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"Reality reset" by Stella Shen

Architecture, Interior Architecture, & Designed Objects

Master of Design in Designed Objects

Master of Design in Designed Objects

The Master of Design in Designed Objects (MDDO) is a professional degree program with a structured curriculum that offers students the critical skills to imagine and create meaningful design objects, systems, and experiences while challenging the boundaries of the field of design itself.

Redefining Object Design

Designers reimagine the objects and systems that mediate our daily lives. Through a critical appraisal of product, furniture, interaction, and systems design, the MDDO program teaches designers to be agents of change who maintain an expansive understanding of the object. Future designers need to be enlightened practitioners, willing to explore unknown territory and work with problems not yet defined. The program encourages students to challenge the fluid borderline that outlines design, opening the field to unexpected possibilities. MDDO students are encouraged to develop their practice by taking elective courses in other departments across SAIC and by applying to AIADO’s External Partnership Courses.

Alumni of the MDDO program have attained success and professional experience in a diverse range of careers from product and furniture design, user experience design, creative direction, design research and strategy, design education and independent design practice.

Master of Design in Designed Objects Curriculum

The Master of Design in Designed Objects (MDDO) is a two-year, 66 credit hour program with a carefully sequenced course-based curriculum, built for students who seek immersion in the critical and technical skills specific to the extended practice of object design.

  • MDDO Degree Requirements and Specifications

    • Completion schedule: Students have a maximum of four years to complete the master of design degree program. This includes time off for leaves of absence.
    • Transfer credit: Generally transfer credits are not accepted. All requests for transfer credits are reviewed individually by the chair of the department at the time of admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.
    • Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 12 credit hours
    TermCredit Hours
    First Year Summer Intensive     6
    • DESOB 5050 Refresh: Summer Intensive (6)
    		 
    First Year Fall    15
    • DESOB 5150 Studio 1: Reset (3)
    • DESOB 5152 Research Methods Lab (3)
    • DESOB 5164 Material Intelligence Studio Seminar (3)
    • ARTHI 5120 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Arch. and Design (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 
    First Year Spring15
    • DESOB 5160 Studio 2: Discover (6)
    • DESOB 5162 Prototyping Methods Lab (3)
    • ARTHI 5105 Theories of Things: Art / Design / Objects (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 

    Second Year Fall    		15
    • DESOB 6150 Thesis Studio 1: Initiate (6)
    • DESOB 6154 Material Futures Studio Seminar (3)
    • ARTHI 6120 Critical Issues in Designed Objects (3)
    • Elective
    		 

    Second Year Spring    		15
    • DESOB 6160 Thesis Studio 2: Manifest (6)
    • DESOB 6162 Positioning Methods Lab (3)
    • Elective (3)
    • Elective (3)
    		 

    Participation in four graduate critiques, including departmental critiques and interdisciplinary critique in the final year of study    		 

    Participation in Graduate Design Exhibition    		 

    Total Credit Hours    		66

MDDO Versus MFA

In contrast to the structured curriculum of the MDDO, the two-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio, Designed Objects is for students looking for a self-directed program of independent study.  Students work with faculty advisors on a one to one basis each semester to pursue a range of design projects that reflect their specific interests. Applicants are expected to have previous experience and a strong portfolio in three-dimensional design practice, and the ability to self-manage an extended program of independent study.

Courses

Title Catalog Instructor Schedule

Description

This course introduces students to the creative scope of the Designed Objects program, and the ideas, skills, and methods used in the process of designing objects. Students will learn about the design of objects by studying their form, function, assembly, materiality, use, value and significance (both subjective and objective). Emphasizing thinking through making; students students build their visual vocabulary and develop an understanding of the design process. The goal of this class is to help students imagine the possibilities of the object design field and identify their aptitude for becoming an object designer.

The course will explore the intentionality of object design, exploring the works of a ranging from James Dyson to Ron Arad to Zaha Hadid. Readings and screenings will vary but typically include Mu-Ming Tsai's Design Thinking and Gary Hustwit's Objectified.

Students should expect to produce a body of work consisting of several minor exploratory projects and two fully fleshed out finished Objects (mid-term and final).

This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.

