About Jaimie Ota : Jaimie Ota is a student studying Industrial Design at Academy of Art University. Knowing that she wanted to pursue a career in arts and design, she began her undergraduate studies at Pasadena City College. This is where she completed her general education, and began to explore her creative capabilities. After years of trying out different creative techniques (painting, illustration, graphic design, product design and the list goes on), she had an appreciation and interest in many outlets. After graduating with two degrees in Humanities and Communication Arts, she strived for more knowledge and transferred to Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. This was one of the few schools that offered higher education in a broad field called Visual Communications. This encompassed all desired aspects of her previous studies. She graduated Cum Laude and was immediately hired to work at a company that designed and created visual displays and props for major retail companies. She learned to create props for storefront, window displays. Her work has been displayed in many stores such as Macy’s, Nordstrom and St. John. Eventually, she wanted to develop designs that would help people with their lifestyle. Product design/industrial design is a broad process of creating new products from beginning to end. She now wants to learn how to identify problems, develop ideas and through a process, create efficient solutions. After she graduates, she hopes to work for companies to do design in home goods and furniture. During her quest for knowledge, she acquired several scholarships and worked part-time to support her pursuit of her pathway. She works as a freelancer, personal assistant, dog-sitter and a caregiver.