Profile
Michele Gorman is the co-Director of the MFA Interior Design program and Professor of Interiors, Objects, and Technology at Parsons School of Design. With 18 years of experience as a design educator, her work centers on radical inclusion, access, decoloniality, and mixed realities (AR/AI) to address social and environmental justice.
Gorman is a pioneer in integrating immersive technologies into the interior design studio, exploring how tools like augmented reality and artificial intelligence can democratize agency and authorship, innovating design as an agent of social change. As a co-founder of the Radically Inclusive Studio and the Sensory Inclusion Lab, she advocates for open-access pedagogical practices and non-hierarchical design environments.
Her research initiative, the Decolonized & Decarbonized Dinner Party series, creates collaborative spaces that foster "radical belonging" while addressing the global climate crisis through regenerative practices. Professionally, Gorman has designed award-winning multimedia exhibitions and interior spaces for clients including the Public Theater, Target, and Green-Wood Cemetery.
As an interior designer and technologist, Gorman co-curated and designed the recent Parsons exhibition Making Space as Matrix, which reflects on second-wave feminist architectural practices—specifically the work of Susana Torre and the Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative. This project pushes forward discussions on non-hierarchical, co-designed practices and feminist design legacies. Her commitment to feminist space is further reflected in her work with the collective ArchiteXX, for whom she has designed award-winning multimedia objects and exhibitions like Now What?! Advocacy, Activism, and Alliances in American Architecture since 1968.
She holds a Master of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BS in Interior Design from the University of North Carolina. Her upcoming research continues to investigate inclusive design strategies and the future of generative and immersive technologies in design.
Degrees Held
Masters of Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design
Architecture study abroad, China Academy of Art
BS Interior Design (magna cum laude), University of North Carolina
Interior Design study abroad, Manchester Metropolitan University
Professional Affiliation
, Interior Design Education Council
NCARB
NAAB
Recent Publications
(upcoming) Gorman, Michele (2026)Inclusive Studio Ecologies: Toward Radical Belonging in Interior Pedagogy forThe Routledge Companion to Human-Centered Interior Design, edited by William Mangold, Tina Patel,Kendra Ordia,Rana Abudayyeh,Routledge.
(upcoming) The Future of Generative Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Interior Design, Parsons School of Design
: chapter contribution: A Decolonized Decarbonized Dinner Party.Co-authored with Yvette Chaparro and Preeti Gopinath.(aylor Francis, in press 2025)
A Sensory and Spatially Inclusive Accessibility Guide for Higher Education Spaces and Exhibitions Toolkit. Co-authored with Sugandha Gupta.(Parsons School of Design, in press, 2025)
Gorman, M., Chaparro, Y., Gopinath, P.,New York: Parsons / 鶹ýɫƬ.
Gorman, M., Chaparro, Y., Gopinath, P., New York: Parsons / 鶹ýɫƬ.
Gorman, M., Chaparro, Y., Gopinath, P., (2022).New York: Parsons / 鶹ýɫƬ.
Gorman, Michele, Morkel, Jolanda, Delport, Hermie Voulgarelis, & Burton, Lindy Osborne (2021)In Salama, Ashraf, Harriss, Harriet, & Gonzalez Lara, Ane (Eds.).Routledge.
Companion website:
Gorman, Michele, Morkel, Jolanda, Delport, Hermie, & Burton, Lindy Osborne (2021)Wordpress.2020
Additional Radically Inclusive Studio publications:
Delport, Hermie, Morkel, Jolanda, Gorman, Michele, & Burton, Lindy Osborne (2023)Design Studios for Sustainable Cities and Communities: A Radically Inclusive Perspective. In Ike, Obiora, Ekué, Amélé Adamavi-Aho, Singh, Divya, & Usher, Jane (Eds.)Leading Ethical Leaders: Higher Education, Business Schools and the Sustainable Development Goals.. (Forthe United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: sustainable cities and communities)
Delport, Hermie Voulgarelis, Burton, Lindy Osborne, Morkel, Jolanda De Villiers, & Gorman, Michele (2022)In Malebo, Ntsoaki & Behari-Leak, Kasturi (Eds.)
