Hey you! We heard you’re confused about Design 166. You’ve probably looked at the Reddit threads, heard from UW Design students, and maybe even looked at that one Tumblr blog. But some questions remain, and we’re here to answer...
What’s the deal with Design 166?
I want to take this class. Where should I start?
First of all, we’re glad you’re trying design!
We recognize how much work Design 166 requires and wanted to help out future students by turning our own experiences into advice. We realized that there was a lot of misconceptions and general nerves surrounding this class, and wanted to offer more resources and advice in order to encourage future students to continue to pursue design. To ease you into it, here’s a little bit more about us. Keep reading for more information on everything you need to know about Design 166, and keep an eye out for advice from other design students and even some instructors! We wish you the best of luck as you embark on this time-consuming, but very rewarding, journey.
Ready to jump in?
Here’s a brief overview of how the class works.
Preparation
You signed up for the class, yay! If your professor has sent you the material list, grab that ASAP so you’re not missing items when you need them.
Week 1-5: VCD
Hey there! I’m Stephanie, a senior in the Interaction design program. The most memorable moment in Design 166 for me is the friendly atmosphere in my section. Despite the stress, we all helped each other out to make great designs!
— Stephanie Chou, Co-author of this broadsheet
Hi! I’m Chloe, a senior in the Visual Communication Design program. My most memorable 166 moment was going to CLUE the first time and making new friends. It was so nice to get to know other people who were also passionate about design!
— Chloe Koh, Co-author of this broadsheet
Week 5-9: ID
It’s time for the second project: the cardboard project! Whether you have to design a plant holder, a ping-pong paddle box, or a toy, get ready to test your craftsmanship skills.
Week 9-11: IxD
Results
Congratulations on finishing Design 166! Depending on how well you did, there are three options: become a UW Design major, submit an application to get into the Design major, or pursue other options.
Get ready to design a magazine cover around a theme like “friendship” or “loneliness”. Make sure to focus on your visual composition skills! Being able to take good photos, crop in an interesting manner, and tell a story is key.
And you’ve made it to the final project! A short and quick two-week journey map aims to help you think about the user and put yourself in their shoes. You got this, you’re almost at the finish line!
Stephanie & Chloe’s Design 166 Checklist
Take a course load that allows me to focus on Design 166.
Familiarize myself with the design critiquing style.
Prepare to live and breathe design (and have fun!)
Look into design related extracurriculars/jobs.
Try to meet people who are also taking Design 166!
OPTIONAL: Learn frequently used design software.
“There isn’t a box that you have to fit in in order to be the quintessential “designer.” Be passionate about your other interests and incorporate that into your practice and embrace what makes you different.”
“Some cohorts are more expensive than others. From what I’ve heard, ID students spend a lot on materials. Luckily for me who was unaware of these things back then, IxD has a good balance of physical and digital materials (although it leans towards the latter).”
— IxD Senior
What qualities should a design student have?
We asked 27 UW Design students what they thought, and this is what they said. All of the qualities listed here were answered three times, or more. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list! Designers have many different traits that ultimately make who they are.
Passion for your craft
In order to succeed as a designer, you need to be passionate. This was the quality that was mentioned the most times because it is the most important! The main reason why Design 166 is a pathway to getting admission to the major is because it gives you a chance to show how passionate you are about the subject.
Work hard, play hard
You can’t get anywhere without some good old hard work. The same can be said for probably every thing you’ll do in college, but it is especially important in Design 166. This class is going to be hard! But if you can do the work, and do it well, we promise you that you will be just fine.
Embrace creativity
You can’t be a design major without being creative! Creativity doesn’t need to be in the artistic sense, but rather how you approach problems, develop solutions, and make visuals. A creative mind isn’t the most common trait, but it is a very important (and special one) to have as a designer.
If you’re living in a dorm, you might not have the space you need to work on projects (especially for the ID project). Presenting: this handy map!
NORTH CAMPUS
Art Building
Home of the creatives! The Printing Lab (SoACC) is located in Room 025C (Basement). Make sure to double check the opening hours before you go!
NORTH CAMPUS
The MILL (McCarty Hall)
A design makerspace open to all UW students where you can design, cut, print, and use their machinery.
NORTH CAMPUS
The 8 (McMahon Hall)
A makerspace like The MILL. Located on the lower floor of McMahon, it offers a cozy place to design (and the cheapest place to print).
WEST CAMPUS Odegaard Library
AKA the undergraduate library. A well-known study area, you can reserve individual classrooms or use the printing area on the second floor.
WEST CAMPUS
Design Help Desk (Allen Library)
A space where you can get additional feedback for your projects! The Allen Library also has letter-sized printers.
