Joy Ko is an artist and educator whose teaching, research, and writing explore the use of computation and digital technologies to augment and extend the creative process. Since 2021, she has guided the work of the Virtual Textiles Research Group (VTRG) at RISD, developing methodologies that bridge traditional textile knowledge with digital material creation through partnerships with HP, Adobe, CLO, and artisan communities in India. Her research focuses on scanning, simulating, and creating functional digital materials that preserve the tactile knowledge and behavioral properties of physical textiles for next-generation manufacturing applications.

Trained as a mathematician, she has found her way towards the intersection of mathematics, computation, art and design, and has devoted considerable effort to demystifying mathematics and computation for artists, designers, and manufacturers. She has captured some of these insights in Geometric Computation: Foundations for Design (Routledge, 2018) and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts. She believes art and design has a unique role in guiding society and industry: to anticipate changes, to explore these critically, and to show many possible futures. She has contributed to multiple departments at RISD including Architecture, Textiles, and Industrial Design.