The College of Design is proud to announce the launch of Minnesota’s first Bachelor of Science Degree in User Experience (UX) Design. Our four-year degree takes students on a journey into the intersection of design and science, where creativity meets analytical thinking to create exceptional digital experiences.
The College of Design mourns the loss of Professor Emeritus Roger D. Clemence, who served the University of Minnesota for more than 30 years as a teacher, mentor, and leader.
Ever since sketching themepark rides as a six-year-old inspired by Disney’s Tower of Terror™, interior design graduate Karina Nelson (BS, ‘26) dreamed of creating immersive worlds. Now, after years of blending storytelling, design, and experiential thinking at the University of Minnesota College of Design, she is beginning her career with Walt Disney Imagineering. Nelson shared her reflections on the mentors, projects, and moments that shaped her path from aspiring “Imagineer” to professional designer.
A recent Historic New England design competition, sparked by Allen Kolkowitz’s (B.Arch ’82) vision to replace a long-standing portable toilet at the iconic Gropius House with a more thoughtful visitor experience, was recently featured in The New York Times. Kolkowitz’s interdisciplinary approach to architecture and design also continues through the Kusske Design Initiative, which reflects the collaborative values he shared with partner Christopher Kusske (BLA ’78).
What if one of Minnesota’s most destructive invasive species could be used to bring communities together? Recent landscape architecture graduate Sean Durbin (MLA '26) transformed harvested buckthorn into a handcrafted marimba, creating a joyful new way for communities to engage in ecological restoration through sound, design, and collective action.
All College of Design News
From interviews with faculty, students, and alumni to profiles on our latest research, read more about what the College of Design community is working on.
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