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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Designmatters?
How was Designmatters created?
What does Designmatters focus on?
What kinds of projects does Designmatters endorse?
On what basis are Designmatters projects selected?
What is the project selection process?
How are Designmatters projects managed?
How is Designmatters funded?
As a student, how do I get involved with Designmatters projects and studios?
Does Designmatters have internships and/or fellowships?
What are Designmatters fellowships?
I am not an Art Center student, can I apply for a Designmatters internship or fellowship?
Can I participate in Designmatters projects if I am an Art Center alumnus?
What international alliances have been established by Designmatters?

Designmatters is a College-wide educational program exploring social and humanitarian applications of design and responsible business practices. Designmatters creates strategic collaborations and partnerships that enhance the education experience in all of Art Center’s undergraduate and graduate disciplines, and in selected postgraduate opportunities as well.

The program reflects an institutional commitment to advance the international dialogue about the larger role of design education and practice in today’s world.

How was Designmatters created?

What does Designmatters focus on?

Designmatters focuses on four major contemporary themes as they relate to design:

• Global healthcare
• Public policy
• Social entrepreneurship
• Sustainable human development

Designmatters helps structure many kinds of educational projects at Art Center, including:

• trans-disciplinary studios (TDS) and sponsored projects
• studio assignments
• independent study
• internships and fellowships
• exhibitions
• lectures
• special research projects for faculty and/or alumni
• extra-curricular enrichment opportunities for students and faculty (including international summits and conferences)

Designmatters projects are selected based on two criteria:

• educational value and capacity for curricular enrichment at Art Center
• potential for visibility and real-world impact in the community (in conjunction with a partner organization that can implement and disseminate the project’s outcome)

The Designmatters Department accepts inquiries and proposals for all Designmatters projects, and is chiefly responsible for ongoing strategic outreach to organizations and funders that could be aligned with these projects and Art Center’s educational agenda.

In addition to proposals from faculty and students, we also encourage proposals from organizations outside of the College.

Following an initial screening by the Designmatters Department, selected proposals are brought to the College’s department chairs for review and assimilation into the curriculum.

Chief aspects of running the program include fundraising, key interface with representatives from partner organizations, overseeing allocated funds and budgets of the projects, strategizing on media and pr for the outcomes of the projects and visibility of departments involved, and coordinating implementation with partner organizations and/or publication needs for any given project beyond the duration of the studio.

How is Designmatters funded?

The College supports Designmatters with a modest seed fund that is disseminated annually throughout a select number of educational projects, and faculty and student enrichment opportunities.

In addition, the program is responsible for self-funding a number of initiatives and projects in coordination with the Development Department at Art Center.

On average, every academic term the program funds and manages 3-5 major projects involving several disciplines.

As a student, how do I get involved with Designmatters projects and studios?

Every term Designmatters projects vary across disciplines. Please contact your department chair to find out what projects are currently being offered.

We also encourage students who are eligible for independent study to bring forth project proposals with their Chair’s approval. The Designmatters program may be able to offer assistance with research, resources, and potential channels of distribution. We welcome your ideas, so please feel free to contact us .

Does Designmatters have internships and/or fellowships?

Yes, please visit our Fellowships page for information on guidelines, how to apply, and when the next internship/fellowship meeting is (meetings are held once a term). For more information on current offerings, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it in Career Development.

What are Designmatters fellowships?

These are scholarships awarded three times per year to outstanding students for fully funded internships that occur with high-impact teams of international development agencies in the US or abroad. For more information, visit our Fellowship page here .

I am not an Art Center student, can I apply for a Designmatters internship or fellowship?

Our internship and fellowship opportunities at outside organizations are for Art Center students. Unfortunately, we do not offer opportunities for students from other colleges and universities to intern or fellow in the Designmatters program.

Can I participate in Designmatters projects if I am an Art Center alumnus?

The expertise and networks of Art Center alumni are very important to the program. In the relatively short history of Designmatters, alumni have served as guest faculty, mentors, and program liaisons on a project-by-project basis. If you are interested in finding out more about opportunities for alumni involvement, please connect with us through inCircle or contact us by email.

What international alliances have been established by Designmatters?

In recognition of Designmatters’ social agenda and impact, in 2003 the United Nations Department of Public Information designated Art Center the first design school to become an NGO, or Non-Governmental Organization. Other unique affiliations now include civil organization status with the Organization of American States (OAS), and NGO designation by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). In addition, Designmatters’ consulting role in collaborative projects with the Pan American Health Organization--a division of the World Health Organization (WHO)—will soon be formalized when the program becomes the first design-based “collaborating center” with WHO. Designmatters also lends expertise to prestigious international agencies, including UNESCO’s Global Alliance and annual finalists from the World Bank Development Marketplace Competition.

These affiliations make Art Center unique among design schools today. Along with recurrent partnerships with leading international and national agencies, they provide Art Center students, faculty, staff and alumni access to a prominent stage on which to offer original solutions to many of the critical issues of our time. They offer immense resources for expertise in many fields to bring to the College, as well as myriad opportunities for internships, fellowships, research, and professional practice.