Morkel, Jolanda, Delport, Hermie, Burton, Lindy Osborne, & Gorman, Michele (2021)InUnsettling Paradigms: The Decolonial Turn in the Humanities Curriculum in South Africa, 2021-08-10 - 2021-08-11.
Delport, Hermie Voulgarelis, Morkel, Jolanda De Villiers, Gorman, Michele, & Burton, Lindy Osborne (2021)InEducation Academy Remote Teaching Workshop, Dublin,Ireland.
2020 HELTASA Conference: Creating Enabling Learning Spaces for All. Vol. 1. [ 2020 ed.]. Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA), Bloemfontein, South Africa, pp. 82-84.
Additional publications:
Goman, M., Masimova, M., (2023),
Performances and Appearances
Recent Exhibitions, Talks, Collaborations, Roundtables, Workshops, Written Contributions, Interviews, and Dinner Parties:
, Parsons School of Design, Rituals of Belonging within the Radically Inclusive Studio and public talk (Gorman and Tate), March 3rd - 6th at Parsons West: 2 West 13th Street.
panel: A Decarbonized Decolonized Dinner Party (Gorman, Gopinath, Chaparro) February 20th, 2026
Exhibition: Kellen Gallery at Parsons School of Design (2 West 13th Street, NYC). Co-curated with Brian McGrath; co-designed with Christine Facella. November 24th, 2025 - January 9th, 2026.
Exhibition: A Decolonized Decarbonized Dinner Party at Parsons School of Design (2022-2025) (2 West 13th Street windows at 5th Avenue, NYC). Co-curated and designed with Yvette Chaparro and Preeti Gopinath. November 2025 - present. Now on view.
2025 AICAD Symposium at Pratt Institute: Decolonial and Sustainable Approaches II: Radical pedagogy and inclusive design practices in design education: Case Study: A Decolonized Decarbonized Dinner Party (Gorman and Chaparro) AICAD Conference, 14 November 2025
Workshop: A Decolonized Decarbonized Dinner Party Workshop at , August 2025
Innovative Education Fellowship, 鶹ýɫƬ, September - December 2025
Innovative Education Fellowship School of Constructed Environments Workshops: Spring 2026
NYCxDesign 2025:
; A Live Event Series Exploring Artificial Intelligence, Friction, and the Futures of Learning and Creativity: Designing with the Unknown, a "fishbowl" conversation with Michele Gorman, Katrin Bichler, and Hyon Woo Scott Chung who reimagine pedagogy as improvisation. Event hosted by Parsons School of Design's Carly Cannell and Cotter Christian, May 20th, 2025.
Melbourne Design Week 2025:
, hosted by RMIT, at the Melbourne School of Design on May 15th, 2025
Parsons MFA Interior Design Thesis Exhibition
The Radically Inclusive Studio recognized by the , April 2025.
, April 19th, 2025, Governors Island. Co-hosted withYvette Chaparro and Preeti Gopinath.
A Survey of Artificial Intellegence in Interior Design Professional Practice, Parsons School of Design, April 2025
, NYIT keynote speaker, "The Future of Radical Inclusion in Interior Design Education", moderated by Francesca Romana Forlini, April 2nd, 2025 at New York Institute of Technology, NYC Columbus Circle campus.
Interior Design Ecucation Council panel: "Graduate Interior Design Programs and Accreditation, or Why Not All Graduate Programs, CIDA?" Co-moderated with Nadia Elrokhsy. March 18th, 2025, at Columbia College.
eFoods 2024 Conference: : ID111:A Decolonized Decarbonized Dinner Party, November 2024, Elisava University, Barecelona, Spain. Co-presented with Yvette Chaparro and Preeti Gopinath.
interview with Julie Lasky for Elle Decor on "Will A.I. Replace Decorators", June 2024
(not a typo), , March 2024
Decentering the Design Canon, an interview on the 2022 and 2023 Decolonized & Decarbonized Dinner Party, written by Julia Rubin, January 2024
Generative Artificial Intelligence in Design, (Gorman, Masimova, Georgieva), , October 17th, 2023
: Shaking Up Grades Panel: An Ecology of Radically Inclusive Pedagogy in the Design Studio (Gorman, Matejik), Richmond, Virginia, October 13th, 2023
A Decolonized Decarbonized Talk, School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, (Gorman, intro by Boulanger), 2023.
