Layered Cityscapes - Mel Isidor

Layered Cityscapes: Tools, techniques, and creative process for collage design in Photoshop

Presentation Summary:
Mel's presentation will demonstrate creative processes and technical workflows for creating layered cityscape compositions in Photoshop, led by Mel from Isidor Studio who brings an interdisciplinary background in urban planning, design, and mixed-media art. The session combines portfolio presentation with live demonstrations, showing how to bridge traditional collage techniques with digital tools for urban storytelling.

Bio:
Mel Isidor is a designer, urban planner, and mixed-media artist based between Seattle, WA, and Boston, MA. Since 2020, she has been leading Isidor Studio, her consultancy dedicated to exploring the intersections of art, design, and urbanism.

Mel’s creative spirit stems from a fascination with the built environment—seeking to unpack how our urban fabric reflects people and culture. Her passions lie in work that connects multiple mediums and methodologies—including photography, collage, research, graphic design, web design, mapping, and illustration.

She holds a Master's in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Brown University (with distinction as an Engaged Scholar). She has been invited to speak on her work through a number of talks and lectures including the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), Yale University, and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).