BFA in Entertainment Arts

Concept Design

Support CCS

Concept Design at CCS is an intimate, competitive program, with a curriculum developed by Hollywood veteran concept designer Tim Flattery.

78%

Placement Rate
Learn More

STEM Designated program badge

STEM-Designated Program

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Toon Boom
Center of Excellence

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Unreal Authorized

Concept Designers bring stories to life by designing everything an audience sees — from props and scenery to costumes and characters

People in an icy tundra with futuristic crab vehicles and equipment
Atharva Dharphale
Black and White Graphic Novel page with a person working at a writing table.
Ben Stephen
Inside of a fantasy post office with cat people working at the windows.
Fiona McCabe
Space helmet Breakdown with information about the helmet
Crusius Givens
Fantasy image of two people on a terrace looking out over a brightly colored city with fireworks.
Ben Stephen
Giant walrus breaking through an ice wall with people getting ready to fight the walrus.
Atharva Dharphale

Studies include conceptual skills, 2D and 3D execution, and designing hardware, architecture, characters, and environments.

View more Student Work
Students sitting at a long row of tables having portfolio reviews with industry professionals and the annual Entertainment Industry Exposion.

Your Future, In Motion

With our extensive industry connections spanning over a century, we ensure that the active learning our students engage in aligns with industry needs, preparing them for careers.

Learn More about Experiential Learning at CCS
A student in a green shirt sketches on a Wacom Tablet in a Concept Design studio.

Cutting-Edge Spaces for Creative Minds

Enjoy unlimited access to industry-standard facilities that prepare you for real-world production.

Take a Virtual Tour of CCSSchedule a Campus Tour

Internationally, nationally and right here in Detroit, Concept Design graduates pursue multiple avenues upon graduation

*Note: This information was gathered using Lightcast Labor Market Analytics and includes the median salary for the lifetime of a career in these specific professions. CCS alumni outcomes may vary.

Walt Disney Imagineering logo
MARVEL logo
Spin Master logo
Sony Pictures Imageworks logo
SGS & Co logo
Playstation logo
EPIC Games logo
Obsidian Entertainment logo
Meta logo
Industrial Light & Magic logo
HALO logo
Atomhawk logo
Microsoft Logo
Magic the Gathering logo
Black Beach Studio logo
Universal Studios logo
Warner Brothers logo
DC logo
Lucasfilm Ltd logo

Possible Career Choices

3D Artist

3D Character Artist

3D Modeler

3D Production Artist

3D Visualization Artist

Animator

Armature Builder

CG Artist

Character Animator

Cinematographer

Cinematics Director

Colorist

Compositor

Concept Artist

Creative Visualization Designer

Digital Designer

Digital Media Creator

Digital Product Designer

Director

Editor

Environment Artist

Flash Artist

FX Artist

Game Artist/Designer/Developer

Hair and Cloth Artist

Interactive Imaging

Layout Artist

Level Artist

Lighting Artist

Look Development Artist

Prop Designer

Maquette Builder

Matchmover

Matte Painter

Mocap Artist

Motion Graphics Artist

Multimedia Specialist

Rigger

Stop Motion Animator

Storyboard Artist

Texture Painter

VFX Artist

VFX Supervisor

Videographer

Video Game Specialist

Video Producer

Visual Development Artist

Weapon Artist

Web Artist

  • A giant spaceship docking on the surface of a Mars-like planet

    Lucas (Yiming) Tan ’23

    Concept Artist/2D Artist, Seismic Squirrel

  • A giant figure extending through the clouds, mouth open, lunching towards a dragon

    Jedd Chevrier ’11

    Art Director, Epic Games

  • A batmobile

    Ed Natividad ’91

    Concept Designer

News & Events

Hear more about CCS’s community of artists, designers, and creative thinkers.

Through collaborative projects, industry partnerships, and citywide exhibitions, students push boundaries, forge connections, and draw on Detroit’s energy to shape bold ideas and future creative leaders.

