Furniture Design is a dynamic field of study with a broad-based identity that integrates disciplines such as art and design. Drawing from a rich tradition, it incorporates new challenges in the way we interface with our environments and embraces the available palette of emerging materials and technologies.

At RISD, you will embark on a course of study that encompasses theory, skills, context, research and professional practices. Together, these define a unique pedagogy that encourages experimentation and innovation built upon a solid foundation. The curriculum is designed to emphasize the principles and practice of furniture design as well as the social value of art, design and responsible citizenship.

RISD’s Furniture Design Department is frequently selected to present student work at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York and the Salone Internazionale del Mobile (International Furniture Fair) in Milan, Italy, giving students an invaluable feel for the industry through participation in these exhilarating events. In 2008 they traveled to Milan to present their work in That’s Design!, an exhibition showcasing the talent of emerging designers at the world’s leading design schools. In 2007 students worked with a division of Swarovski, the world’s leading manufacturer of cut crystal, to explore new uses for cut crystal in functional furniture and decorative home accents and then presented their prototypes at the ICFF.

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