The Division of Design promotes a collaborative, diverse, and pragmatic approach to design that prepares students to thrive and lead in a world of rapid technological and cultural change. Students have the opportunity to engage in real-world projects that help them prepare for professional careers in a variety of industries through valuable partnerships with peers, alumni, and businesses—many of whom are employers of alumni.
Here are four collaborative projects we are proud of from Fall 2024:
ID Seniors and Fluke Collab
The Industrial Design (ID) senior studio collaborated with Fluke, a global leader in industrial test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment. Taught by Assistant Professor Meichun Liu, students in the class explored, identified, and addressed a problem space related to the role of design in envisioning and creating tools and supportive systems for users and stakeholders. Students worked alongside designers from Fluke to gain domain-specific knowledge and receive feedback throughout the term. The seniors presented their final design projects at Fluke's headquarters in Everett, WA at the end of the Autumn quarter.
This winter, the same students are part of the senior studio taught by Associate Professor Jason Germany. They have been collaborating with Tactile Consulting, a product and UX design firm that specializes in designing tools for professionals.
Exhibition Design for Partners in Print
Professor Kristine Matthews’ Exhibition & Installation Design class collaborated with Partners in Print (PiP), creating visual concepts for their new location. Working in teams, the students developed designs to activate the new storefront, as well as ideas for a public pop-up exhibition to launch in April 2025. The students’ final projects were displayed in the new raw space as part of the Belltown Arts Walk in December, where they also projected their animations within the storefront.
The Studio Matthews team, led by Kristine Matthews, is working with PiP and the students to translate some of the ideas into reality.
VCD Juniors Interview Alumni
In Professor Karen Cheng’s junior-level typography class, Visual Communication Design students conducted interviews with professional designers, transforming their conversations into printed tabloid-size newspapers and digital microsites. Students researched and reached out to designers across a range of industries—from tech companies like Meta, Amazon, and Riot Games to renowned consultancies such as Pentagram and Blink, as well as publishers like The New York Times and Marquand Press. The final publication, titled "19 Reasons Not to Drop Out of Design School." showcased their work as a collective series. The printed newspapers were produced by The Newspaper Club, an online short-run newspaper printer. The one-page scrolling microsites were prototyped in Figma. This project challenged students to apply their growing typography and publication design skills in a real-world context. One student reflected, "This project—our first publication design—combined everything we've learned so far and put it into one project. It also allowed me to connect with an industry professional, which was extremely valuable to me."
A Guide Designed by Students for Students
As part of Professor Cheng’s DESIGN 478: Information Design class, seniors Chloe Koh (VCD) and Stephanie Chou (IxD) researched, wrote, and designed a guide to DESIGN 166, the selection course that functions as a gateway to the UW Design majors. The 8-page publication provides answers to FAQs about the class in a “by students for students” manner to help first-year students as they begin their design journey at the University of Washington. Koh and Chou are senior mentors (tutors) in DESIGN 166. They distributed the guide to students enrolled in the class this winter and received a positive response.