Explore CCS NewsEvents
General Motors sponsored project with Transportation Design students.
AlumniColor & Materials Design

Winter 2025 Sponsored Projects at the College for Creative Studies

During the Winter semester, the College for Creative Studies hosted 14 sponsored projects, including a diverse range of sponsored projects…

Read More
Community OutreachKAID

Kresge Arts in Detroit Announces 2026 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award Recipients

Read More
blurry brown and green plant image with the word season over top in white.
Alumni EventsAlumni News CalendarDetroitIn-PersonWoodward Lecture

Woodward Lecture Series: Season Talks

September 10, 2026 11:30 AM College for Creative Studies, Wendell W. Anderson Jr. Auditorium, Walter B. Ford II Building
Read More

Applying is as easy as 1-2-3

Two students working at a table. Behind them is a large mood board fill of images, writing and inspiration.

Complete your Application

Submitting your application for admission is the first step to becoming part of one of the best art and design schools in the world.
Apply TodayApply with CommonApp
Two students in a work lab using VR headsets

Submit your Transcripts

We accept unofficial or official transcripts for application. Official GED results may be accepted in place of a high school transcript.
Visit Undergraduate AdmissionsVisit Graduate Admissions
A student pinning a tryptic painting onto a board full of drawings and paintings next to a well lit window

Show us your Work

If the department you are applying to requires a portfolio, please take a look at our portfolio guidelines.
Submit your Portfolio with SlideroomRequest a Portfolio Review

Unlock Essential Admissions Info.

Fill out our inquiry form to receive personalized updates, tips, and can’t miss info from our Admissions team.

Visit Admissions
BFA

Transportation Design

Support CCS

Detroit drives the auto industry. Our graduates drive the design.

The CCS Transportation Design program has spent 60+ years becoming the best. This century’s wave of ingenuity, including autonomous vehicles and mobility-forward design, is powered by the designers that teach and learn here.

Interior with Hologram Owen Shaw
84%

Placement Rate
Learn More

STEM Designated program badge

STEM-Designated
Program

Located in the heart of the auto industry, our curriculum explores mobility, cultural and technical  trends and translates 2D design concepts to 3D models using traditional skills and industry-grade technology.

Future Chrysler
Jaewon Kim
Toyota Allure Minivan Interior
Jason Song
Toyota Minivan Exterior(off-road version)
Joosuk Kang
Toyota Veranda 2031 Minivan Interior
Zi Yun Hsu
Exterior Lifestyle Experience
Loannis Loutridis
Exterior Lifestyle Experience
Loannis Loutridis

Through collaborative projects, industry partnerships, and citywide exhibitions, our students have unparalleled access to industry experts. Student work pushes boundaries, forging connections and drawing on Detroit’s energy to shape bold ideas and future creative leaders.

View more Student Work
A student presents his gold car model to a designer during the Stellantis Sponsored Project final presentation

Your Future, In Motion

With our extensive industry connections spanning over a century, we ensure that the active learning our students engage in aligns with industry needs, preparing them for careers.

Learn More about Experiential Learning at CCS
A student works on a clay model of a car with orange wheels in the CCS Transportation Design studio with artwork hanging on the wall in the background.

Cutting-Edge Spaces for Creative Minds

Enjoy unlimited access to industry-standard facilities
that prepare you for real-world production.

Take a Virtual Tour of Transportation DesignSchedule a Campus Tour

Students have the opportunity to secure competitive internships at top firms around the world, work with industry insiders on sponsored design projects, and go on to swell the ranks of every major car design studio and nearly all the Tier 1 auto suppliers.

*Note: This information was gathered using Lightcast Labor Market Analytics and includes the median salary for the lifetime of a career in these specific professions. CCS alumni outcomes may vary.

Audi logo
Autodesk logo
BMW logo
Ford logo
General Motors logo
Harley Davidson Motorcycles logo
Infiniti logo
John Deere logo
Lear Corporation logo
Maserati logo
Mercedes logo
Michelin logo
Polaris logo
Renault logo
Rivian logo
Scout logo
SpaceX logo
Stellantis logo
Tesla logo
Toyota logo
Vizcom logo
Volkswagon logo
Volvo logo
  • A dramatically lit image of a lunar rover on the surface of the moon with a space background

    Logan Phillips ’18

    Senior Industrial Designer, SpaceX

  • A plane flying over land and sea. It's tagged with N867CA on the side

    Alex Alequin ’07

    Principal Owner, One Horizon Designs

  • A motorcycle on a wet road with a river and cityscape in the background

    Dong Tran ’09

    Founder/CEO, Ryvid Inc.

