The 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. Anne Smart Martin (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

  • Visual 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 Department Faculty

  • Jennifer Angus, 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

  • White woman in jean blouse smiling.

    Sarah Anne CarterAssociate Professor of Design Studies | Executive Director of the Center for Design and Material Culture

  • An Asian man smiling, with short, dark hair, wearing a collared shirt and dark jacket.

    Wei DongAudrey Rothermel Bascom Professor | Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor | Professor of Design Studies

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

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

  • A white man with a mustache and long hair, wearing a brown 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

  • Placeholder image

    Elizabeth Hooper-LaneTeaching Faculty, Design Studies

  • 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

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

    Kevin PontoAudrey Rothermel Bascom Professor | Associate Professor of Design Studies

  • Portrait of Lesley Sager in Nancy Nicholas Hall.

    Lesley SagerTeaching Faculty, Design Studies

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

    Jung-hye ShinDepartment Chair and Professor of Design Studies | Faculty Director of the Design Thinking Program | Interior Architecture Program Coordinator

  • 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 and Innovation

  • An Asian man sitting in a chair, wearing a black colored t-shirt.

    Mengni ZhangAssistant Professor of Design Studies