Design Institute Projects 2007-08

Design Institute research and outreach takes several forms, structured as D-Labs (ongoing research projects) and related Conferences, Workshops, Media and Publications.

Design Minor   European Travels in Typography [May Term 2008] Developed as an extension of the highly successful Travels in Typography class offered by the Design Institute,  instructor and printing historian, Bill Moran of Blinc Publishing will lead  a tour of some of the finest typographic treasures the European continent has to offer.  Each stop on our trip will provide the opportunity to research, set type and print in Madrid, Mainz and Venice.
In addition we'll examine the art, architecture and politics that fostered the growth of printing in the Renaissance. Course Details

D-Lab Parallel Play: PK12 Design Education and Space [2007-08]

This new research initiative explores how design thinking, project-based teaching, and active learning environments are critical to nurturing skills for life-long education. The project aims to generate dialogue among educators, researchers, designers and policy-makers that will advance PK12 education. Project Team

D-Lab Digifab: Knowledge Map [published October 2007]

A 36-page guide to digital fabrication processes and facilities at the University of Minnesota and around the Twin Cities, including a Knowledge Maps of Digifab Methods and Materials, and digifab equipment locations on the UM Twin Cities campus, presented on fold-out cover. Produced by the DI in conjunction with the Goldstein Museum exhibit Here By Design III (see below).

Project Team, BUY IT!

Exhibit Here By Design III: Process and Prototype [October 2007- January 2008]

A collaborative effort between the Design Institute and the Goldstein Museum of Design, this exhibition emphasizes design as a process, and prototyping as

a manifestation of design thinking, via demonstrations, prototypes for architectural, medical, and consumer artifacts, and accompanying panel discussions. Presented at The Goldstein Museum of Design, McNeal Hall, St Paul, and HGA Gallery, Rapson Hall, Minneapolis, Oct 20, 2007-Jan 20, 2008. Project Team

D-Lab Sustain(T)able: Mapping Sustainability Research at the University of Minnesota [2007-08]

Sustain(T)able aims to create an interactive visualization of the current status of sustainability research at the University of Minnesota. Gathering data from throughout the institution, Sustain(T)able dynamically maps the relationships between Activities (research, outreach, education, and operations), People, and Organizations (colleges, departments, institute, consortia, and student groups) that are conducting this work, and will present this via a multi-touch table interface. Project Team

Conference Design and Its Publics: Curators, Critics, and Historians [April 2007]

A major international conference on April 27-28, 2007, co-organized by the Design Institute and the Department of Art History, which explored the state of architecture and design discourse as expressed in contemporary criticism and curatorial practice. Speakers, Details/Report

Workshop Mapping New Knowledge Ecologies (MNKE) [Feb. 2007]

A one-day workshop that explored how the mapping of social networks can reveal interdisciplinary connections and opportunities for innovation at the College of Design and the University at large. Presenters, Details/Report

D-Lab Streetlife/Remix: An interdisciplinary community/university partnership between the DI, Landscape Architecture and Juxtaposition Arts, with the goal of enhancing student learning through community engagement, developing new teaching and research models, and generating new knowledge that will increase the organizational capacities of community partners.     Project Team, The Great Idea! Exchange