Class Number

1264

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1231

Description

This course introduces students to the creative scope of the Designed Objects program, and the ideas, skills, and methods used in the process of designing objects. Students will learn about the design of objects by studying their form, function, assembly, materiality, use, value and significance (both subjective and objective). Emphasizing thinking through making; students students build their visual vocabulary and develop an understanding of the design process. The goal of this class is to help students imagine the possibilities of the object design field and identify their aptitude for becoming an object designer.

The course will explore the intentionality of object design, exploring the works of a ranging from James Dyson to Ron Arad to Zaha Hadid. Readings and screenings will vary but typically include Mu-Ming Tsai's Design Thinking and Gary Hustwit's Objectified.

Students should expect to produce a body of work consisting of several minor exploratory projects and two fully fleshed out finished Objects (mid-term and final).

This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.

Class Number

1265

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1231

Description

Course Description
Students will learn to craft design concept sketches that clearly communicate ideas to others. The course focuses on using freehand sketching and rendering to visualize design objects, clarify form and function, and explore ideas quickly. Through exercises in thumbnail sketching, shading, and form development, students build confidence in drawing as a tool for thinking and communication. The course also introduces orthographic projection for precise technical drawings and two-point perspective for understanding objects in space.

Who is this course for?
Effective sketching is a foundational skill that designers use throughout their careers. Alongside 3D Modeling and Designing Interaction, this course is part of the core skills group in Designed Objects and is intended to support students as they move through the three-course Core Studio sequence.
This course is an excellent first Designed Objects class and an accessible entry point into design at SAIC. There are no prerequisites, and students at all levels are welcome.

When should this class be taken?
This course is recommended in the freshman or sophomore year and works especially well as a student¿s first Designed Objects course.

Class Number

1274

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1406A

Description

As products incorporate increasingly complex displays, functionality, and intelligence, their usability can become a challenge. This studio-seminar explores methods for designing intuitive and effective interfaces that enhance both the usability and overall experience of a device. Through presentations, discussions, and hands-on exercises, students will analyze existing interfaces and devices, identifying strengths and weaknesses in their design. The course emphasizes the integration of user interface (UI) and industrial design (ID) to create seamless, visually cohesive, and functionally intuitive products. Students will engage in critical evaluation of real-world examples and apply digital media tools to prototype the interface and interaction components of their own design projects. Key topics include understanding user behavior, mapping device functionality, designing appropriate two-way communication, and developing graphic elements that support usability. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of interface design as a critical factor in product development, enabling them to craft more user-centered, visually compelling, and engaging product experiences.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Sophomore-level or above.

Class Number

2237

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication, Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1255

Description

We will work with the processes by which product designers develop compelling objects that communicate ideas, values, functions and purpose. Projects are designed to study the language of form through an analysis of user interaction, the implications of material choice, finishes, and craftsmanship on the success of a product concept, and how these choices support and promote function, desirability and perceived value. There is also an emphasis on expanding student material exploration and making techniques for optimal results, and the value of iterative prototyping in a successful design process.

The course will address universal product design issues and methods, starting with defining and understanding the project, considering form and function, appropriate material selection, construction techniques, finishes, iteration, and well-crafted final products. We will cover concepts such as semiotics, ergonomics, families of objects, multi-functional products, and emphasize clear communication of finished design ideas through schematics, and graphic representation using descriptive photography.

Relevant contemporary design examples are provided as reference for each project, and students will spend additional time researching contemporary designers such as Front Design, Raw Edges, Nendo and Ron Arad. Students will be introduced to high-end professional design sources in a business setting through a field trip to the Merchandise Mart.

The course is built around 3 main projects, each with instructional presentations, Design research assignments, ideation and sketching, group discussions, and iterative prototyping, resulting in the creation of a final product and printed graphic document, all presented and discussed in a group critique.

This course requires students to have a laptop that meets SAIC's minimum hardware specs and runs the AIADO template.

Prerequisites

Pre: DES OB 1001 or 2020

Class Number

1268

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1241

Description

This furniture studio will critically engage the chair as an archetype. Chairs have long been a fascination of designers as they require a developed understanding of structure, material, and form. Importantly, chairs represent the cultural mores of the time in which they are produced and are inextricably linked to larger systems of power, technology, and economy. This course will explore the chair as a fluid, dynamic furniture category that is in a reciprocal relationship with culture, technology, and politics and will emphasize a hands-on approach to design and production.

