Blake Weber

Location
San Francisco, California

Education
University of Southern California, USC School of Architecture and USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Urban Planning; Claremont Mckenna College, B.A., Psychology and Government, additional course sequence in Human Rights, Genocide and Holocaust Studies.

Introduction
Blake is a design researcher with a multidisciplinary background, including psychology, landscape architecture, urban planning, and political science.

He is driven by a deep desire to understand the needs of users and help create human-centered spatial experiences. Blake’s range of project work allows him to combine client insights with industry trends, benchmarking, and best practices to best inform the development of custom-tailored strategic solutions.

Briefly describe some highlights of your first year at Gensler and in the DSD Program.
Working with a range of tech clients in the San Francisco Bay Area who want to provide their employees with the best employee experience. This allowed me to contextualize our work within larger company initiatives and understand the true value of our services.

What has been one of the most valuable lessons learned during your first year?
How to do spatial ethnographic research! Both qualitative and quantitative, it’s been a remarkable opportunity and I’ve become comfortable across a range of research methodologies.

Briefly describe your current day to day.
No day is ever the same. Throughout a week I wear a multitude of hats ranging from change management and workplace strategy to workplace experience survey analysis.

What advice would you give someone applying to the DSD Program?
Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine! Use the application as an opportunity to tell your story in a way that is meaningful for you.

Describe the San Francisco office in 3 words or less?
Dynamic, nimble, and strategic.