Joan Grasser

Joan brings over 25 years of professional design experience to the IDS team, with a background rooted in graphic design and a focused evolution into landscape architecture. At IDS, she supports the design and coordination of custom single-family residential projects, school and childcare nature-play environments, and assists with master planning documents, site layouts, and design development across project phases.

After a successful career in graphic design, Joan pursued her passion for the outdoor environment through the Landscape Architecture program at UCLA Extension. Her transition into landscape architecture is a natural progression—drawing on a deep understanding of composition, scale, and visual storytelling that translates seamlessly from graphic to spatial design.

Joan is a Bay Area native with a penchant for part shade. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bates College and lives in Marin with her family. She takes tremendous pride in the vegetables and fruits she grows at home, a practice that fosters patience, optimism, and a deep curiosity about natural systems.