Readings from art and design historians and critics including Galen Cranz, David Getsy, Richard Sennett, Glenn Adamson, and Alice Rawsthorn will be integral to an expansive conversation about the chair. Class readings and discussions will also help contextualize different approaches to construction and fabrication at different scales of production. A wide range of both contemporary and historical design precedents will be explored ranging from traditional Shaker Furniture to Wendell Castle, Faye Toogood, Max Lamb, Egg Collective, Jasper Morrison, and Scott Burton.

By the end of this course, students should expect to have completed technical drawings and a series of detailed scale models.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Sophomore-level or above.

Class Number

1273

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Furniture Design, Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1242

Description

This course introduces Rhino as a form-driven, exploratory 3D modeling tool used widely in product, furniture, and spatial design. Emphasis is placed on using modeling as a way to think through form, proportion, and iteration, and how to utilize it within a production-focused process. Rhino is widely regarded as a standard professional 3D modeling tool in industrial design, supporting a form-driven approach commonly used in studio-based and consulting practice.
Students learn core Rhino workflows including curve construction, solid and basic surface modeling, transformations, and file preparation for visualization and fabrication. In addition to modeling, the course introduces foundational digital workflows, including exporting models for 3D printing, preparing 2D drawings for laser cutting, and using KeyShot to create rendered images that clearly communicate design intent.

Through approximately three design projects, students use Rhino to explore object form, refine ideas through iteration, and translate digital models into physical and visual outputs. The emphasis is on clarity of form, thoughtful revision, and understanding how digital models function within a broader design process.

When to take this course:
Students are strongly encouraged to take this course as early as possible. Rhino is used regularly beginning in Designed Objects Studio 2 (DO2) and is commonly applied across topical studio electives. Early exposure allows students to integrate modeling naturally into studio work rather than treating it as a standalone technical skill.

Who this course is for:
This course is ideal for students interested in form-driven design, iterative making, and exploratory modeling practices. Alongside SolidWorks and Designing Interaction, this course is part of the Designed Objects core skills group, supporting students as they move through the three-course Core Studio sequence. Completion of either Rhino or SolidWorks fulfills the core 3D modeling expectation for the Designed Objects program. Designers in professional practice often specialize in one primary modeling platform while developing transferable modeling concepts that apply across tools.

Class Number

1269

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Digital Communication, Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1406A

Description

This course introduces SolidWorks as a parametric, constraint-based 3D modeling tool widely used in product development and manufacturing-oriented design. Emphasis is placed on using modeling to define design intent, dimensional relationships, and functional requirements, supporting clarity, precision, and repeatability in complex objects and systems. SolidWorks is widely regarded as a standard professional 3D modeling tool in industrial design, supporting workflows common in corporate, consulting, and manufacturing-focused practice.
Students learn core SolidWorks workflows including sketch-based feature modeling, parametric constraints, part and assembly creation, and basic documentation practices. The course focuses on how dimensions, constraints, and features work together to support functional performance, mechanical relationships, and downstream production needs.

Through approximately three design projects, students develop objects with multiple components, test relationships between parts, and communicate designs through structured models and drawings. Projects emphasize precision, decision-making, and the translation of design concepts into clearly defined systems rather than open-ended formal exploration.

When to take this course:
Students are strongly encouraged to take this course as early as possible. 3D CAD is used regularly beginning in Designed Objects Studio 2 (DO2) and across many topical studio electives. Early exposure allows students to integrate modeling directly into studio work. SolidWorks is especially useful for students interested in later-stage design development and production-oriented electives.

Who this course is for:
This course is ideal for students interested in mechanical systems, assemblies, and production-ready design. Alongside Sketching for Designed Objects and Designing Interaction, this course is part of the Designed Objects core skills group supporting the Core Studio sequence. Completion of either SolidWorks or Rhino fulfills the core 3D modeling expectation for the Designed Objects program. Designers in professional practice often specialize in one primary modeling platform while developing transferable modeling concepts that apply across tools.

Class Number

1272

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1226

Description

This interdisciplinary studio class investigates the intersection of printmedia, artists? multiples and packaging as an entry point into making and thinking about multiples as a format for studio production. The history of artists? multiples (loosely defined as small-scale editioned or multiply produced three-dimensional works) includes many examples that use, or appropriate, printed elements and packaging in some way. This history, along with our daily experience of packaging (the many boxes, folders, labels, pamphlets, flyers and cartons found in nearly every aspect of contemporary life) offers a wealth of connections to consider and work from.

