I am Ariel Cotton.  I'm an artist, product designer, & maker of interactive things.

I craft beautiful, human-centered interfaces for web and mobile applications. I draw and write comics about life in Berlin and New York City. I even tinker with electronics and make interactive art from time to time.


I am an artist and designer with roots in New York City and Berlin, and my studio is now located in Brooklyn. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts at The Cooper Union in New York City. I’ve had drawings and comics exhibited, published and sold across North America and Europe. I have over a decade of experience doing product design, and have worked for clients such as NASDAQ, UNICEF, Qualcomm, and Techniker Krankenkasse. My design work has also won an award in the Mozilla Wireless Innovation for a Networked Society Challenge.

I am an observer of humanity, and I am fascinated by people’s stories, especially the ones that don’t get told often enough. My drawings reflect the universes I enter; every street corner and subway ride provide inspiration. Similarly, my design work is human-centered, focused on empathy for users. My creative process never stops; whether I’m on the train, in a cafe, or taking a walk, I carry a notebook everywhere, and am constantly sketching or jotting down ideas.

View my design resume and artist CV here.

Select Exhibits

Die Streichelwurst, magazine release party #11 and exhibition
ACUD MACHT NEU • Berlin, Germany
2019
Old World New World, solo exhibition
Tapir Gallery • Berlin, Germany
2018
June, group exhibition
D’Clinic Studios • Zalaegerszeg, Hungary
2016
Warp Zone, group exhibition
The Vondelbunker • Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2015
Black and White, juried exhibition
Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition • Brooklyn, NY, USA
2015
Too Much Information, solo exhibition
Tiny Montgomery • Brooklyn, NY, USA
2015
Containers for the Self, juried exhibition
Black Earth Gallery • Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
2015
Gonna Put A Hacks On You, solo exhibition
Littlefield • Brooklyn, NY, USA
2014
NYC Resistor Interactive Show, group exhibition
NYC Resistor • Brooklyn, NY, USA
2014
The Path of Resistance, solo exhibition
Cooper Gallery • New York, NY, USA
2013

Talks

Design as Language
Design Lab Berlin • Berlin, Germany
2018
Art and Self-Indulgence
Takt Kunstprojektraum • Berlin, Germany
2017
The World is Your Interface
Beyond Tellerrand • Berlin, Germany
2016
Interdisciplinary Design
Up.Front • Berlin, Germany
2015
Physical Interaction Design
Software for Artists Day • Brooklyn, NY, USA
2014
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