WEST CAMPUS
Area 01 (Maple Hall)
The Dabble Lab in Area 01 features a mini-makerspace area to work on design. Area 01 also offers letter-sized printing, for your convenience!
Curiosity for everything
You need to always be on the look out for new opportunities
Designers are problem-solvers. If you aren’t curious, it is very hard to identify problems. You should always wonder how you can make things better, and how you can improve on the design!
A willingness to learn
You need to be ready to learn at all times. Make sure to seek out knowledge wherever you can, and give it your best effort whenever possible! It shows in your work, and it will be better because of it. A designer never stops learning, even after they graduate.
Have an open mind
Be open to anything! You’ll have a lot of incredible opportunities as a designer, but also have to experience many different things. There will be many times where you’ll be asked to design something you’ve never even heard of before, but isn’t the point of college is to learn anything you possibly can?
Be determined
Design consists of trying, trying again, even more trying, and so on and so forth. You have to be determined to continue to move forward. Never let go of your goal, it’s just straight ahead! Keep trying new ideas, and you’ll find one that works, eventually.
if you live
The MILL has spacious tables, perfect for your ID project needs.
are nice, quiet places for focused design time.
Area 01 offers a nice mini makerspace (the Dabble Lab)
on West campus.
The Odegaard and Allen libraries
What
is critique, anyway?
Critiquing skills are one of the most important things you’ll learn as a designer. Your work won’t get any better unless you know how to give and take criticism on your work. Know that it’s not personal, it’s to make your work the best it can be.
Why is critique important to designers?
Critique
helps designers improve their work.
Without critique, it is very hard for your work to improve. You need feedback in order to make your work better. More often than not, others will have ideas and suggestions you never thought of, or point out things you may have missed while you were working. Ultimately, a design is much better when many people have had their eyes on it.
Critique encourages teamwork and collaboration.
Designers rarely ever work alone. If not with a design team, they’re dealing with clients or coworkers who weren’t trained in design. In allowing space and time for critique, it gives others a chance to collaborate and offer a different perspective that you might not have seen before.
Critique gives you a space to talk about your work.
Designers need to know how to justify their decisions The first step to doing that is in critique. If you aren’t able to speak about your work in a room full of peers, how are you going to be able to talk to clients and employers?
“Don’t doubt yourself, you can be your own worst critic. Ask for help and be willing to grow from your new findings. Accept that times, you need to rest and take a step back.”
— ID Senior
“Learn that you shouldn’t try to reinvent your project entirely after every critique, and have more of a slow-and-steadywins-the-race mindset. It’s easier to come up with simple solid ideas at the beginning and build off of that than try to be a genius every time you get a few criticisms from the instructor.”
How
can I give my peers
good critique?
Be specific.
When critiquing other works, make sure to be very targeted about what is working and what isn’t. Be detailed and offer solutions as well, it’ll make the other person a lot more understanding of where you’re coming from.
Don’t be silent!
The worst thing you can do in a critique session is to not say anything. If you offer suggestions and ideas, people will want to help you in return when it’s your turn to present your work. Critique is a group activity, so make sure to be a team player.
Listen to others.
Most of the time, you can learn how to give good critique by listening to others who have been doing this for a long time. Listen to your professors, TAs, student tutors, even upperclassmen, and take note of what they say and how they say it
“Hang in there! Don’t forget to have fun! You’re never gonna get it “right” the first time, so you gotta keep failing and you gotta keep TRYING!”
— ID Senior
“Go to CLUE, go to office hours, talk a lot during crit, ask a lot of questions during crit, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, and remember to make friends and memories :)”
— VCD Junior
— VCD Senior
“Be open to change, but use critique as a consideration not a decision. Go to CLUE, because it’s basically extra chances to refine your design.”
— IxD Senior
What critique should I be listening to?
Not
all critique is useful...
Sometimes, some people may make suggestions that you just aren’t interested in or have tried before. When you encounter this, you may just have to file these suggestions away. Don’t throw them out completely, just in case they come up again, but you are allowed to ignore it if you decide that it does not help. It is up to you and the direction you want your project to go in! You ultimately have to decide what best fits the needs of your project.
But, make note of what comes up most often.
A skill you need to have as a designer is how to prioritize. Critiques tend to bring up many more problems than you’ll have time to address, so you’re going to need to pick and choose where to focus your attention on.
Most of the time, you can figure this out by keeping an eye out for what is mentioned most often during a critique session. It’s even better if you have specific questions you can ask when you present your work, so you can make sure you know exactly where to target.
How helpful is it, really?
Well, let’s hear it from former students! In the final student survey of the 2024 Design 166 class, 134 students were asked the question “Did the critiques you received in this class help you learn?” This is a summary of their responses.