, and passcodeL.2R5Yi#@, (Gorman, Chaparro, Gopinath, Trelles, Zegarra, El Bakry, Phiri, Boulanger), 2023
A Decolonized Decarbonized Dinner Party, Governors Island, 2023 (Gorman, Chaparro, Gopinath,Moss, Roth, Seck, Dai, Shah, Maldonado, Sura, Bhide, Gaitan, Kikita, Yu, Thies, Zimmerman, Moraka, Tasneem, Konstantinidi, Moss, Hernandez, Barnes, Naledi, Nelia, Matheka, Siya, Chemonges)
2023 Radically Inclusive Studio Facilitated Conversation: An open access conversation on radically inclusive practices in the DESIGN STUDIO (Gorman, Delport, Morkel),Cape Institute for Architecture, Cape Town, South Africa, 2023
for Kimberly Ackert'sRaising Looking Beyond: Glass Ceilingseminar (Gorman, Yadav), 2023
(Michele Gorman, gBoyega Adefope, Yetunde Olaiya, Julianknxx, and Wandile Mthiyane), 鶹ýɫƬ Public Program, 2022.
and Workshops (Gorman, Chaparro, Gopinath), Parsons, 2022
Report on the future of the home, Expert interview with, 2022.Assistant Professor of Interiors, Objects and Technology, Michele Gorman, interviewed for Dazed report on the shifting definitions ofhome:
, Interview forKaleidoverse Metaverse contest, 2022
, Talk + Roundtable Discussion, Pratt School of Architecture, 2022
Interview foron The Radically Inclusive Studio and feminst design collectives, (interviewed by Daniela Gachago and Maha Bali) 2022
Delport, Hermie Voulgarelis, Burton, Lindy Osborne, Morkel, Jolanda De Villiers, & Gorman, Michele (2020)In Malebo, Ntsoaki & Behari-Leak, Kasturi (Eds.) 2020 HELTASA Conference: Creating Enabling Learning Spaces for All. Vol. 1. [ 2020 ed.]. Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA), Bloemfontein, South Africa, pp. 82-84.
Morkel, Jolanda, Delport, Hermie, Burton, Lindy Osborne, & Gorman, Michele (2021)InUnsettling Paradigms: The Decolonial Turn in the Humanities Curriculum in South Africa, 2021-08-10 - 2021-08-11.
Delport, Hermie Voulgarelis, Morkel, Jolanda De Villiers, Gorman, Michele, & Burton, Lindy Osborne (2021) Edication Academy Remote Teaching WOrkshop: WS3: "Judging from a Distance: Final Jury and Assessment."InEducation Academy Remote Teaching Workshop, Dublin,Ireland.
