Sam Anvari
Sam Anvari is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at California State University, Long Beach. A graphic and interaction designer with more than 20 years of hands-on experience, his work spans UX/UI, mobile/web platforms, and human-centered systems.
Sam earned his MFA in Graphic Design from Otis College of Art and Design, where he studied under Kali Nikitas, Stuart Bailey, and Dr. Erik Spiekermann. He also holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering, a background that informs his systems-based approach to problem-solving in design. His research and teaching focus on interface design, accessibility, design systems, and prototyping, with an emphasis on creating clear and inclusive communication across digital platforms.
Alongside his academic work, Sam is an independent consultant. He has collaborated with agencies such as Edenspiekermann and Alice Inc., and advised on projects ranging from automotive UI design to medical data record systems and usability enhancements for medical devices. This active design practice keeps his teaching directly connected to industry challenges, while his students benefit from applied, research-driven perspectives on contemporary design.
Sam’s research has been presented internationally, including at the Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE) Conference, the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), The Design Principles & Practices, and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES).
- Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA, 2012 - Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering
Azad University, Tehran, 1998
- UX/UI – Interaction Design
- Mobile Application Design
- VR/AR
- Human-Centered Design
- Service Design
- Biomedical Engineering
- Human Factors in Psychology
- Typography – Design Systems
15th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2024)
Anvari, S., Woods, P. (2024). Localizing Graphical User Interfaces for Right-to-Left Languages: A Practical Study. In: Christine Leitner et al. (eds) The Human Side of Service Engineering. AHFE (2024). AHFE Open Access, vol 143. .
13th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2022)
Anvari, S.S., Hancock, G. (2022). Interdisciplinary Design Teaching: A pedagogical approach to train hands-on UX/UI designers. In: Christine Leitner et al. (eds) The Human Side of Service Engineering. AHFE (2022). AHFE Open Access, vol 62. .
Note: 3rd Place for Best Paper Award at AHFE 2022 Conference.
21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2021)
Anvari, S.S., Hancock, G.M., et al. (2021). Interface design for users with spinal cord injuries & disorders: An interdisciplinary research program with the US Department of Veterans Affairs. In: Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the IEA 2021. .
64th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (
Conference Presentations
20th International Conference on Design Principles & Practices (2026)
Anvari, S.S. (2026). XUI in Motion – Teaching Temporal Interface Design through a Portable AV Simulator. Rome, Italy. February 2026.
15th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2024)
Anvari, S., Woods, P. (2024). Localizing Graphical User Interfaces for Right-to-Left Languages: A Practical Study. Nice, France. July 2024.
17th International Conference on Design Principles & Practices (2023)
Anvari, S. (2023). P-English – Roots and Side Effects: Research into a Sub-lingual Script Emerging Out of the Internet Event. Lisbon Polytechnic, Portugal. March 2023.
College Art Association (CAA 2022) - Design Incubation Colloquium 8.2
Anvari, S.S. & Hancock, G.M. (2022). Interdisciplinary human-centered design research – Overcoming practical challenges before and during the pandemic. Chicago, IL (Virtual). March 2022.
13th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2022)
Anvari, S.S., Hancock, G.M., et al. (2022). Interdisciplinary design teaching: A pedagogical approach to train hands-on UX/UI designers. New York, NY (Virtual). July 2022.
12th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2021)
Anvari, S.S., Hancock, G.M., et al. (2021). UI design for medical devices: An interdisciplinary research program to enhance the usability and UX of environmental control units at VA hospitals. Manhattan, NY (Virtual). July 2021.
21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2021)
Anvari, S.S., Hancock, G.M., et al. (2021). Interface design for users with spinal cord injuries & disorders: An interdisciplinary research program with the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Vancouver, Canada (Virtual). June 2021.
22nd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCII 2020)
Anvari, S.S., et al. (2020). UX/UI research on ECU systems for inpatient care at VA hospitals: An overview of an ongoing research program. Copenhagen, Denmark (Virtual). July 2020.
14th International Conference on Design Principles & Practices (2020)
Acock, A., Anvari, S., & Vernon, Z. (2020). Creative Jammers: A Corporate-Sponsored, Multi-University, Cross-Disciplinary UX/UI Event. Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY (Virtual). March 2020.
Featured Publications
Anvari, S., Hancock, G. (2021, March). One Year Later: Giving Back to Our Veterans – Interdisciplinary Research During the Pandemic. Research@Beach Online Magazine.
Read Research@Beach (2021): Interdisciplinary Research During the Pandemic
Anvari, S., Hancock, G. (2020, March). Giving Back to Our Veterans: Art & Psychology Research to Improve Technology for Vets with Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders. Research@Beach Online Magazine.
Read Research@Beach (2020): Art & Psychology Research for Veterans
É«ÖÐÉ« BUILD – UROP, 2019 – Present
Member of the Board of Advisors, 2020 – Present
Director of Education, 2019 – 2021
Peer Reviewer
Art Gallery Jury
(University of Illinois Research Park)
Member – Peer Reviewer