Students will be introduced to a range of printing and paper construction techniques within the Printmedia studio. These include plate-based lithography (with hand-drawn, digital and photo options) and pattern layout for packaging along with other selected tools and techniques. In addition, students will have the opportunity to use SAIC labs such as the Service Bureau and digital fabrication centers. Examples, short readings, and a visit to the Joan Flasch or other related collections will support project development and discussion.

Students can expect to complete three to five projects and participate in two critiques.

Class Number

1286

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

280 Building Rm 221

Description

Light is a material that can be shaped to express ideas, create experiences and increase the communicative potential of objects and spaces. Through a combination of lectures, demos, fields trips and most of all, hands-on lab work, students develop a degree of self sufficiency in the design, construction and prototyping of illuminated objects, physical graphics and environmental lighting. Students learn basic electronic and electrical circuit design, lamp specification and experiment with illumination technologies including incandescent, LED and cold cathode (neon).

Class Number

1284

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Public Space, Site, Landscape, Art and Science

Location

MacLean B1-16

Description

This digital-analog studio affords modeling and prototyping for furniture and other objects at environmental scale. Students construct prototype objects for living while learning a diverse range of technical and process options for making at scale in materials including wood, metals, plastics, fabrics and foams. Focus on fluid improvisation in prototyping designs both by hand and using CNC and other integrated fabrications technologies.

The course explores the systems work of Enzo Mari and Gerrit Rietveld to understand simple construction and scaffold mechanisms for creating quick prototypes. We watch an array of craft and wood engineering videos to understand manufacturing and fabrication techniques, and how prototyping takes place in furniture businesses.

There are three major assignments, each yielding a unique piece of furniture. Naturally, the scope and scale of the projects increase as the semester moves forward. Additionally the course includes two day-long charettes to deliver specific skills and two field trips, to a furniture manufacturer and to a furniture show room.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Sophomore-level or above.

Class Number

1282

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Furniture Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1242

Description

This studio course challenges students to rethink conventional ideas of 'the future' using design, gaming strategies, and visualization methods to create compelling alternatives. Through live-action role play (LARP) and guided reflection, students collaboratively design an emergent world over the course of a semester. Each session introduces new challenges, pushing students to respond to evolving scenarios while considering their ethical implications. The class combines LARP tools, game strategy, design principles, scenario planning, and speculative design to explore speculative ideas and create immersive, thought-provoking futures. The course structure is episodic, encouraging creative problem-solving and ethical engagement throughout.
Some of the artists/ designers/ futurists / studios we will study in this course include artist, researcher, game designer Carina Erdmann, artist and designer Ash Eliza Smith who employs storytelling, worldbuilding, and speculative design to craft new realities. Chris Woebken and Elliott Montgomery's Extrapolation Factory explores experiential futures through workshops and object visualizations. Stuart Candy, a futurist, also contributes to the field. We will review and discuss works such as *War Game*, a future-set simulation; Alternate Reality Games at UChicago with Fourcast Lab; and *Papers*, a playful LARP that explores corporate culture.
Course work will include weekly practical and research based assignments: students will develop visualizations of spaces, objects, or graphics that bring to life their proposals related to scenarios for the game scenario and gather knowledge of a range of new technologies and the future scenarios they imply.

Class Number

2180

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Game Design, Product Design

Location

MacLean 402

Description

This studio course challenges students to rethink conventional ideas of 'the future' using design, gaming strategies, and visualization methods to create compelling alternatives. Through live-action role play (LARP) and guided reflection, students collaboratively design an emergent world over the course of a semester. Each session introduces new challenges, pushing students to respond to evolving scenarios while considering their ethical implications. The class combines LARP tools, game strategy, design principles, scenario planning, and speculative design to explore speculative ideas and create immersive, thought-provoking futures. The course structure is episodic, encouraging creative problem-solving and ethical engagement throughout.
Some of the artists/ designers/ futurists / studios we will study in this course include artist, researcher, game designer Carina Erdmann, artist and designer Ash Eliza Smith who employs storytelling, worldbuilding, and speculative design to craft new realities. Chris Woebken and Elliott Montgomery's Extrapolation Factory explores experiential futures through workshops and object visualizations. Stuart Candy, a futurist, also contributes to the field. We will review and discuss works such as *War Game*, a future-set simulation; Alternate Reality Games at UChicago with Fourcast Lab; and *Papers*, a playful LARP that explores corporate culture.
Course work will include weekly practical and research based assignments: students will develop visualizations of spaces, objects, or graphics that bring to life their proposals related to scenarios for the game scenario and gather knowledge of a range of new technologies and the future scenarios they imply.

