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Jennifer Whitlock, the archivist at RIT’s Vignelli Center for Design Studies, says a peek into the archives vault can help students and researchers find that spark of inspiration.

For this semester's Metaproject industrial design initiative, students will work with RIT President David Munson to design concepts for a series of outdoor, hands-on museum installations for the Henrietta campus. The outdoor installations will tell the story of RIT in a way that is immersive and engaging to passersby on campus. Each student is tasked with creating a concept for one of the 14 installations. 

Thirteen students worked with Lazzoni to produce contemporary chairs and sofas, with one of the designs now set to move into production with the high-end furniture brand.

Associate professor Melissa Dawson and Clare Maxwell '23 (industrial design) designed a cap and gown using fabric from the Vignelli archives for Josh Owen, director of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies, to wear at commencement.

The Vignelli Center for Design Studies has appointed RZLBD (Reza Aliabadi) as the inaugural Vignelli Center Designer in Residence. This position was created to assist with an upcoming campus project to design and build a series of outdoor interactive exhibits tentatively titled the RIT Museumscape.

Students who took part in Metaproject 13 will have their designs showcased as part of the 2023 New York City Design Week courtesy of their client, Lazzoni. In the fall, students spent the semester working to design seating solutions for the alumnus-owned international furniture company. All of the designs presented will be prototyped by Lazzoni, a first in Metaproject’s history.

Fast Company features a cast iron match striker, designed by Josh Owen, Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design.

Design Milk highlights the Vignelli Center for Design Studies’ Design Conversations Lecture Series.

Students in RIT’s Metaproject course will design and create seating solutions for international furniture company Lazzoni. Metaproject pairs RIT student designers with a client partner in what has become a seminal experience for the College of Art and Design’s nationally ranked industrial design bachelor’s program.

The Vignelli Center for Design Studies is hosting a week-long Summer Design Workshop in partnership with Corning Museum of Glass. Held from June 11 to 18, the workshop is an opportunity for professional designers to utilize the resources at the Vignelli Center and Corning Museum of Glass.

After a three-year pause because of the pandemic, students, faculty, staff, and alumni from the College of Art and Design will descend on Manhattan this week for NYCxDesign—New York City’s annual celebration of design that attracts hundreds of thousands from around the globe—which is marking its 10th year.

Architect Michael Maltzan, whose firm is the design architect behind RIT’s performing arts complex, will be the next featured speaker for the Vignelli Center for Design Studies' Design Conversations Lecture Series.