School of Human Ecology
Texture of gray tile on a wall in Nancy Nicholas Hall

AcademicsDepartments

Department of Design Studies

The students, faculty, staff, and researchers in the Design Studies department at UW–Madison study the production, process, and impact of design. Through scholarship, analysis, curriculum, and outreach, we advocate design as an encompassing discipline central to every aspect of life. We emphasize and promote a multi-disciplinary, global approach to design, and we value connections, nationally and internationally, with other campus, community, and professional programs.

Design Studies faculty include interdisciplinary scholars associated with the arts and humanities, the social sciences, and the physical sciences. While the backgrounds and scholarship areas of the faculty are diverse, we are tied together by an interest in the relationships between humans and the objects and environments that they design and use.

We also boast within the School of Human Ecology the Center for Design and Material Culture, which is home to two galleries, one of the largest university-held textile collections in the world, material culture studies, and the school’s design thinking initiative. Center leadership includes executive director Dr. Sarah Anne Carter and faculty directors Dr. Yuhang Li (material culture), Dr. Marina Moskowitz (textiles), and Dr. Jung-hye Shin (design thinking).

Department Chair

Portrait of Jung-hye, an Asian woman in a black blazer smiling, in front of the 100 Women Wall.

Dr. Jung-hye Shin

Degrees Offered

Affiliated Centers & Labs

Areas of Specialization

Human-centered design

  • Design impact on health and wellbeing (or design evaluation)
  • Design for special population (aging, poverty, children)

Design Innovation

  • Design Strategy
  • Design Thinking

Technology

  • Virtual Reality
  • Emerging Technology
  • Smart Building System
  • Material innovations

Sustainable Design Materials and Practices

  • Materials
  • Building systems

Creative Practice

  • Papermaking
  • Textile Design
  • Fashion Design
  • Weaving

Historical and Cultural Studies

  • Material Culture
  • Design History
  • Museum Studies
  • Cultural and regional studies

Visualization

  • Design Visualization
  • Visual Communication
  • Data Visualization

Design Studies News & Research

Design Studies Faculty and Staff

  • A person with long, blue/green hair, wearing a dark gray top and red necklace.

    Jennifer AngusProfessor of Design Studies | Kay Vaughan Faculty Fellow of Design + Innovation

  • A white woman smiling, with shoulder length brown hair, wearing a dark blue collared dress with cranberry trim and a pearl necklace.

    Sarah Anne CarterChipstone Foundation Design and Material Culture Chair | Associate Professor of Design Studies | Executive Director of the Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture

  • A white man smiling, with short, grey hair, wearing a grey button-up shirt.

    Mark ClaiborneDigital Fabrication Laboratory Manager

  • A white man with gray hair, glasses, and trimmed beard, smiling wearing a light blue shirt and a dark sweater.

    Samuel DennisDepartment Convener, Design Studies | Senior Academic Faculty and Administrator

  • A white man with a beard and glasses, smiling, wearing a blue shirt and a grey sweater.

    Coe DouglasCreative Lead for the Master of Science in Design + Innovation

  • A white woman smiling, with grey hair, wearing graphic-patterned earrings and a polka dot shirt.

    Marianne FairbanksAudrey Rothermel Bascom Professor of Design Studies | Kohl’s Center Innovation Faculty Fellow

  • A white male smiling with short hair, glasses, and a beard, wearing a blue denim shirt.

    Mitch FrankTeaching Faculty, Design Studies

  • Professional photo of Brooke Godfrey.

    Brooke GodfreyTeaching Faculty, Design Studies

  • A woman smiling, with long, light brown hair, wearing red glasses and a blue shirt.

    Erin HamiltonAssistant Professor of Design Studies

  • A white woman smiling, with short hair, wearing glasses, a black shirt, and a long necklace.

    Mary HarkProfessor of Design Studies

  • A white woman smiling, with short grey hair and wearing an olive green velvet button down collared shirt and silver jewelery.

    Elizabeth Hooper-LaneTeaching Faculty, Design Studies

  • An east Asian woman with short black hair with a white sweater and silver earrings.

    Esther KangAssistant Professor of Design Studies

  • A white woman smiling, with a slightly pink-haired bob, wearing a pink and blue tie dye button-up shirt.

    Anika KozlowskiAssistant Professor of Design Studies | Vaughan Sustainability and Innovation Faculty Fellow

  • A white woman smiling, with straight brown hair, wearing glasses and a navy blue, burgundy and white-striped dress.

    Marina MoskowitzLynn and Gary Mecklenburg Chair in Textiles, Material Culture & Design | Professor of Design Studies

  • An East Asian male staring into the camera, with long black hair tied back, wearing a black linen jacket.

    Zj PanTeaching Faculty in Fashion Design and Entrepreneurship, Design Studies

  • A man smiling with short, dark hair and a beard, wearing a black, short-sleeved polo shirt.

    Kevin PontoAudrey Rothermel Bascom Professor | Professor of Design Studies

  • A white woman with red, curly hair, wearing a lavender shirt.

    Emily StoverCommunity-Engaged Design Teaching Faculty, Design Studies | DesignConnect Initiative Director

  • A white woman smiling, with long, blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a navy blue suit.

    Monika ThadhaniTeaching Professor, Design Studies

  • A brown woman with black hair, smiling, wearing a gray jacket and black earrings.

    Uchita VaidAssistant Professor of Design Studies

  • A white woman with short, blond, curly hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue jacket with a light blue shirt.

    Trudy WattAcademic Director for the Master of Science in Design + Innovation | Kay Vaughan Innovation Fellow

  • A smiling person wearing a blue shirt.

    Qi YangAssistant Professor of Design Studies

  • An Asian man with short black hair, wearing a dark navy pleated jacket over a black buttoned shirt, in front of a light grey background.

    Bowen ZhanAssistant Professor of Design Studies

  • An Asian man with short black hair in a seated position, wearing dark blue shirt and glasses.

    Mengni ZhangAssistant Professor of Design Studies | Dean’s CDMC Design Research Faculty Fellow with the Center for Design and Material Culture

  • An Asian man with black hair and black eye color, wearing a dark blue shirt.

    Yaoyi ZhouAssistant Professor of Design Studies | Dean’s Human-Centered Design Faculty Fellow

  • A white woman smiling, with long red brown hair, wearing a white shirt and green blazer.

    Kylie ZochertGraduate Program Manager, Master of Science in Design + Innovation (MD+I)