UMN College of Design

10/27/2026

See you tonight for Retail Connect! Join industry leaders at Coffman Memorial Union's Great Hall tonight, Tuesday, Oct 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM to learn how they are redefining shopper engagement and winning over the modern consumer. https://design.umn.edu/retailconnect

Retail is no longer just about the transaction—it’s about the experience. As digital and physical environments seamlessly merge, immersive and experiential formats have become the new standard. Want to know how the industry’s best are adapting?

10/26/2026

College of Design Assistant Professor Ji Youn Shin (Product Design) has received $524,000 in funding from Minnesota's Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), to develop collaborative robots for sustainable land use on small-scale farms.

The project “Sustainable Land Use on Small-Farms through Collaborative Robots,” aims to promote sustainable land use, ensure access to fresh and healthy food in local communities, and strengthen Minnesota small farms’ role in resilient agriculture.

Read the article: https://design.umn.edu/news/ji-youn-shin-awarded-llcmr-grant-advance-small-scale-farm-sustainability

10/22/2026

Interested in design and innovation? Join a FREE webinar on Oct 28, Bio-inspired: What Nature Can Teach Us. Led by Dean of the College of Design, Prasad Boradkar, and Emilie Snell-Rood, Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior of the College of Biological Sciences as part of the UMN Alumni Association's Future in Focus series, this interdisciplinary panel will feature faculty and students from several schools and colleges across the university.

Register here: https://www.umnalumni.org/s/1867/23/1col.aspx?sid=1867&gid=2&pgid=6740&cid=20815&ecid=20815&crid=0&calpgid=6339&calcid=19848

10/14/2026

Designs by CDES graphic design students Annabelle Hanson, Natalie Chua, & Moja Jama. (Des 1512 - Color and Design in 2 and 3 Dimensions, Spring 2026)

From over 100 students’ work, these three designs were selected by the instructors to be displayed together as a mural for the 2026-2027 academic year. Each year between 1 and 3 designs are chosen for this accolade. The designs seen here are from the Chroma Bridge assignment. Among other objectives and constraints, students are challenged to create what is known as “Fire and Water” in their design using a scale that connects a pair of perceptual opposites and creates a chromatic gray. From the students’ control of color gradation and placement, “Fire and Water” should create the appearance of visual elements going in and out of focus: ‘Fire’ is where the most contrast can be seen. ‘Water’ is where visual contrast becomes lower or lost.

Instructors Alex Newby, Guobin Pan, and Lizhu Zhang

10/12/2026

University of Minnesota College of Design Teaching Specialist Bill Moran (Graphic Design) has been featured on WCCO | CBS News Minnesota for being one of three artists to have been selected from a world-wide pool of creatives to have artwork displayed in the Vatican Library for their water-themed exhibition “AQVA: Catastrophe and Wonder”. The exhibition will be up in the Vatican Library for the next five years.

10/06/2026

Ada (Ojiaku) Johnson (BS, Retail Merchandising ’06, University of Minnesota) has built a career across retail and technology, from Best Buy and Target to Google and Airbnb. In the latest College of Design article, she reflects on how her education in retail and consumer studies shaped the way she approaches problems, people, and operations. Read the article: https://design.umn.edu/news/sales-floor-silicon-valley-how-retail-merchandising-built-my-operations-career-0 🔗

“I started at Best Buy, then spent a few years at Target as a Senior Buyer. I loved being the person who decided what made it onto the shelf, whether that meant running a video game marketing campaign that broke sales records in its first week, or redesigning a whole nursery furniture line that turned a struggling business around.

If there’s one thing I’d tell current students: don’t assume your major locks you into one industry. Mine taught me how to think, and that’s transferred a lot further than I ever expected.” – Ada

09/23/2026

At the Built Environment Fair, happening Friday, Oct 2 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, UMN students will be able to explore opportunities, engage with employers, and make an impression that can help you to stand out in the job or internship application process. Prepare a resume, have an elevator pitch, and dress in a way that is authentic to you. Registration suggested, drop-ins welcome.

Fields represented: Interior design, landscape architecture, architecture, building science and technology, engineering, facility management, and construction management.

Learn more: https://careerhelp.umn.edu/built-environment-career-fair

09/17/2026

Please help us congratulate Finance Director Stephanie Dilworth on her retirement! She has shared 31 years of steady leadership at the University of Minnesota's College of Design, made important contributions, and leaves a lasting impact on our community. It's been a pleasure having her on our team.

09/16/2026

UMN Student Study Abroad Fair is happening in Coffey Hall on Thursday, Sept 17 from 12:00 to 3:00 PM! CDES, CFANS, CEHD, and CBS students are invited to come by and learn more about their options and opportunities. https://learnabroad.umn.edu/register/?id=a337cba6-d1e1-4658-b52f-87859ad6591a

09/15/2026

Watch the UMN Alumni Association's Future in Focus Webinar: The Science of Clothing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fawJOaoJjk

What if clothing could do more than clothe us? In this engaging webinar, Professor Lucy Dunne explores how research, design, and innovation come together to shape the future of apparel. Recently featured by MPRnews for her infant jaundice suit, she'll take us through the process of design, from functionality to wearability, this session highlights how university research is advancing the way we think about, and interact with, what we wear every day.

What if clothing could do more than clothe us? In this engaging web...