Exciting transformations have taken place at the College of Design, as several spaces have been renovated to enhance the student experience. The college recently completed renovations in Rapson Hall Rooms 1 and 253; McNeal Hall Suite 32, 12, and 18; and 1425 University Ave. Rooms 75 and 175. All of the renovations have resulted in refreshed and reimagined areas that cater to the needs of students from across design programs.
The College of Design is pleased to announce that 12 of its individuals and teams received funding from the University’s 2023 Imagine Fund. These grants support innovative research in the arts, humanities, and design fields. Design faculty and researchers will use the funds for historical investigation and analysis, community-based design, and experimental technology applications.
Every year faculty, instructors, researchers, and students from across the College of Design present their research during the annual Research and Creative Scholarship Showcase. You can learn more about the 2023 presenters and their work in this year’s round-up.
On Thursday, June 1, Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel T.A. Croson announced the appointment of Dr. Prasad Boradkar as the next Dean of the College of Design, effective September 5, 2023.
Each spring, College of Design students from across our programs showcase their work through final reviews, presentations, and exhibitions. Join us in celebrating the end of the academic year by attending one of our final events!
The Goldstein Museum of Design's latest exhibitions explore the intersection of design with music and the natural world.
February is career month at the University of Minnesota! Open to current students and recent alumni the month is chock-full of job fairs, networking events, webinars, and workshops.
Graduating graphic design seniors will showcase their senior theses this December in “Graphic Content.” On display in Rapson Hall's HGA Gallery, the exhibition will run from Monday, December 5 to Wednesday, December 14 with a reception on the final date.
The College of Design invites current students and recent graduates to attend one of our fall career events! Are you an alumnus or employer who's hiring? Register to attend one of our events as an employer to meet our future designers.
In the spring of 2018 Teaching Specialist Bill Moran (Graphic Design) asked his students to design fabric wraps for the concrete pillars lining the basement of McNeal Hall. The project was a success, and it prompted Moran to ask himself, “Why not try this in the McNeal Hall Atrium?” The idea stuck with him and finally came to fruition in June 2022 when Moran solicited help from alumni, students, staff of the Goldstein Museum of Design, and received funding from the college’s Kusske Design Initiative to make his idea a reality.
From tackling the user experience design of the Metaverse to developing customized pediatric respiratory masks, our faculty are conducting research across the design fields and beyond. This spring, 12 faculty members received grants from the University’s Imagine Fund, which supports innovative research in the arts, humanities, and design fields.
Help celebrate our students’ hard work by joining the College of Design community for final reviews, exhibitions, and showcases featuring work from across our design disciplines.
Over the past two years, students, faculty, and staff have risen to the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic by embracing new technology and finding innovative ways to create valuable classroom experiences remotely. Yet, virtual learning and prioritizing safety for students have limited opportunities to work in-person with traditional tools such as the letterpress.
The concept that science can and should be accessible to all is the grounding principle behind the Science Communication Lab at the University of Minnesota. Founded to provide interdisciplinary internship opportunities, the lab has consistently attracted College of Design undergraduate students interested in creating stories or media that make complex research and scientific topics accessible to the general public.
Join College of Design students, faculty, and staff for virtual presentations and reviews showcasing final design projects and research from our various disciplines.
Searching for jobs and making early career decisions can be tough to navigate on your own. For 28 years, College of Design juniors, seniors, and graduate students have been matched with mentors in their field of study to help bridge the gap between academia and industry through the college’s award-winning mentorship program.
Assistant Professors Terresa Moses (University of Minnesota) and Lisa Mercer (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) first met at the University of North Texas as graduate students. Three years later, the two reunited to create the Racism Untaught toolkit—a resource to help design educators bring social impact projects and discussions of race, culture, and identity to their classrooms.
In 2017, a U of M alumna approached the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA) with an interesting idea: Create a fun, unique shirt only for members to kick off the school year and raise money to ignite student success.
The College of Design is excited to welcome a number of new, full-time faculty and staff to the college this fall. In addition, a number of our current staff and faculty have moved into different positions within the college.
Graphic design seniors graduating this summer are hosting a virtual exhibition to showcase their final projects on Friday, August 14. Titled “Fill in the Blank,” the exhibition theme is based around the idea of uncertainty.
Students in GDes 3353: Packaging and Display partnered with a student group from the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) last fall to create a brand identity for a proposed tap house on the St. Paul campus.
Whether it’s buying a coffee every morning or relying on take-out for dinner, convenience makes it easy to overlook the long-term consequences of our consumption choices. Last fall, graphic design students in 2399W: Design and its Discontents were challenged to examine their own consumption habits and create a tangible representation of what they discovered.
Growing up, there weren’t many picture books where Meenal Patel (B.S. ’06, Graphic Design) could see herself, a lack of representation that persists to this day. After witnessing first hand the impact picture books had on her nieces, this alumna decided to pursue her dream of becoming a children’s book author.
A new twist on a classic sketching assignment gives visitors to McNeal Hall a chance to compare student work directly with their inspiration. Using the Zappar app, students’ sketches are now on display throughout the building using augmented reality (AR).
You’re invited to the College of Design’s 2019 final reviews! Join students, faculty, and staff at final presentations from across our design programs and see first-hand the fantastic work our students have produced this year.
The following post was written by graphic design student Sophia Norwood.
An interdisciplinary partnership between College of Design faculty, the Goldstein Museum of Design (GMD), and Episcopal Homes Senior Housing and Care Services is developing virtual reality (VR) technology to expand access to exhibitions and other public events for low-income elder residents through the creation of a “VR Book Club.”
An anonymous faculty member and spouse have committed $1 million to support graduate students at the College of Design.
