School of Design
School of
Design
Overview
The School of Design is ranked among the best, with Business Week naming it one of the top 10 design schools in the country. Effective design combined with creativity and professionalism are the school’s tenets. Using both technological and theoretical approaches to find solutions to design problems, students work with award-winning faculty who are creatives, critical thinkers, and innovative problem-solvers. Students have access to state-of-the art laboratories and computer facilities as well as the Cary Graphic Arts Collection and the entire archive of renowned designers Massimo and Lella Vignelli, housed in RIT’s Vignelli Center for Design Studies.
6
Number of designs from the industrial design program’s Metaproject senior studio that are currently in production through various companies.
12
The Fab Lab is equipped with 12 3D printers - in addition to laser cutting and CNC routing technology - to complete submitted projects by students, faculty, and staff.
20
Faculty are professional members or affiliates of more than 20 national, international, and local organizations.
Latest News
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December 12, 2019
![James Sheeler holds the giant $2,000 check he was awarded for winning the Tiger Tank competition.]()
Student wins 'Tiger Tank' with nut allergy solution
Third-year Industrial Design BFA student James Sheeler's 2019 Tiger Tank win comes after a 2018 third-place finish for his pocket-friendly inhaler pitch.
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December 12, 2019
![Melissa Dawson and Andrea Gonzalez Estache stand alongside a projected slide of their presentation in Colombia.]()
Industrial design duo presents research on artisan innovation
Andrea Gonzalez Esteche ’19 MFA (Industrial Design) and assistant professor Melissa Dawson are developing new ways for Paraguayan artisans to use traditional textiles in their craft.
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December 3, 2019
![R. Roger Remington with Harper's Bazaar magazines in the background.]()
Roger Remington, the Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design, to retire in May
R. Roger Remington, RIT’s longest-serving faculty member, will retire in May after 57 years at the university. In addition to building a nationally recognized graphic design program in the College of Art and Design, Remington transformed RIT into an international archival resource for design, earning many of the industry’s most distinguished awards along the way.
Featured Work
Industry Partnerships Launch Careers
RIT Industrial Design’s Metaproject studio course not only connects students with esteemed professionals in the design world, it presents them the opportunity to take a design from idea to...
Designing Healthcare Solutions
Alexa Boyd and Marla Murrett
The "Monarch Wing" is a hospital design where new mothers and their infants are provided with the necessary support. The design draws inspiration from the monarch butterfly — an insect known...
Sustainable Design
Chris Beckley
This comprehensive design for NEXT Global Real Estate Firm's new office in the heart of Denver, Colo., is inspired by the local community, geographical location and biophilic/biomimetic design...
Undergraduate Programs
Innovative and creative design solutions that enrich the ways in which people live, work, and play is the emphasis of the school’s undergraduate programs. The school offers BFA programs in 3D digital design, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, and new media design.
Graduate Programs
The School of Design offers two MFA programs — one in visual communication design and another in industrial design. The MFA in visual communication design focuses on all areas of design, including graphic design, user experience/interaction design, design studies, motion graphics, and 3D digital design. The MFA in industrial design includes seminar courses in design history and research and studio courses focusing on sustainability and design process.
Minors and Immersions
Student Resources
For internal College of Art and Design resources such as academic information, forms, FAQs and more, visit inside.cad.rit.edu. For information about academic advising, visit here.