Critique was helpful.
The majority (117) of students said that critiques were helpful to them. They specifically called out that it allowed them to see different perspectives, as well as get an idea of where to go next.
What if everyone hates my work?
It’s okay to cry.
Realistically, no one is going to completely hate your work. But we are all human, and sometimes a critique goes badly. It feels worse when you have spent so long working on something, only to receive what feels like only negative feedback. Don’t worry, though, pick yourself back up and continue pushing forward. Remember that everyone who gave you feedback is on your side (even if it doesn’t feel like it) and just wants to help you make your work better.
Never give up.
Although it may seem like it’s the end of the world, it isn’t! You can make changes and improve your work. It’s honestly better to get negative critiques sometimes, as it gives you direction and a place where you can move forward.
Throw out ideas if they’re not working.
You are allowed to start from scratch if you want to! Starting over doesn’t mean you wasted time, it means you tried something and it didn’t work out the way you wanted it to. That’s okay, because you still spent time trying a direction, and that’s what matters. If you really like the idea, keep it in your back pocket and consider it for a personal project!
LEARN SEPARATETO FROMYOURSELF WORK.YOUR
Critique was somewhat helpful. 16 students tended to get lost within contradictory statements from too many people. Although they liked critique, they felt like it was hard to figure out what to do with their projects after a critique session.
Critique was not helpful. 1 student had never had experienced formal critique before, and took too many opinions into consideration, which caused them to lose focus on their direction too many times.
So... How hard is it to get a 3.7+?
Here’s a breakdown of grades from students who have “made it”.
It’s important to know that these categories are weighted differently, with projects making up the largest portion of your grade. However, you should have good scores across the board to have the best chance. Student One got the highest grade in the class, and Student Four got the lowest 3.7 grade in the class. Please note that this is only a base sample size, and you never know what will happen when grades actually get entered in. It is not the end of the world if you don’t meet these scores when your first project grade comes in! You still have the other projects, and if you don’t make it through the class, you still have the portfolio review.
Total Project Score
This will be the majority of your grade. There were two projects in Winter 2024, a magazine cover and a toy (made out of cardboard) project. In 2025, there will be three projects.
Canvas Participation Score
This is based of your participation in Canvas specifically (attendance, quizzes, surveys).
What if I don’t get a 3.7+?
Don’t give up! There’s still spots, you just need to make sure to submit a portfolio-based
Process Score
This is based off of how you progressed throughout the class... Make sure you listen to critiques and give your best effort!
Critique Participation Score
This is based off your participation in critique. Make sure to speak up and offer your perspective. Your classmates will appreciate it, and your grade will too!
Projects from Design 166
Short caption describing all projects
Numbered pages
Specific requirements for your major
Answers to supplementary questions
$20 application fee (This can be waived for financial reasons)
“Start working on your portfolio sooner than later, even if it’s just saving other people’s portfolios that you’re inspired by.”
— ID Senior
Contrary to what most people may think, the majority of students in the UW
“Definitely take Design 166 to get into the design program if you are passionate about art, design, and making creative solutions. The design community is wonderful, tight-knit, and an overall amazing experience, just be prepared to take on the workload. And if you don’t get in through the class, don’t feel bad a good percentage of people get into the program through portfolios.”
Should I actually major in Design?
If you happen to be the small percentage that didn’t intend on majoring in Design, here’s a couple of design majors’ reasons why they decided to stay in this program. Whatever decision you make, you should be proud to have made it this far.
“I became very interested in design doing layout and illustration for my high school newspaper, and then wanted to pursue it as a career.”
— VCD Junior
“I wanted to further pursue my creative interests in college while also having a stable career (I’m in the Bay Area, so something design and tech was ideal.)”
—
IxD Senior
“I was originally an Art major and didn’t feel academically fulfilled, and the Design program sounded like it would be more challenging to me and also aligned more with skills I wanted to build.”
— ID Junior
“At the time I was very lost in terms of what I wanted to do or what I found fulfilling. Having a creative background, I decided to take 166 and see how it would go with very little knowledge of the Design program. I enjoyed meeting other creatively driven people and designers within the program as well. It felt gratifying to problem solve through creative means.”
— VCD Senior
“[I] didn’t know what I was gonna major in college! like at all! and then I took 166 and realized I can major in something and possibly get a career in packaging design and conceptualizing cardboard nets and making physical prototypes and I was instantly hooked!”
— ID Junior
What if I don’t get in?
Sometimes factors like not having enough time may get in the way, or the numbers may have simply just not been on your side. We know it may be discouraging to spend a quarter working on these projects, and another quarter working on your application, only to not be able to get in to the program, but there’s still other options. And if you still want to explore design, UW offers a lot of different activities that can support your design journey!