Present Gradeless Assessment Pilot to Parsons School Curriculum Committee, (Gorman, Matejcik), Parsons, 2022
Present Gradeless Assessment Pilot at, (Gorman, Matejcik), Parsons, 2022
Talk onRadical Design PedagogyandGradeless Assessmentfor Cotter Christian'sDesign Teachingseminar, 2022
Talk onMistresses of Design Dinner Party and Spatial Collectivesfor Kimberly Ackert'sRaising Looking Beyond: Glass Ceilingseminar (Gorman, Imperiale), 2022
Interior Design Education Council:(Gorman, Christian, Khew, Bennett, Elefterin), 2021
EAAE Workshop:(Gorman, Delport, Morkel, Osborne-Burton), 2021
Paradigm (Gorman, Delport, Morkel, Osborne-Burton), 2021
Parsons Curriculum Day: Future Visioning for the Radically Inclusive Studio (Gorman, Delport, Morkel), 2021
Talk onFabricating in Mixed Realityfor Jonsara Ruth's MFA Interior Design Fabrication and Processes course, 2021
Parsons MFA Interior Design Roundtable series, 2021
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Constructing the Virtual Studio, 2020 + 2021
, (Delport, Morkel, Gorman, Osborne-Burton), 2021
, 2020
Towards an Equitable School: Equitable Town Hall I + II, Pratt School of Architecture, 2020
Public Workshop / Collaborative Engagement::(鶹ýɫƬ), 2020 (Gorman and Perez de Vega), 2020
Gorman, M., Perez de Vega, E, Harriss, H., Morton, T. 2020, Decolonizing the Architecture Review: A Case Study in Designing an Equitable Review, Pratt Institute, online video, Talks. https://talks.pratt.edu/media/t/1_iz0soo26/41641711
The Dinner Party, Mistresses of Pratt, Coordinator of a 40 person team of faculy, students, staff. Coordinating the making and designing of unique place settings, food, drink and event, licenses, media, websites, researchers, and special guests for feminist dinner party performance and event at President Frances Bronet’s House, March 2020.
CodeXX Feminist Roundtables + Design Action Exhibitions, 2013-current
Exhibition Design:, 2018
Feminist Roundatables around the theme of New Feminist Practices and Ecofeminism: Feminist Domestic Mutations, 2020, Xenofeminism and the Post Natural, 2019
WIKIPEDIA EDIT-A-THON SESSIONS, 2016-current: A feminist Wikipedia workshop to write the women of architecture into Wikipedia.
CodeXX Roundtable discussion series: Curator, Coordinator + Researcher for a series of topics affecting women in design. “Future Practices”, “Surface Matters: Sandra Wheeler”, “Engineering Tactics: Mediating Designn, Politics, + Practice: Eunjeong Seong, + The Environmental Tipping Point in Design: “Can Design Save the Climate Refugee?” 2015 Jan ‘13- present
Exhibitions: Private Choices, Public Spaces, 2014 (鶹ýɫƬ) in collaboration with ArchiteXX. Provides a venue for exhibiting designs, meeting, presentations, and design reivews for the last abortion clinic in Mississippi based around the research of Lori Brown.
Public Workshop / Collaborative Engagement: Radical Education Today: Architecture and Posthuman Life (鶹ýɫƬ), 2020 (Gorman and Perez de Vega)
Public Talk: Hour lecture on Michele Gorman’s creative work for Architecture, Objects, Technology and Social Justice at Parsons School of Constructed Environments, 2020
Zoom Talk: HELTASA (Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa) 2020 Conference: INCLUSIVE SPATIAL PRACTICES FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION: EXPLORING THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO, (Delport, Gorman, Morkel, Osborne, Burton), December 3rd, 2020, https://heltasa.org.za/heltasa-conference-2020/ https://youtu.be/8vBfmmb7pCM
Zoom Talk: Creating a Virtual Commons, Urban Morphologies: Teaching Architecture Online: Methods and Outcomes, May, 2020 (Gorman) https://labs.ozyegin.edu.tr/drum/2020/05/20/teaching-architecture-online-methods-and-outcomes/
Zoom Talk: Gorman, M. 2020, Creating a Virtual Commons, Pratt Institute Consortium for Research and Robotics, online video, viewed June 17, 2020, https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/18F1da79-2NIEqv82GqFR6V8LNnJX6a80CIf_aUNyfFnNmyAV7QUGy9ZQ7wdRCk .
Zoom Talk: Mistresses of Architecture, Fosters and Partners, 2020.
Zoom Talk: SoA Equitable Town Hall I, II, II, 2020 / 2021
Zoom Listening Session: Towards an Equitable School, 2020, Co-hosted with Jerrod Delaine, 2020
Research Interests
Immersive and Inclusive Interior Design, Accessible Exhibition Design, Social Justice and Design Activism, Climate Justice, Interiority, Decoloniality, Intensifying the Built Environment though Mixed Realities, Democratizing Design Technology, Radically Inclusive Pedagogy and Curricula, Feminist Design Pedagogy, Design Research Methodologies
Portfolio