This course is a fast-paced journey into designing a physical computing device. Students will gain a solid foundation in the essential technologies behind most modern electronics. Throughout the course, they will build several microcontroller-based electronics projects using devices like the Arduino series. The course prepares students to be the future generation of creatives by treating electronics like any other materials for creative practices, exploring their properties, implications, and possibilities. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to use technologies to fuel their creative decisions and expand their creative horizons. A brief introduction to the New Product Development process in the tech industry will be given as a starting point for discussions on the holistic impact of technology on humanity and society.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $50.00

Elective

In the Cohen Brother’s movie, “The Hudsucker Proxy”,  the main character pulls out a piece of paper with a circle on it and expounds “You know for kids”. Eventually it becomes clear that he is pitching the idea of the Hula hoop. A toy whose origin dates back go back to at least 500 BC. Humans are innate designers especially when it comes to pleasure, amusement and distractions. This course will explore one of the most effective solutions of these needs: toys. 

Using Cubebot, a toy I designed in 2009, as our touch point. We will focus on the relationships people have with toys, games and playthings they grew up with. For the first three weeks you will be given three assignments to create a toy that fulfills a certain need. The final two weeks will be an opportunity to resolve one of your initial designs.  

Elective

This practice-driven course equips design students with the foundational tools to navigate the business side of creative work and design practice. Blending entrepreneurial thinking with design management, it offers a designer’s perspective on essential MBA concepts such as value proposition, market fit, customer segmentation, and business models. The course is ideal for students looking to launch their own ventures or pursue leadership roles in the design management field.

The curriculum builds professional fluency through modules on grant writing, client management, portfolio development, and gaining exposure via design fairs and trade shows. Students will learn to communicate the value of their work—and of themselves as creative professionals—to diverse audiences, while grounding their strategies in ethics and sustainability.

Students will engage with applied frameworks like the Lean Canvas, Agile, and the Business Hypothesis Model to articulate assumptions, identify meaningful problems, and test early- stage ideas. Agile methodologies will help students manage iterative, collaborative design processes effectively. Course activities include Pecha Kucha-style business presentations that sharpen communication and pitching skills—crucial for engaging funders, clients, and collaborators. Conversations with guest professionals will offer insider perspectives on launching and sustaining a design venture.

The curriculum also builds professional fluency through modules on grant writing, client management, portfolio development, and gaining exposure via design fairs and trade shows. Students will learn to communicate the value of their work—and of themselves as creative professionals—to diverse audiences, while grounding their strategies in ethics and sustainability.

By the end of the course, students will have built a tested business or studio concept, developed key entrepreneurial and management skills, and crafted a clear, compelling vision for their creative career.

Elective

This course is for industrial design graduate students in their final year to work independently on their graduate thesis. The instructor serves an advisory and support role in all projects. Students must submit for instructor agreement, a written proposal for work planned and the criteria for evaluation. Course meetings are arranged individually, and/or with the group as needed.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate Industrial Design Students.

Elective

Graduate Communication Introduction is a studio course about writing and speaking as design tools. We think about writing and speaking in two ways. First as a communication tool and second as a design tool. On the communication side, we address the many ways that writing and speaking surrounds a designed object (as a proposal, as sales copy, as instructions to users, as specs for manufacture, as criticism, etc.). We think about the audiences for those various kinds of communication and how to think about what they want and need. We look at examples of great design communication and we develop and practice our own skills for succinctly explaining our ideas. On the design tool side, we think about the many ways that writing can help clarify and quickly test out ideas. We think about writing as a form of rapid prototyping alongside sketching, model making, etc. We talk about what writing is good at, when other methods might be more useful, and when to combine methods. We explore techniques such as design fiction, scenario planning, and other narrative methodologies that are used in industrial design and related fields.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | MID Industrial Design

In this product design studio, we will dissect an existing product, analyze a market segment, and redesign the product to fit the described market. The methodology used to complete this task will be accelerated, giving students an overview of a typical industrial design process. Students will be exposed to design drawing techniques, foam modeling methods, and the concept of designing for consumers.

Elective

In this product design studio, we will dissect an existing product, analyze a market segment, and redesign the product to fit the described market. The methodology used to complete this task will be accelerated, giving students an overview of a typical industrial design process. Students will be exposed to design drawing techniques, foam modeling methods, and the concept of designing for consumers.

Elective

In this product design studio, we will dissect an existing product, analyze a market segment, and redesign the product to fit the described market. The methodology used to complete this task will be accelerated, giving students an overview of a typical industrial design process. Students will be exposed to design drawing techniques, foam modeling methods, and the concept of designing for consumers.

Elective

The aim of the course is to open a window on the complex and multifaceted present design environment. A preliminary overview about the major historic design movements will be followed by an extensive description of the design's state of the art together with a spot on the latest trends. Students will be invited to think and tinker, learning how to approach a design project, how to formulate proper research questions and how to use analog and digital prototyping to experiment, validate and communicate their own ideas. They will also initiate a dialogue with forms, functions, and interactions, defining the borders of the design activity and the actual role of designers. The main goal of the course is to get students familiar with the design vocabulary and with the basic tools involved in design processes. Areas covered: Ideas and concepts creation, quantitative and qualitative research, sketch models making, digital fabrication, physical computing, project's narrative and storytelling.
 

