🎓 Congratulations College of Design graduates! We’re so #UMNproud of what you’ve accomplished and the amazing senior showcase you put together. Thanks to all the friends and family who came out to celebrate your incredible achievements!
The College of Design is proud to welcome William D. Chilton, FAIA, RIBA, as our 2025–2026 Commencement Ceremony speaker!
Bill earned his Master of Architecture from the College of Design in 1980. He is a co-founding Principal of Pickard Chilton @pickardchilton , an architectural practice based in New Haven, Connecticut, whose work spans four continents – from corporate headquarters and mixed-use districts to institutional buildings that serve as anchors for their communities. Closer to home, Pickard Chilton designed both the Orville L. Freeman Office Building and the Minnesota Senate Building in St. Paul’s Capitol Area District.
Bill is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects @aianational@aiaminnesota , a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects @riba , and a Governor of the Urban Land Institute Foundation. He has served the @umntwincities College of Design as a Professor in Practice.
His return to commencement reflects the lasting impact of mentorship, teaching, and a College of Design education that resonates far beyond campus.
Another year, another Belt Sander Race in the books! Congratulations to all the winners 🏆 Our fabrication lab folks are always bringing the fun. Tag yourself and tell us your belt sander name if you participated 🙂↕️🙂↕️🙂↕️
Invite your friends, family, and professional connections to view a college-wide exhibition featuring presentations, final projects, and other culminating work by the College of Design’s spring graduates from both graduate and undergraduate programs in Rapson Hall!
🤝 Industry Night, Wednesday, May 13, 5:00-7:00 PM
🫂 Family and Friends Night, Thursday, May 14, 5:00-7:30 PM (Immediately following the CDes Commencement Ceremony at Northrop)
We’re almost through final season👩🏽💻
Here’s a sneak peak into what the Graphic design first year portfolio review is like! So exciting to see a years worth of work all up for display, all @umndesign designers should be super proud of themselves for getting through the year🏅 You’re all absolute stars in our eyes 🤭
Our Product Design students presented their final lighting projects and we’re so impressed with what they’ve done! Want to see more final projects? Rapson Hall will be filled with student work displays now until May 15!
See our events calendar to check out exhibitions and receptions coming up in the next week 🗓️
You’re invited to PLAYsentations, a theatrical show of product design prototypes. Students work in small cross-disciplinary teams to design and prototype their own product concepts with help from consumers and industry. This year, students are working with Hape Toys to design slime and kinetic sand products for preschoolers.
Tickets are $5 and students attend free! This show is happening Thursday, May 7 from 5-7 PM at the Coffman Memorial Theater.
“It’s probably unlike any presentation you’ve ever done before,” says course instructor and Assistant Professor Carlye Lauff. “It’s basically children’s theater meets an Apple product launch.”
A huge thank you to everyone who made it to the annual College of Design Honors & Awards Ceremony! We had so much fun celebrating the incredible work of our academic design community. We loved having @goldythegopher crash the party 🫶♥️
Thrilled to share that our Functional Clothing Design class concluded the semester at the 2026 Technology Collaboration Center Human System Design Workshop for NASA! We presented our research on Activity Based Dynamic Suit Indexing and Smart Textiles for Unobtrusive Monitoring, exploring innovative solutions for astronaut support. Grateful for the opportunity provided by @umndesign , Professor Lucy Dunne, and the guidance of all our expertise mentors.
This experience has been instrumental in shaping our approach to functional design for the future of wearable products in extreme environments.
#umn #nasa #design #apparel
Day in an architecture student’s life 👩💻
Meet Hallie! Hallie is a sophomore from Champlin MN in the Architecture program, currently working to pursue her passion to design sustainable, K-12 and Higher Education buildings.
⚠️ Hallie has a good work life balance🤭
The University of Minnesota College of Design’s Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program has earned full accreditation, establishing a newly recognized undergraduate pathway to professional licensure. This milestone marks a major step forward for the College of Design, alongside the renewed accreditation of its Master of Landscape Architecture program.
“This accreditation is a proud moment for the College of Design,” said Dean Prasad Boradkar. “It reflects our commitment to excellence in design education and highlights the strength of our undergraduate offerings, as well as the professional pathways available to our students. It underscores the vital role that landscape architecture plays in shaping sustainable, resilient, and equitable environments.”
Read the full story on our blog 🌿
🔗 z.umn.edu/laarchaccreditation
The students at University of Minnesota College of Design are partnering with NASA @nasa 🚀💫 Did you miss Professor of Apparel Design Lucy Dunne and her students on WCCO @wcco last night? Catch the full segment on functional clothing design for space travel and see what problems our students are working to help solve at z.umn.edu/CDesNASA
