Design Institute: Purpose

The Design Institute (DI) develops advanced research, educational programs and interdisciplinary partnerships to improve design in the public realm.

Established as one of the University of Minnesota's Strategic Interdisciplinary Initiatives, with recurring funds from the Minnesota Legislature, the DI addresses products, systems and environments, as well as the underlying social processes that bring our everyday material landscape into being.

The DI is particularly interested in the design implications of emerging technologies — in the nexus of communications media and public space.

Looking beyond issues of styling, the Design Institute regards design as a strategic mode of thinking, a form of conflict resolution whose tangible outcomes express successful negotiation of diverse values and interests.

The Design Institute's Fellows program, workshops, publications and events foster new models for collaboration between diverse fields of inquiry.

By supporting the development of new prototypes, and enabling young practitioners to create their next significant work, the DI champions expanded design choices to enhance citizens' lives, in Minnesota and nationwide.