Industrial Design students in Naval Architecture Meets G.I. Joe, an advanced studio taught by Don DeLuca MFA ’72 ID, got a crash course in state-of-the-art boat design when they met dockside with representatives of the US Coast Guard.

Students examined the USCG’s latest emergency response boat — a compact new design developed in close consultation with its ultimate users — and talked with members of the crew to find out which features are most important for surveillance, search and rescue. They then developed their own designs for boats that might improve upon the ones now in service.

“I wanted to bring as much relevant content to this project as possible,” DeLuca said in explaining why he hooked up with the USCG. “RISD students have a propensity to come up with unconventional ideas, so I knew that they would bring a fresh approach to the challenges of naval architecture.”

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