A great way to know if Institute of Design is right for you is to meet the community. We invite you to attend the Institute of Design Open House on Thursday, November 3 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at 565 W. Adams Street, 7th Floor in Chicago. Join us for a reception, short presentations featuring students and faculty, campus tours, and information on how you can join the ID graduate program. We welcome prospective students and the curious to learn more about Illinois Tech Institute of Design and our role in the design community today. Register here.
We are excited to have Gordon Grado (MDes 2016) return to tell us about his new position as global innovation and experience design manager at McDonald’s where he has been leveraging his ethnographic research and prototyping skills acquired at the Institute of Design to develop a better experience for guests and crew.
Grado has his Bachelors in Architecture from the University of Minnesota where he first became interested in user-centered design. While at ID, Grado had the opportunity to intern in brand strategy and new product development with PS212 in New York and SC Johnson in Wisconsin, as well as participate in the Indian Immersion Program where he helped Godrej’s Innovation Team research, ideate, and prototype solutions for small businesses.
To add to the conversation, we are inviting students and faculty to introduce works-in-progress in three very different courses. Guests will have a chance to participate in breakout sessions and talk to students about their current work and where it might lead.
Works-in-progress:
New Product Definitions
New Product Definitions explores the many ways contemporary designers can now launch their own products, experiences, and services directly to their audiences. Kickstarter is the main focus of the course, though some students are exploring public and private grants as well. Faculty member Zach Pino and New Product Definitions students will speak about the diverse range of personal projects being developed, as well as the development process that plans to launch 20 crowd-funding campaigns in the spring semester.
Design planning with the Department of Human Services
This semester Vijay Kumar’s Design Planning Workshop is working with the Illinois Department of Human Services to examine and explore opportunities to improve the Home Service Program for its complex web of stakeholders. Jenni Schneiderman, a second year MDes + Foundation student, is the TA for the course and will introduce the challenge and student progress.
Food systems in Chicago
ID students in the Sustainable Solutions Workshop are exploring local food systems. Every three weeks groups run a workshop and use the outputs to develop a new concept, applying multiple design methods to leverage the information and arrive at exciting new provocations. Madison Loew and her classmates will discuss workshop facilitation and the ensuing concept surrounding the question: How might we empower more Chicagoans to be in control of their food?