Welcome to Designmatters at ArtCenter College of Design

Where art & design education meets social change.

Symbiosis in Nature and Community

In partnership with the J. Craig Venter Institute, this Designmatters studio challenged ArtCenter students to explore, conceptualize and translate scientific research on symbiosis into compelling visuals that communicate scientific discoveries to a broad range of audiences. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. IOS 1926972.

Reimagining Access: Inclusive Technology Design for Archives and Special Collections

How can designers work with people with disabilities to improve the user experience and accessibility of digital technologies?

INSIDE and OUT: Closing the Cancer Gap in LGBTQIA+ Communities

In partnership with Cedars-Sinai Research Center for Health Equity (RCHE), ArtCenter students created a comprehensive awareness campaign targeting youth in LGBTQIA+ communities about the threat of cancers associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

Project Play: Exploring the Concept of Play Through Pop-Up Experiences

In partnership with Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena, ArtCenter students conceptualize engaging age-appropriate museum play experiences that would serve as educational outreach at community locations.

The Designmatters Minor in Social Innovation

The Designmatters Minor in social innovation is a course of study for ArtCenter undergraduate students who want to master a toolkit of design skills and strategies to navigate the complex dynamics of working with communities and designing for social change.

Shield Makers

ArtCenter students design protective face shields to assist medical workers caring for those affected by Covid19.

Designmatters Project Archive

List of all Designmatters Case Studies in Chronological order.

2020 Census: Information Graphics to Overcome Participation Barriers

Using data associated with the Census 2020, ArtCenter students created multidisciplinary projects to promote participation in the upcoming census, targeting populations that are typically undercounted.

Seeing the Unseen: Visualizing Flow Patterns of Mesopelagic Ocean Eddies

ArtCenter students design interactive data visualization projects based on the elusive underwater movement patterns of ocean eddies.

COANIQUEM: Safe Niños: Co-creating Innovative Healing Environments for Children

Student teams co-created playful and therapeutic environments that will welcome young burn patients and their families at COANIQUEM’s two satellite campuses spread far across the expansive country: Antofagasta (in the north) and Puerto Montt (south).

Fellowship Program

The Designmatters Fellowship Program embeds top ArtCenter students in host organizations for one full 14-week academic term to work on high-level projects and explore the mission, model and meaning of the host organization’s work.

Smart Image/Social Impact: Myth vs. Reality in the Immigration Debate

Illustration students worked with United We Stay (UWS), a nonprofit immigrant advocacy organization, on their final projects to debunk the myths surrounding immigrants in America.

Adaptive Design Planning: Sea Level Rise in Long Beach Communities

This DesignStorm challenged transdisciplinary ArtCenter students to address the impact of rising sea level on the Long Beach communities of Belmont Shore, Naples Island and the Peninsula.

Fiscal Year 2021 Goals