One of our recent Industrial Design graduates, Cole Young (BDes 24) is the recipient of the Industrial Designers Society of America prestigious Student Merit Award (SMA) for the Western District. There are only five undergraduate winners selected in the country each year and our very own Cole Young is one of these winners. Congratulations Cole!
About Cole Young
Cole Young received his BDes in Industrial Design and BA in Sociology in 2024, and has always been interested in people, products, and problem-solving. He is passionate about creating meaningful, research-driven design solutions that aim to help users through technological and design innovation, with a particular interest in consumer electronics. Outside of the studio, Cole can be found painting and listening to an audiobook, baking for friends, or getting way too competitive over a board game.
About the Student Merit Awards
Each year, IDSA recognizes exceptional student design talent through the Student Merit Awards program. The competition is one of IDSA’s longest running programs and highlights the very best creativity, problem solving and design brilliance in each of IDSA’s five North American Districts. Student finalists are selected by each participating school to represent their program at the District level. A jury panel of design leaders and educators representing a cross-section of professional practice and design academia is assembled annually to review and select District winners. Two winners are selected from each District for this prestigious distinction, one at the Undergraduate (SMA) level and one at the Graduate (GSMA) level.