DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCE, AND REGENERATION

Designers play a critical role when it comes to environmental stewardship. From the selection to the processing, shipping, and marketing of raw materials, designers from all disciplines have the power to re-imagine our global systems for the better. Here are some ways our students, faculty, and staff are working more sustainably.

“eFARGO” TURNS REDUCING ENERGY USE INTO INTERACTIVE GAME

“Through my work, I want to empower every person to act, not just experts. I think play and games are a key way to achieve this goal,”

– Malini Srivastava, Associate Dean

eFargo is an interactive game that teaches users about carbon emissions and helps them reduce energy use in the real world. Developed by a team of faculty and students from the College of Design and North Dakota State University, the project is led by Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Creative Scholarship, and Engagement Malini Srivastava (Architecture). The project has won numerous awards, including the highly competitive 2022 R+D Award from Architect Magazine. Read more at z.umn.edu/eFargo.

Helping Hennepin County Choose To Reuse

Understanding product life cycles and the positive impact of reuse can be daunting for consumers who want to get started. Retail merchandising students in RM 3124: Consumers of Design joined forces with the Hennepin County Choose to Reuse team to research solutions for helping consumers prioritize reuse over purchasing new.

“When the Choose to Reuse team approached us about helping support this campaign through student research, we knew it was a great fit,” said Center for Retail Design & Innovation Assistant Director Peggy Lord. “We want our students to work on practical projects and to get experience working with real clients solving real problems.”

Read more at z.umn.edu/ChoosetoReuse.

Kusske Design Initiative Builds Crossdisciplinary Connections

A generous three-year commitment from Manitou Fund has launched the Kusske Design Initiative (KDI) within the College of Design. Honoring the memory of distinguished alumnus Christopher Arthur Kusske (BLA ’78), KDI aims to show how design, interdisciplinary dialogue, co-creativity, and respect for nature can inform and inspire solutions for our rapidly changing world.

Kusske’s career, together with his partner Allen Kolkowitz (B.Arch ’82), exemplified interdisciplinary understanding and its importance to design excellence. Their firm, KOLKOWITZ KUSSKE, worked across the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain to generate systematically imagined solutions. They involved expertise from multiple disciplines, guided by the belief that all projects require a rigorous approach to design methodology.

Now in its second academic year, KDI has supported a cohort of twenty students and four faculty co-principals. The initiative includes programs such as the biweekly KDI Exchange, annual Burst colloquium, and ongoing Vista exhibits of creative work. The initiative also hosted the first two Kusske Lecture & Dialogues, featuring renowned architect Frank Gehry in November 2021 and fashion designer and urban gardening advocate Ron Finley in December 2022.

Learn more about KDI events at z.umn.edu/kusske.