Class Number

2180

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Game Design, Product Design

Location

MacLean 402

Description

This course explores what it means to engage in dialogue with an AI prompting system, focusing on the design of multi-modal interfaces and their effects on both the quality of interaction and the creation of prototypes and artifacts. Students will experiment with different 'languages' for AI communication, such as voice (tone, cadence, emotion), bodily gestures, and environmental factors (light, sound, humidity), as ways to influence¿and be influenced by¿AI behaviors. Through a series of hands-on experiments, the course navigates the space between biological ('human') and cultural ('AI') processes, offering new perspectives on hybrid outcomes co-generated by these interactions. The aim is to foster a critical understanding of emerging AI systems, positioning students to engage with AI thoughtfully rather than as a mere technological tool.
The course builds on Cultural and Feminist Studies, as a way to depart from the dichotomy human/AI, and move towards their understanding as entities that collaborate and promt each other. References include Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto, Langdon Winner's politics of artifacts, which addresses the ways in which technology embeds social and cultural values; Rosi Braidotti's work on Posthumanism. Theoretical foundations will be accompanied by the discussion of existing practices and past interactions, including the work of John Funge, Sherry Turkle, Meredith Broussard, and the study of other formats, linked to the design of bots for social media use.
Across the semester, there will be a range of assignment asking students to explore the impact of different non-normative `languages¿ -such as body, sight, the environment, on the crafting of new dialogic modes with AI.

Prerequisites

Open to Seniors & Grad Students

Class Number

2182

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Art/Design and Politics, Community & Social Engagement, Product Design

Location

MacLean 402

Description

This course explores what it means to engage in dialogue with an AI prompting system, focusing on the design of multi-modal interfaces and their effects on both the quality of interaction and the creation of prototypes and artifacts. Students will experiment with different 'languages' for AI communication, such as voice (tone, cadence, emotion), bodily gestures, and environmental factors (light, sound, humidity), as ways to influence¿and be influenced by¿AI behaviors. Through a series of hands-on experiments, the course navigates the space between biological ('human') and cultural ('AI') processes, offering new perspectives on hybrid outcomes co-generated by these interactions. The aim is to foster a critical understanding of emerging AI systems, positioning students to engage with AI thoughtfully rather than as a mere technological tool.
The course builds on Cultural and Feminist Studies, as a way to depart from the dichotomy human/AI, and move towards their understanding as entities that collaborate and promt each other. References include Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto, Langdon Winner's politics of artifacts, which addresses the ways in which technology embeds social and cultural values; Rosi Braidotti's work on Posthumanism. Theoretical foundations will be accompanied by the discussion of existing practices and past interactions, including the work of John Funge, Sherry Turkle, Meredith Broussard, and the study of other formats, linked to the design of bots for social media use.
Across the semester, there will be a range of assignment asking students to explore the impact of different non-normative `languages¿ -such as body, sight, the environment, on the crafting of new dialogic modes with AI.

Prerequisites

Open to Seniors & Grad Students

Class Number

2182

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Art/Design and Politics, Community & Social Engagement, Product Design

Location

MacLean 402

Description

Within a structured studio environment, advanced-level students develop, refine, and execute an individual furniture concept. Students progress from the conceptual design stage, through design development to the actualization of a work that can be `tested? for public review. Students are challenged to develop concise and persuasive arguments regarding the motivation, development, execution, and dissemination of their design project. Through the articulation and advocacy of their design work, students define their role as a dynamic catalyst operating within real-world social-, political-, monetary-, and cultural-economies. Students are admitted via a portfolio application reviewed by the faculty.

