Denisse Michelle Cotto Reyes

MFA design & technology
**Denisse Cotto Reyes** is a multidisciplinary creative whose work spans acting, poetry, dance, design, and technology. Her practice explores storytelling as a tool for emotional expression, human connection, and social reflection across both artistic and digital mediums.

As an actress, poet, and dancer, Denisse uses performance and movement to communicate experiences that are often difficult to express through words alone. Her work is rooted in authenticity, empathy, and emotional depth, drawing from personal narrative and socially conscious themes. She views dance as a powerful form of expression and connection, allowing emotion, memory, and identity to take physical form.

In addition to her artistic practice, Denisse is passionate about design, research, and coding. She enjoys building interactive and human-centered experiences that merge creativity with technology, using digital tools to explore new forms of storytelling and communication. Her interdisciplinary approach reflects a commitment to creating work that is thoughtful, expressive, and impactful.

 People Start to Feel How They Are Treated:  

2026

Designing Trauma-Informed Communication Systems Thesis Overview — Hold Hold is a trauma-informed design thesis that explores how institutional communication can unintentionally harm people experiencing trauma, crisis, stress, or emotional overwhelm. The project examines how systems such as healthcare, education, welfare, law enforcement, and social services often expect individuals to communicate clearly and regulate themselves during […]

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