Located in the heart of Minneapolis’ Whittier neighborhood, the Alfred F. Pillsbury House, or “Pillsbury Castle”, is a testament to architectural history. It’s also the first house in seven years to be named an American Society for Interior Designers (ASID) MN Design House. As part of the process, ASID invited interior design students from the College of Design to partner with professional designers in preserving and transforming the house.
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.
University of Minnesota students are hungry for interdisciplinary learning experiences that reflect contemporary design practice and tackle the complexity of design in the era of climate change. This was reflected in the unprecedented outpouring of interest in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2023 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. Hosted at the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), the decathlon invites college students from around the world to design high-performance net-zero energy buildings that simultaneously promote environmental sustainability and social equity.
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.
Now in its tenth year, the Steelcase Next Design Competition is a national contest for undergraduate students hosted by Steelcase, Inc. This year’s competition was fierce, with more than 1,200 entrants and 77 design programs represented from across the U.S. and Canada. Despite the number of entries, the College of Design had two interior design students named semi-finalists: Addison Cameron and Sarah Olney!
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.
Professor Emerita Becky Yust didn’t intend to pursue a career in academia. Originally set on becoming an interior designer, the advice and support she received from professors led her to pursue a career as an educator. During her time in higher education, Yust has served as a professor, program chair, department head, and even the College of Design’s interim dean. Over the course of her career, she’s mentored countless students, faculty members, and staff, helping them to find their own paths. After almost five decades of service, Yust celebrated her last semester at the University of Minnesota (UMN) in May 2022. In this interview, she reflects on her career, the challenges she faced, and shares advice for academics and designers.
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.
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.
Professor Tasoulla Hadjiyanni (Interior Design) has been selected as the Imagine Fund 2021–2023 Arts, Design, and Humanities (ADH) Chair.
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.
The following is a guest post written by Professor Stephanie Zollinger (Interior Design), creator of the Jack Lenor Larsen Oral History Project.
Professor Tasoulla Hadjiyanni’s (Interior Design) latest release, The Right to Home: Exploring How Space, Culture, and Identity Intersect with Disparities, studies interior design’s role in addressing health, income, and educational inequities.
When the decision was made to shift classes to remote learning, faculty, students, and staff undertook one of the biggest teaching and learning challenges to date. As the semester wraps up, our interior design instructors share how they adapted their spring classes to remote learning, the challenges they faced in the process, and what they learned through the experience.
Led by Professor Tasoulla Hadjiyanni (Interior Design), the Culturally Enriched Communities (CEC) Initiative champions healthy and connected communities in which everyone can thrive.
After decades of dormancy, Professor Tom Fisher (MDC) has helped revive, along with a number of enthusiastic students, the Tau Sigma Delta fraternity at the College of Design.
A new minor being offered in the College of Design this fall will provide graduate and undergraduate students across the University with the opportunity to study new design and technological advances in the field of lighting.
A collaboration between Professor Abimbola Asojo (Interior Design) and Professors Dolapo Amole and Babatunde Jaiyeoba of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in lle-lfe, Osun, Nigeria has culminated in the development of the first interior design program at a Nigerian university.
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.
Learning abroad is one of the best ways to expand your horizons and differentiate yourself in an increasingly globalized market. Whether through a may term trip, a semester abroad, or through a seminar class, design students are encouraged to take advantage of the many learning abroad opportunities available at the University.
Design and nondesign students alike have been challenged to unravel and explore concepts such as culture and identity in DES 4165/5165 Design and Globalization.
Universal design is the practice of designing an environment in such a way that it is accessible and usable by the greatest number of people possible, no matter their age, cultural background, or ability.
Join students, faculty, and staff at the College of Design for final presentations and reviews showcasing design projects and research from our various disciplines.
Interior design students have a new way to connect with one another and the design community in the revamped Interior Design Student Association (IDSA). This year’s senior class has expanded the student group by creating larger scale events and focusing on forging connections between students and the local design community. Student group leader Abigail Lundstrom tells us more in this interview.
