Welcome to the #DragonFamily: Andy Bissonnette

Fargo native and MSUM alum Andy Bissonnette (GID '10) is the newest Associate Professor of Graphic & Interactive Design. He will be instructing students on the principles of design.

Q: What drew you to MSUM?
A: I originally graduated from MSUM. I was in Minneapolis for years, and my wife is from north Fargo, so this was kind of like coming back home.

Q: How do you prefer to start your workday?
A: In an ideal world, I get my workout in right away in the morning. That was before I had a son, but I'd like to get back to that.

Q: What's one thing you're learning now, and why is it important?
A: The ethical use of AI within design. I'm on the fence about it, but I'm trying to harness it in a way where I'm using my own content and using AI to help generate/edit parts while not pulling away from my artistic expression.

Q: If you could have three apps on your smartphone, what would they be?
A: Instagram, because it's good visual inspiration, 1Password, because it gives me different passwords for every account I have and stores them, and Procare, which daycares use to send photos of my kid to me throughout the day.

Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you?
A: I'm a die-hard Motocross fan, I watch it year-round.

Q: What's something-big or small-that you're really good at?
A: I have an interest in ceramics; it was my masters, so creating pottery is a side hustle for me. I do decorative and functional, and I'm able to interpret both through the principles of design.