The College of Design includes programs in apparel design, architecture, graphic design, housing studies, human factors and ergonomics, interior design, landscape architecture, product design, and retail merchandising. Our resources include the W.L. Hall Workshop, the Digital Fabrication lab, the Imaging lab and the Virtual Reality lab. The College offers rich opportunities for interdisciplinary research and public engagement through its highly regarded research and outreach centers including Wearable Product Design, Design in Health, Digital Design, the Goldstein Museum of Design, Metropolitan Design, and Sustainable Building Research.
The College of Design are situated within a major research university that hosts an unusually broad range of disciplines, faculty and students. Partnerships and productive connections have developed with other highly ranked colleges, departments and programs, such as civil engineering and mechanical engineering in the College of Science and Engineering, the School of Nursing, and the Carlson School of Management.
Minnesota is recognized as a progressive state and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul as one of the major design centers in the United States. Well known for its high quality of life, the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area offers world-caliber museums and theaters, an exceptional parks system, outstanding historical landmarks, excellent educational opportunities, and access to a well-regarded health care system, including the Mayo Clinic. The Twin Cities are also home to 17 Fortune 500 companies, in addition to thriving local businesses and a strong non-profit sector.