Prescott, Arizona (Feb. 4, 2026) – Lindsay Masten moved to the Verde Valley in 2018 and was working remotely as a Creative Director for an agency when she saw a job posting for an instructor at Yavapai College.
“I have a disease that makes me hate free time and I really wanted more in-person connections in my life, so I thought to myself ‘I’ve always wanted to teach!’”
Masten said that she’s someone that people may refer to as multi-disciplinary. She has plural backgrounds in architecture, graphic design, digital development, and marketing. Masten taught herself to code websites in the 1990s in her garage, earned a Bachelor of Architecture, and worked at a couple of architecture firms while designing as a freelancer. She went on to work as an editorial designer for a newspaper publisher, then earned an MFA in Graphic Design while working at design and advertising agencies.
Since joining Yavapai College in 2022, Masten says that her role as an instructor has been invigorating.
“Sharing the design field and all its possibilities with students, most of whom haven’t been exposed to it before, is exciting,” Masten said. “And I’ve been fortunate to have been able to apply design methodologies to the updating and creation of new degrees to better serve our students.”
Masten said that the largest area of growth in employment opportunities, especially in Arizona, is in the technology sector.
“Those designers help create user experiences and interfaces for the web, software, and in-person (XR),” Masten said. “Designers are also needed for product and packaging development—print isn’t dead, it’s just not about publishing anymore—and this extends everywhere from grocery store aisles to car dashboards to store signage. And of course, there’s always advertising and marketing design.”
Design is everywhere, according to Masten. She said that design affects our experience of nearly all aspects of our daily lives, often in ways that are so integral that we don’t consciously notice its presence. She said that she often tell students, “There’s no such thing as ‘no design’, only a spectrum of poor to effective design.” Masten said that if a person makes a thing, then it is designed, whether it’s a building, a toaster, or a software user interface.
“As the digital world becomes increasingly influential, formal design training prepares students for a wide range of careers in emerging industries where differentiation depends on design,” Masten said. “Not only in terms of appearance, but in process and feeling. How a tool or product is used is one of the most important aspects of design.”
Masten shared that her biggest challenge at Yavapai College is simultaneously her biggest win: the creation of Bachelor of Design in Visual Design degree program (pending accreditation approval from the Higher Learning Commission).
“I’m thrilled to have been given the tools, trust, and especially the help needed to create it. I didn’t do it alone, and so this win isn’t mine alone, it’s Yavapai College’s win but it still feels great for me,” Masten said. “My next challenge will be growing the degree, and as a component of that, growing the design culture in Prescott and the Verde Valley. I’ve found some amazing faculty who are working professionals here and nearby, so I know this area is ripe for more design culture.”
Design nourishes people who are compelled to create, Masten said.
“There’s a quote by internet web designer Jeffrey Zeldman: ‘Designers don’t retire, we die,’” Masten said. “A designer is a type of person as much as a job description. Regardless of what I’m designing—whether it’s a store endcap or a baccalaureate degree—the iterative process of design is the same.”
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, four baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about Yavapai College, visit www.yc.edu.
