Design to Save Pollinators

March 9, 2023

The Lawns to Legumes Program was launched in 2019 as a collaboration of legislators, conservation organizations, and the public to address the rapid loss of Minnesota’s pollinator species. Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Senior Ecologist and Landscape Architecture Adjunct Instructor Dan Shaw has played a key role in the development of the program, acting as program coordinator.

Intercollegiate Collaboration Provides Life-saving UV Protective Hats for Children

February 16, 2023

For many people, appearance or comfort is the most important consideration when choosing a hat to wear. But for people living with Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), an inherited disease that causes an individual to be extremely sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, health and safety must take precedence. As part of her ongoing efforts to raise awareness and support for individuals with XP, Dr. Laura Niedernhofer (College of Biological Sciences) partnered with Professor Lucy Dunne’s (Apparel Design) technical design studio to help design a better hat option for people living with XP.

Incorporating Community Values into Thoughtful Urban Design

December 13, 2022

Investing in North Minneapolis is a collaborative architecture and urban design effort organized by the School of Architecture that reimagines the Northside neighborhood. Over the fall, community youth in the Northside Safety NET program, architecture students and professionals, and Northside residents worked together to infuse the community's values and experiences into thoughtful architecture and urban design.

"eFargo" Turns Reducing Energy Use into Interactive Game

October 6, 2022

A project years in the making, eFargo is an interactive game that teaches users about carbon emissions and helps them reduce energy use in the real world. Developed by a team of faculty and students from the College of Design and North Dakota State University (NDSU), the project was initially created and has subsequently been led by Associate Professor Malini Srivastava (Architecture). The project has won numerous awards, including the highly competitive 2022 R+D Award from Architect Magazine.

2022–2023 Imagine Faculty Research Grants Awarded

June 6, 2022

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.

Demystifying Congenital Heart Disease with Product Design

March 24, 2022

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a physical heart defect that begins in the womb, impacting around 40,000 children born in the U.S. each year. On a mission to improve education for diagnosed children and their families, Drs. Amr El-Bokl and Gurumurthy Hiremath (Department of Pediatrics, UMN Medical School), partnered with product design undergraduate student Levi Skelton and Assistant Professor Carlye Lauff to create a product for teaching children about CHD.