Held from November 3 to 8, 2025, the Department of Industrial Design at Seoul-based Hongik University presented its annual Graduation Exhibition under the theme 'The Use of Uselessness: What If.' Moving beyond conventional purpose-centered design, the exhibition serves as an open dialogue between function, emotion, and culture, challenging students to find creative value in concepts that exist beyond conventional utility.
The Master of Design in Communication Design (MDes) at the University of Arkansas School of Art, housed in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, is now accepting applications through January 15, 2026. This two-year, terminal degree prepares students for a collaborative, studio-driven, and research-led approach to advanced design study. Located in one of the fastest-growing regions in the US and near the headquarters of three Fortune 500 companies, students gain professional experience in conceptual exploration and hands-on making.
My day job is a design educator, so for me, this time of year is filled with writing syllabi, planning new classes, and thinking about what the next generation of designers might need to know as they enter an ever-changing field. To do this, I look for the designers, the writers, and the thinkers who challenge my understanding of design and force me to think about what we do in new ways.
Cities are reimagined as living, evolving organisms that integrate digital intelligence, ecological systems, and new materials to shape their futures.