Design Innovation

A group of five people stands in front of a wall brimming with innovation, featuring various papers and colorful sticky notes. One person points at the design ideas while others listen and observe attentively. They are dressed casually in a well-lit room.

Prepare to lead organizational and social transformation at corporations, nonprofits, educational institutions, and entrepreneurial ventures.

The Design Innovation program at MassArt (MDES) is a STEM certified, full-time, two-year (60 credit hours) graduate program that prepares the next generation of innovators to lead organizational and social transformation across organizations. Blending design and business thinking, MDES graduates are uniquely positioned to influence growing industry areas and go on to work as service designers, experience designers, design strategists, and innovation leaders.

MDes

The MDES curriculum teaches students to define and solve a problem, and to use critical leadership skills to motivate teams to achieve success.

Faculty

Get to know our accomplished and talented MDES faculty, dedicated educators and professionals who are active in varied industries.

Events

Explore MassArt’s Design Innovation events and connect with designers, industry leaders, and faculty to advance creative problem-solving.

Featured Work

Get inspired by the extraordinary work being produced by our Design Innovation students and faculty.

MDes Basecamp

Every fall, MDES Basecamp convenes students and faculty for intensive training and team-building exercises, solving design challenges together.

Graduate Student Resources

Information for graduate students, campus resources, studio and exhibitions spaces, and more.

Studios & Resources

As an MDES student, you will enjoy access to the FABLABS, which support creative problem solving through the use of emerging technologies.

MassArt x SoWa

The MassArt x SoWa graduate gallery features work from all MassArt graduate design programs, along with exhibitions across a variety of media.

Illustrated image of several smiling people holding cards with Amee on them. The person in the center, representing rural India, wears an orange sari and has a bindi on the forehead. The background and other figures are in outline.

Yijia Sun, Aastha Singh, ’19 MDes, McKayla Blanch, Design Innovation Agnee: Design for Developing Countries: Cooking up a Recipe for Clean Energy Adoption in Rural India, Solution, 2018

An angled smartphone screen displays a map with location pins, highlighting Nalos innovative approach to recovery support. A prominent orange map pin icon with a white circle rests on the left, with nalo beneath it. The vibrant teal background adds a modern touch to the design.

Divya Mangadu, ’20 MDes, Radhika Dhepe, ’20 MDes, Stephanie Quinones-Millet, ’20 MDes, Design Innovation Nalo: Together We Support Recovery, Solution, 2018