Jessica Graves

Bio

Jessica Graves is a designer with a background in healthcare, research, and the creative arts, exploring how thoughtful design shapes human behavior, complex systems, and the way people interact with technology. Her work is driven by an interest in human factors, emerging technologies, and the relationship between physical form, materials, and systems.
Before joining Berkeley MDes, Jessica worked as a COVID ICU nurse, an ergonomics nurse at a manufacturing site, and a clinical research coordinator leading cardiac device trials involving artificial heart and valve technologies. Those experiences sparked her interest in designing for environments where small decisions can have profound human consequences. Alongside her healthcare career, she has led web and commercial interior design projects and creates human figure sculptures in clay and bronze, exploring how objects, spaces, and materials influence the way people think, move, and interact.
At Berkeley, Jessica plans to deepen her practice through interdisciplinary collaboration and fabrication while exploring sustainable biomaterials, women’s health, minimally invasive neurotechnology, robotics, and wearable technologies. She hopes to combine design, engineering, and entrepreneurship to develop products, systems, and technologies that address complex real-world challenges.