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Graduate Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design

This required studio continues the explorations you began in Graduate Studio One. Again, you are challenged through a series of projects to purposefully locate your personal position within contemporary industrial design practice. The projects will introduce you to a variety of issues, application methodologies and audiences associated with the industrial design process that will equip you with a critical understanding of the field that can direct a practical means of applying your ideas. At the end of the semester, your deliverable is an exhibition piece resulting from a final self-directed project. This concluding project is a personal, insightful and original synthesis of your semester's activities and clearly communicates your maturity in problem solving design approaches. Graduate Studio Two is offered as part of the Graduate Industrial Design core curriculum in conjunction the required Graduate Shop Orientation and Graduate Communications courses.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | MID Industrial Design

This required studio continues the explorations you began in Graduate Studio One. Again, you are challenged through a series of projects to purposefully locate your personal position within contemporary industrial design practice. The projects will introduce you to a variety of issues, application methodologies and audiences associated with the industrial design process that will equip you with a critical understanding of the field that can direct a practical means of applying your ideas. At the end of the semester, your deliverable is an exhibition piece resulting from a final self-directed project. This concluding project is a personal, insightful and original synthesis of your semester's activities and clearly communicates your maturity in problem solving design approaches. Graduate Studio Two is offered as part of the Graduate Industrial Design core curriculum in conjunction the required Graduate Shop Orientation and Graduate Communications courses.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | MID Industrial Design

This course gives the student a hands-on opportunity to develop design skills through the interaction with industrial materials that have strictly defined properties. Experimenting with these materials and the processes by which they are manipulated and formed promotes innovative thinking, problem solving and idea development. Students will achieve a more precise, professional and sensitive approach to design while broadening their technical skill base.

Enrollment is limited to Sophomore Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design

This course gives the student a hands-on opportunity to develop design skills through the interaction with industrial materials that have strictly defined properties. Experimenting with these materials and the processes by which they are manipulated and formed promotes innovative thinking, problem solving and idea development. Students will achieve a more precise, professional and sensitive approach to design while broadening their technical skill base.

Enrollment is limited to Sophomore Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design

This course gives the student a hands-on opportunity to develop design skills through the interaction with industrial materials that have strictly defined properties. Experimenting with these materials and the processes by which they are manipulated and formed promotes innovative thinking, problem solving and idea development. Students will achieve a more precise, professional and sensitive approach to design while broadening their technical skill base.

Enrollment is limited to Sophomore Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design

The objective of this course is to develop a more precise, professional and sensitive approach to design while broadening the student's technical base. Precision machine tools such as metal lathes, millers and grinders will be introduced. Logical design and set-up approaches will be discussed. Outside design work will be required with emphasis on engineering drawing and sequence of operations. There will be a strong emphasis on experimenting with the material in order to promote innovative thinking and problem solving.

Preference is given to Junior Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design

The objective of this course is to develop a more precise, professional and sensitive approach to design while broadening the student's technical base. Precision machine tools such as metal lathes, millers and grinders will be introduced. Logical design and set-up approaches will be discussed. Outside design work will be required with emphasis on engineering drawing and sequence of operations. There will be a strong emphasis on experimenting with the material in order to promote innovative thinking and problem solving.

Preference is given to Junior Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design

This course will deal with advanced woodworking processes, including milling and machinery use, laminate and steam bending, plywood and veneer. Techniques in using natural and synthetic materials connected with furniture will be covered.

Preference is given to Junior Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design

This course will deal with advanced woodworking processes, including milling and machinery use, laminate and steam bending, plywood and veneer. Techniques in using natural and synthetic materials connected with furniture will be covered.

Preference is given to Junior Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design

Philosophically, the ID Department believes that students become better designers when they have an intimate knowledge of a range of natural and synthetic materials. In this course, students will learn about the properties of natural wood and engineered wood-based materials, investigate the related technical processes, and evaluate how this information is both connected to and influenced by the design process. Students will work with materials directly and master skills needed to manipulate these materials. They will develop projects that allow them to engage in the design and development process, promote creativity, problem solving, and the correct use of materials. Facility procedures, safety, and care and use of tools and equipment will be stressed.

Enrollment is limited to Sophomore Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design

Philosophically, the ID Department believes that students become better designers when they have an intimate knowledge of a range of natural and synthetic materials. In this course, students will learn about the properties of natural wood and engineered wood-based materials, investigate the related technical processes, and evaluate how this information is both connected to and influenced by the design process. Students will work with materials directly and master skills needed to manipulate these materials. They will develop projects that allow them to engage in the design and development process, promote creativity, problem solving, and the correct use of materials. Facility procedures, safety, and care and use of tools and equipment will be stressed.

Enrollment is limited to Sophomore Industrial Design Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design