Design (BSD)

"At Ohio State there is a real emphasis on critical thinking and developing our understanding of design. I would say it also gives me the opportunity to explore emerging fields of design and put me at the frontier of those fields." — David McKenzie, design student

The Department of Design's undergraduate activities fall into three major programs, each leading to the Bachelor of Science in Design (BSD) degree: Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Visual Communication Design. Our undergraduate degree programs provide comprehensive, professional training in the design disciplines, while also emphasizing collaboration between each of the areas of study. Students develop projects that demonstrate their abilities to create solutions that meet or exceed professional expectations.

“All three major programs directly enroll into the College of Arts and Sciences with an area of interest in one of our three design discipline declared. Selection to our three undergraduate programs then occurs via a two-part process, which begins with selection to the Pre-Design major, and ends with an annual entrance review that occurs at the close of Spring semester. For more information about this process, please visit the Design website.”

The Department's degree programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and the Interior Design major program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation.

The Department of Design degree programs have been highly-ranked by U.S. News & World Report and Design Intelligence. In addition, Ohio State has been ranked number-one in the top 25 animation schools and colleges in the Midwest by Animation Career Review.

For more information visit the Department of Design website or view the university's major curriculum sheets on Industrial Design, Interior Design and Visual Communication Design.

AREAS OF STUDY

Industrial Design

Industrial Design deals with developing a wide variety of objects and interrelated systems. Consumer electronics, tools, safety equipment, furniture, medical equipment, and transportation devices are just a few of the many products created in practice.

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Interior Design

Interior Design includes the planning of spaces for commercial, industrial, and institutional uses. Offices, retail spaces, health-care facilities, and trade-show exhibitions are among the many types of projects typically created in the field.

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Visual Communication Design

Visual Communication Design involves the creation of various types of printed, fabricated, and digital media. Corporate identification, environmental graphic, consumer packaging, motion graphic, and interactive information systems represent some of the many possibilities in this discipline.

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Students in all three of the department's undergraduate programs have many opportunities to study design across design disciplines. The department believes strongly in the importance of creating an environment of mutual respect and engagement between the design disciplines, and there are very few design programs in the nation who house all three of these disciplines under the same roof.

Department of Design Website More Design Courses

Students graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Design take positions with design consulting offices, corporate design departments, and government design agencies, working on consumer and industrial products, building and equipment systems, and public and corporate communication projects.

courses you might take:

DESIGN 3503: Typographic Design

Introduction to basic two- and three-dimensional practices in visual communication design; emphasis on typographic design and systematic method and research techniques.

DESIGN 3101: Introduction to Industrial Design I

Introduction to divergent thinking strategies including design research, observation, abstraction, evaluation and communication in the context of Industrial Design.

DESIGN 3302: Visualization Strategies for Interior Design I

Introduction to the principles of related spatial representation in Interior Design.

DESIGN 3550.03: Materials, Process, and Production for Visual Communication Design

An overview of current and emerging materials and manufacturing processes commonly applied in production for Visual Communication Design.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

Emily Stokes, industrial design, talks about why she chose design and her favorite parts about the program.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Design Circle

Design Circle is a university-supported group that is open to all students at The Ohio State University who have a passion for design. There is no fee required to join Design Circle. Student officers are appointed on an annual basis to provide leadership, and to organize and coordinate the various events and activities that the group sponsors.

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Internships

Students are encouraged to explore their interests, define a career goal, and receive invaluable work experience through an internship offered either on- or off-campus. Students in the Department of Design have worked for numerous companies within their areas of study.

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Study Abroad

The Department of Design has established student exchange programs with several university design programs in Europe, Asia, and South America, so that their students may study abroad. Based on a student’s area of study, there are multiple opportunities for exchange programs.

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Design (BSD)

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