Prerequisites

DESOB 4025

Class Number

1283

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Sullivan Center 1242

Description

SAIC Design @ Homan Square combines professional practice design experience with community activism. Operating out of SAIC's facility in the Nichols tower at Homan Square, the course engages students in a focused dialogue on social project implementation in Chicago and provides the tools and frameworks to realize those projects. Functioning as a pro bono 'design consultancy' where the residents, small businesses and community groups of North Lawndale act as 'clients', each job is treated as a discrete project involving research, knowledge-sharing and design action. The projects will cover a two-semester cycle, with each semester being offered as an independent class. This course, running in the Spring semester, will emphasize the last three stages of the design thinking process; ideation, prototyping, and testing. course class will focus on proposing and implementing solutions that address the contextual research carried out in the first semester. These solutions will be presented to, and critiqued by, the 'clients' who are the main stakeholders, North Lawndale community leaders, as well as SAIC faculty. Recognizing that making is a research process that reveals new problems, the reflexive activity of proposing, making, presenting and critiquing solutions generates new knowledge as well as physical outcomes. It is this collective 'new intelligence' that is the primary goal of the course.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Sophomore-level or above.

Class Number

1276

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Collaboration, Community & Social Engagement, Economic Inequality & Class

Location

Sullivan Center 1258

Description

Whatnot Studio is a year-long advanced course in which students design and produce a collection for whatnot, the school's in-house product brand. The course emphasizes three major goals: developing a product based on an annual theme, producing it using small-batch manufacturing methods, and collaboratively creating a retail environment to showcase the collection. Students refine their individual design voice while working as a team to produce a cohesive, high-quality collection for public exhibition. Past work from the Whatnot Studio has been shown at international venues including the Salone del Mobile in Milan and Wanted Design in New York City. Admission is selective and open to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students through a portfolio review. By year's end, students will have produced a pilot run of their design and collaboratively created a branded store installation, presented at a major design trade show in the spring. Admittance to Whatnot Studio is by portfolio review. Are you ready to be challenged through deep conceptual and material exploration¿and to transform it into a producible design? We welcome juniors, seniors, and graduate students interested in this opportunity to apply via the link below: https://airtable.com/app10LexPLHEqM7mV/pagcVlilryi7Xn4Or/form. Applications accepted until April 25.

Class Number

1275

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1230

Description

As the second studio in the MDDO graduate sequence, this course gives students the opportunity to develop their skills in individual project development and form-giving while practicing the use of research and design tools. The primary purpose of this studio is to help students identify their individual motivations as designers by working on a self-defined design project within a structured iterative design process.

As a complement to this inquiry, in-class presentations, readings, and discussions will familiarize students with the landscape of contemporary design practice. Readings will include theoretical, historical and critical texts. Design as a process will also be discussed.

Students can expect to complete a multi-stage semester long project. You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course.

Prerequisites

You must be a Master of Design in Designed Objects student to enroll in this course.

Class Number

1945

Credits

3

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Area of Study

Product Design

Location

Sullivan Center 1226

Description

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.

Prerequisites

Open to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only

Class Number

2278

Credits

3 - 6

Department

Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects

Location

Master of Design in Designed Objects Application and Admissions Information

  • Reduced Application Fee Deadline: December 1—$45 Application Fee
    Application Deadline: March 1—$90 Application Fee
    Apply Online

    SAIC requires applicants to apply online. Filing an online application requires a valid credit card and a current email address. You may apply to up to three programs with one application and fee.

    Applications must be submitted prior to 11:00 p.m. (CST) on the appropriate deadline. When you click the "submit" button on the Graduate Application form, you will be prompted to enter credit card information to pay the application fee. Your application form is not fully submitted until you have entered your credit card information.

    Under no circumstances will an application fee be refunded. After you submit the application form, there will be a waiting period until you are able to see the program-specific application(s) in your portal.  

    Once your program-specific applications are available, for each program you will be able to submit your program-specific application requirements (writing sample or portfolio), request the required recommendations, and see any additional checklist items.

  • A conferred four-year baccalaureate degree or its equivalent is required for admission to all graduate programs at SAIC. Transcripts are records of your studies that list the courses you completed, the grades received, and provide evidence of degree conferral. They may include grade sheets, exam results, final diplomas, degrees, or graduation certificates. Official copies are issued in the original language directly by your university. Copies must bear the official stamp or seal of the institution, as well as the signature of the appropriate official such as the dean, rector, registrar, controller of examinations, or office of teaching affairs. Photos, notarized copies, facsimiles, or email transmissions are not acceptable.

