News & Events

A wildly popular product design course at the University of Minnesota College of Design gives students a hands-on learning opportunity that leaves them with real-world experience.

This fall, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Design is opening a new chapter in the state’s creative economy with Minnesota’s first Bachelor of Science in User Experience (UX) Design. Born from the success of the college’s popular UX minor, the program gives students four years to explore the intersection of technology, design, and human behavior. Hear from two of our alumni on the formative impact the UX minor has had on their careers. 

Richard Graves, associate professor of architecture and research director at the Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR), has received the University of Minnesota’s Innovation Impact Case Award for advancing sustainable building practices. His work helped shape the Minnesota B3 Sustainable Building Guidelines, launched in response to the state’s Next Generation Energy Act to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Today, B3 continues to set the standard for energy efficiency, resilience, and net-zero goals in state-funded buildings.

This summer, College of Design graduate students traded classrooms for temples, gardens, and bustling city streets in Japan. The May term study abroad program offered more than travel – it opened a global lens on architecture, culture, and community, leaving students inspired to carry these lessons into their future design careers.