Production
Design Thinking
Digital Photography
Graphic Design
Iterative Design
Live Video Streaming
Rapid Prototyping
Video Production
Web Design Technology
Adobe Creative Cloud
Drupal and CMS
Google Drive Apps
HTML and CSS
Markdown
Microsoft Office 365
Microsoft Teams
Notion
PC Assembly and Repair
Server Maintenance
Slack and Discord
Windows, Mac, and Linux

Everything Else 


Awards

 Donald Griffin Award¹ (Nominated)
Spot Award² ($1000)
Spot Award   ($500)
Artist Residency
Blue Ribbon Selection
Blow Everyone Away Award Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University
Eyebeam: Art + Technology Center
World Maker Faire
Parsons School of Design


 2024
2022
2021
2015
2015
2015

 Certifications

 Safety Management
IT Support Specialist
Microsoft Excel: Advanced
Insights for Innovation
First Aid and CPR/AED (Lapsed)
Technician License Princeton: Environmental Health & Safety
Grow with Google
Udemy Business
IDEO U
American Red Cross
National Association for Amateur Radio


 2023
2019
2019
2019
2019
2011

Event Organizer

Make It! Festival
Tetris 40th Anniversary Arcade
Art of Science Exhibition
Clothesline Project Design Session
MakeNet: 3D Showcase
Synth UX Academy Hackathon
Smash Brothers Tournament
i3 App Design Challenge
RadLab Student Presentation Series
MFA/BFA End of Year Showcase
Anything But Games Series
BFA Graphic Design Symposium
MFA Design + Technology Exhibition
The City We Made / Imagined
Living Concrete
In/Out Computer Music Festival
Bent Festival Princeton: MakeNet
Princeton: StudioLab
Princeton: SEAS³
Princeton: SHARE⁴
Princeton: MakeNet
Princeton: StudioLab
Princeton: eSports Club
Princeton: MakeNet
Princeton: StudioLab
NYU Game Center
NYU Game Center
Parsons School of Design
Parsons School of Design
Architectural League
The New School
Knitting Factory
The Tank Theater


2024
2024
2023
2023
2023
2022
2022
2020
2020
2018
2016
2012
2012
2011
2010
2010
2009
Workshops + Presentations


 FOLD: Papercraft Dinosaurs
Synthesizer Interface Design
Kit-based Education
Modular Circuit Design
Demolition Man: Demolished
Interfaces for Electronic Music
Noise in Audio Feedback Systems
Designing Destiny Clock
Binary Fluency: Into to Digital Logic
Generating Electric Lipograms
Enclosure Design for Electronic Devices
Alternative Controllers for Games
InterACTIVE Music Princeton: StudioLab
Princeton Laptop Orchestra
IgniteSTEM Conference
NYU: Tandon School of Engineering
NYU: Anything But Games
Circuit Benders Ball
Parsons: Center for Transformative Media
Eyebeam: Art + Technology Center
Parsons: Center for Transformative Media
Writhing Society at Proteus Gowanus
Parsons: dorkShop
Bloomfield College
Make Music New York


2024
2022
2022
2018
2018
2016
2015
2015
2014
2014
2013
2012
2010
Recent Professional Development


 Improving Business Processes
Safety Management Fundamentals
Building a Safety Culture
Advanced Safety Management
Mitigating Bias in the Hiring Process
Understanding Performance Appraisals
Bias, Power, and Communication Princeton: Human Resources
Princeton: Environmental Health & Safety
Princeton: Environmental Health & Safety
Princeton: Environmental Health & Safety
Princeton: Human Resources
Princeton: Human Resources
Princeton: Human Resources


2024
2023
2023
2023
2023
2023
2023


Notes
  1. The Donald Griffin Management Award recognizes those employees whose experiences and responsibilities indicate potential for leadership or the expansion of leadership skills and continuing contributions. Awarded annually to two employees.

  2. Spot Awards recognize one-time exceptional achievements or contributions to the University’s mission above and beyond one’s normal job responsibilities.

  3. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

  4. Sexual Harassment, Assault Advising, Resources and Education