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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Keeping goods in a circle of reuse is one of the easiest ways consumers can help reduce waste and save money. But understanding product life cycles and the positive impact of reuse can be daunting for consumers who want to get started. Retail merchandising students in RM 3124: Consumers of Design teamed up with the Hennepin County Choose to Reuse team to research solutions for helping consumers prioritize reuse over purchasing new.
Students, alumni, and retail leaders from across Minnesota and beyond gathered virtually on Tuesday, October 26 for Retail Connect 2021. The annual event brings industry and academic communities together to address the challenges and innovations shaping the retail landscape.
The College of Design’s Center for Retail Design and Innovation (CRDI) has entered into the biggest partnership in its history with omnichannel retailer Kohl’s. Based outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kohl’s financial commitment over a three-year period will support CRDI’s work to enrich the student experience in retail merchandising.
Two of the core tenants of the Center for Retail Design and Innovation’s (CRDI) mission are to connect retail merchandising students with retail professionals and to give students the opportunity to work on real-world projects. This fall, students in RM 3124: Consumers of Design tackled a research project given to them by Décor Senior Vice President of Brand Management and alumna of the College of Design, Jaime Curtis.
The retail merchandising program is proud to share that, as part of its 2020 Retail Connect event, it was able to provide individual scholarships to six current retail students: Courtney Clark, Caroline Geiger, Pei Jet Teh, Olivia Rein, Annie Skogen, and Kersten Wetterstrom.
At the onset of planning for Retail Connect 2020, event organizers thought their largest obstacle would be overhauling the event’s brand—then the pandemic hit followed swiftly by the killing of George Floyd.
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.
Like industries and higher education institutions across the globe, the Retail Merchandising Program has had to quickly shift to working and learning remotely. Through the use of new technology and ingenuity, retail merchandising faculty, staff, and students have come together to embrace this new learning landscape.
On December 3, students, faculty, and staff celebrated the official opening of the new Center for Retail Design and Innovation (CRDI).
On the second floor of McNeal Hall, a new research center is opening its doors. Designed to connect retail industry professionals with faculty and students, the new Center for Retail Design and Innovation (CRDI) brings a unique design thinking approach to retail industry problems.
The current retail landscape is characterized by constant innovation, with new technologies connecting retailers and consumers in ways that were previously unimaginable. In this rapidly changing environment, small business owners are left vulnerable and under pressure to compete for consumer attention and patronage.
Accompanied by retail merchandising instructors Peggy Lord and Jaye Thompson, students from retail merchandising, apparel design, the College of Liberal Arts, and Carlson School of Management attended the 2019 NRF Foundation Student Program in New York City January 9 through 13.
Over the past decade, the retail landscape has changed dramatically. Consumers can now shop for anything, anytime, anywhere, all from their smartphones.
A fundamental part of working as a professional designer is the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with designers across disciplines. This fall, retail merchandising students in RM 4216 and graphic design students in GDES 3352 are learning these skills by working together on a single branding project.
Home to some of the largest and most important clothing designers and retailers in the world, New York City looms large in the imagination of any design student. This year, 17 retail merchandising and apparel design students had the chance to spend their spring break in the city that never sleeps and get a behind the scenes look at some of the biggest retailers in the world.
From redesigning patient hospital gowns to creating a greenhouse for the winter months, College of Design faculty and graduate students work on the forefront of design research.
The self-checkout counter. It’s a common sight in grocery stores across the nation. But what impact does it have on the design of a store and on the people who use it?
In partnership with University Extension’s Neil Linscheid, Associate Professors Hye-Young Kim, Hyunjoo Im, and Ph.D. students Claire Whang and Sanga Song have developed the Joint Retail Assistance Program, a project designed to forge connections between retail merchandising students and retailers in rural Minnesota.
This Thursday, students and industry professionals will gather for the College of Design’s annual event, Retail Connect. This year’s event will focus specifically on entrepreneurship and the role entrepreneurs play in our global economy.
If there is one thing students in Toy Product Design know, it’s how to play hard and work even harder. All semester long, they’ve been creating the next big thing in toy design and on May 3rd all of that hard work will pay off when they present their final products at PLAYsentations.
This summer, all College of Design programs lead to Rome with our first open interdisciplinary studio Italian Design Studio: Blending Tradition and Innovation.