    Official translations are expected for all educational documents issued in a language other than English. A translation agency or university language department should issue official translations typed on official stationery and the translator must attest proficiency in the original language and indicate their translations are accurate word-for-word.

    During the application process an unofficial transcript is acceptable for review pending an Admissions decision. Official transcripts are required upon admission. Include transcripts both official and unofficial from all universities/colleges from which a degree was obtained or prerequisites were fulfilled. You can attach unofficial transcripts as .pdf or .jpg files in the Educational History section of the application form. If you are in the process of completing a bachelor's degree when you apply, a transcript showing your first three years of study is acceptable.

    Transcripts are considered official if sent directly from the degree- or credit-granting institution to the SAIC Graduate Admissions Office. Hard copy transcripts are considered official if the documents remain in the registrar's original signed and sealed envelopes. Official transcripts can be sent both in digital and hard-copy format. Digital transcripts can be sent from the degree- or credit-granting institution to gradmiss@saic.edu. Hard copy transcripts can be mailed to:

    SAIC Graduate Admissions
    36 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 1201
    Chicago, IL 60603

    Students admitted to a graduate program who have not received a high school diploma, GED or equivalent are not eligible for federal Title IV financial aid funds. 

  • Write a 500- to 700- word statement of purpose describing the history of your interests and experiences in design, your personal and professional motivation and goals, and your reasons for pursuing graduate study in design at SAIC.

    Save your statement of purpose as a PDF and upload it as an attachment. You will upload your statement of purpose in your application portal.

  • Two letters of reference are required.

    You are responsible for securing letters of recommendation from persons who are qualified to write about your potential for success at SAIC. If you are currently a student or are a recent graduate, we recommend you request letters of recommendation from current or former instructors.

    Letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically via the Letters of Recommendation section in each program-specific application. In the Recommendations section click Add Recommender, where you will be asked to provide an email address and other details for each of your references. Once you click "Send To Recommender" an email will be sent from your application portal to your references, with instructions on how to submit their recommendations securely through our online portal.

    If your references are unable to provide an online recommendation please contact the Graduate Admissions office at gradmiss@saic.edu.

  • A résumé is required for all graduate programs. Upload your résumé in the Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV) section of your application form.

  • Your portfolio should include a minimum of five different projects documented in up to 20 images, or up to 10 minutes of time-based work, or a combination of the two in which one image is equivalent to approximately 30 seconds of time-based work.

    Applicants are required to submit an E-Portfolio. Once you pay the application fee, submit the application form, and the waiting period has passed, your application portal will direct you to create a SlideRoom portfolio for any program you selected in the application form that requires a portfolio of visual or multimedia work.

    IMPORTANT: you will be prompted to create a SlideRoom profile and must use the same name, email, and other credentials EXACTLY as they appear in your application form. 

    Submission Specifications:

    • Images: .jpg, .gif, .pdf (up to 5 MB each)
    • Videos: .flv, .wv, .mov (up to 60 MB each)
    • Audio: .mp3 (up to 10 MB each)
    • Text documents: MUST be in .pdf format (up to 10 MB each)

  • TOEFL: 100 
    IELTS: 7 
    DUOLINGO: 120

    International applicants are required to submit evidence of English language proficiency. You are waived from this requirement if you meet any of the following conditions:

    • Your native language is English
    • You have an undergraduate degree conferred by a U.S. accredited university
    • You have an undergraduate degree conferred by a university whose primary language of instruction is English

    If you do not meet one of these conditions, you must submit official English language proficiency test scores. You are strongly encouraged to schedule a language proficiency test appointment as early as possible in order to receive official test scores prior to the application deadline.

    SAIC accepts official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and Duolingo. The TOEFL Institution Code for SAIC is 1713. Please upload an unofficial copy of your test score results to the International Requirements section of the application form.

  • The department conducts interviews by invitation only. Applicants who pass the preliminary review will be invited to schedule an interview in mid-February. Notification will be sent by late January. For students at a distance or unable to travel, interviews may be conducted remotely.

Take the Next Step

Visit the graduate admissions website or contact the graduate admissions office at 312.629.6100, 800.232.7242 or gradmiss@saic.edu.

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