M.A. in Design and Innovation

We train students in the Human-Centered Design process and then quickly move to applying this new knowledge in exercises and projects. Students quickly jump into action to practice new methods, immerse themselves in field research, and quickly build and test prototypes in order to further develop their designs.

We believe that the most equitable, sustainable, and viable design is rooted in research. We use and teach qualitative research methods in order to understand the problem we're designing for and to accurately account for the audience we're designing with.

True innovation can be achieved through pushing boundaries and surfacing assumptions. We do this through our intentional effort to bring together multidisciplinary student groups that work on projects that are not always in a familiar field.

We strive to be an academic program with open doors to professional practice and a space where our professional partners are fully welcome in our academic spaces. Students work on real-life projects from the beginning of the program as well as opportunities for other projects as they become available.

Recognizing the importance of asking the right questions is no easy task. We train our students in seeing that the best solution is determined by having the best questions.

Human-Centered Design incorporates several different design crafts and relies heavily on clearly and cleverly communicating our design stories. We approach all phases of the design process with great attention to detail and execution. Everything from low-fidelity prototypes to refined reports, craft is everything!

The first design idea is never the only option. We work to answer questions through building, testing, and learning from every prototype. Our assumptions are put to the test and lead to continuous improvement through these iterative steps.