“Though I am heavily based in graphic design, I want to expand my abilities and how I think to incorporate user interactive elements. I love finding creative solutions to my own problems, so I think exploring the interactive space can really give me a unique perspective and skill set.”
—
IxD Senior
“I wanted a major that offered some blend between creativity and technology, and I didn’t just want to pursue an art major because I wanted to have a more structured course-load. DESIGN 166 exposed me to the design major, and after seeing all the cool things the seniors did at the senior show [it] made me want to commit to the design major.”
— VCD Junior
MAJORSUPPLEMENTYOUR WITHJOBSORCLUBSIFYOUWANT
MOREPRACTICE.
Learn to effectively and clearly convey information and ideas by developing strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Emphasizes research-based art production with a focus on exploring various innovative connections between disciplines. BS in Human Centered Design
Advance
BS in Informatics
Explore the intersection of technology and human values while creatively imagining
If you’re completely certain that you want to major in design, your best bet is to transfer schools. You can look into other design programs across the nation, they’d be lucky to have you!
BA in Architectural Design
Provides students with a firm foundation in the many different forces, disciplines, and areas that influence architectural design.
BS in Industrial Engineering
Grapple with real-world problems, designing, developing, testing and evaluating the systems that power lives.
Although not recommended, you may be allowed to reapply to the design program once. Note that this is not common, and it is rare that someone is accepted after being rejected, but it is not impossible.
For sure! UW has a LOT of design activities. Whether you’re a Design major or not, the best way to be a designer is to look out for new opportunities.
This is not a comprehensive list, we’re sure that there are many more opportunities out there. Also, if you’re interested in something, and think there’s a way to add design to it, just ask! You can make many opportunities from just pure work and passion. For UW jobs specifically, keep an eye out any departments that we didn’t mention as well. There’s many on-campus organizations that have design roles (although they’re a bit smaller!)
RSOs (Clubs)
Design for America
HOMEROOM
MESH
Muse PupSupport
TEDxUofW
Women in UX at UW
WebImpact
UX@UW
UW Jobs
ASUW
HFS Perks and Rec
The Daily UW
UW Career Center
UW Libraries
UW Sustainability
“Here are three tips that I tell my 166 students every year:
Remember, compositions are made of shapes, not “things”. A car isn’t a shape; it’s a collection of shapes that we see and interpret as a car. Compositional rules only work if they are applied to the shapes in the scene.
What you show is what we know. All the great ideas you had don’t matter once we’re pinned up for crit, if you didn’t include them in your work. Make sure your ideas make it out of your head so we can see them.
If you choose to add a shape or detail, it should seem intentional. Don’t just cut a round corner because it’s easier, or include a stuffed bear on a couch in a photo because it was there. If it’s not positively contributing to your composition, leave it out, or change it so it does.”
— Dominic Muren, ID Faculty
“IMO, the key to success in 166 is staying open minded and positive. Successful students aren’t defensive. They are genuinely want to understand why a design is or isn’t working.”
— Karen Cheng, VCD Faculty
“Design 166 is a foundational course that exposes students to introductory design principles and studio-style learning. In this course, you will observe that all students will be given the same prompt but there will be hundreds of different responses—all with varying elements of success. Through critique, you will learn how to analyze image and form, provide and receive constructive criticism, and apply learnings from open discussions to your work. Design 166 will immerse you in the design process, challenging you to discover creative solutions through experimentation and revision.”
— Lisa Bambach, M.Des Student
Other Classes
DES 150 (Take before 166)
DES 250
ENGL 388 (Resume workshop)
ENGL 390 (Portfolio building)
HCDE 496
INFO 200
Events
Dubhacks
Protothon
WiUX Conference
Alpha Theta Delta
Directed Research Groups
Design Help Desk
Design 166 was a roller coaster in the toughest, best way possible. It was the first time I was forced to think like a designer, adapt like a designer, and iterate like a designer.
While the stress of the 3.7+ definitely loomed over my head at the time, I found it rewarding and fun to see how far I could push myself. So while it’s important to pass, enjoy the moment! Always ask for feedback; more feedback means more refinement. Most importantly, take the time to get to know one another, it makes the class easier when you have friends :)
Design 166 really cemented my love for design. It was the first time I felt like I really knew what I wanted to be doing for the rest of my life. Yes, it is a little bit stressful knowing that this class can make or break your major, but ultimately, if you really want this, your passion and drive will shine through. Here’s a little advice for the road: Take any opportunity you can to get feedback on your work. Connect with the people in your class, and finally, just enjoy being a designer. Live in the moment a bit, really relish the whole process of it all, and you’ll do just fine. Good luck in your Design 166 journey!