News & Events

Hear more about CCS’s community of artists, designers, and creative thinkers.

Through collaborative projects, industry partnerships, and citywide exhibitions, students push boundaries, forge connections, and draw on Detroit’s energy to shape bold ideas and future creative leaders.

Explore CCS NewsEvents
General Motors sponsored project with Transportation Design students.
AlumniColor & Materials Design

Winter 2025 Sponsored Projects at the College for Creative Studies

During the Winter semester, the College for Creative Studies hosted 14 sponsored projects, including a diverse range of sponsored projects…

Read More
Community OutreachKAID

Kresge Arts in Detroit Announces 2026 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award Recipients

Read More
blurry brown and green plant image with the word season over top in white.
Alumni EventsAlumni News CalendarDetroitIn-PersonWoodward Lecture

Woodward Lecture Series: Season Talks

September 10, 2026 11:30 AM College for Creative Studies, Wendell W. Anderson Jr. Auditorium, Walter B. Ford II Building
Read More

Applying is as easy as 1-2-3

Two students working at a table. Behind them is a large mood board fill of images, writing and inspiration.

Complete your Application

Submitting your application for admission is the first step to becoming part of one of the best art and design schools in the world.
Apply TodayApply with CommonApp
Two students in a work lab using VR headsets

Submit your Transcripts

We accept unofficial or official transcripts for application. Official GED results may be accepted in place of a high school transcript.
Visit Undergraduate AdmissionsVisit Graduate Admissions
A student pinning a tryptic painting onto a board full of drawings and paintings next to a well lit window

Show us your Work

If the department you are applying to requires a portfolio, please take a look at our portfolio guidelines.
Submit your Portfolio with SlideroomRequest a Portfolio Review

Unlock Essential Admissions Info.

Fill out our inquiry form to receive personalized updates, tips, and can’t miss info from our Admissions team.

Visit Admissions
MAMFA

Transportation Design

Minor in Design for SustainabilitySupport CCS

Students in the Graduate Transportation Design program focus on the complete design process that includes extensive research, sketching and 3D rendering, animation, core competencies analysis, and more.

Special projects explore innovation through forms and materials, functionality, and engineering. Students apply to this understanding a real-world strategy that includes business practices, research, brand identity, vehicle architecture, and mobility as a system.

(Daniel) Dong Ug Kim
92%

Placement Rate
Learn More

STEM Designated program badge

STEM-Designated
Program

Students are invited to assume the role of “designer as inventor,” as they are led through a complete design process that includes extensive research, sketching and 3D rendering, animation, core competencies analysis, and more.

Our curriculum is led by faculty who understand what it takes to succeed in the design industry because they have been or currently are successful industry practitioners and leaders. Students learn not only to become critical thinkers and strategic designers but to be professionals because creative talent and execution skills alone do not guarantee career advancement or entrepreneurial success.

Students are taught to work effectively in teams both as leaders and as team peers. They cope with the real stresses of deadlines and uncertainties, both within and outside of their control. They learn to champion their ideas through formal presentations and rigorous critiques led by industry professionals who are in positions to recruit and hire promising talent.

Degrees Offered

The Graduate Transportation Design Program offers 2 types of Degrees

60 Credits

MFA

Upon graduation, students in the MFA Transportation Design program will be able to:

  • Demonstrate the ability to frame their work through research, analysis, and concept generation within the
    history of Design, and the broader social, political, economic and cultural contexts.

  • Synthesize knowledge and skills toward the creation of visionary, attractive, and socially responsible
    Transportation for the future.

  • Articulate and argue concepts and proposals through writing and presentation in a professional and
    persuasive manner.

  • Design advanced vehicle and systems concepts with significant technological and conceptual reach while
    pushing the aesthetic horizon of market desirability

  • Collaborate knowledgeably and ethically with leaders across disciplines in the creation of industry leading
    innovation.

  • Apply understanding of business, technology, culture, and social responsibility to elevate and lead the practice of transportation design.

30 Credits

MA

Upon graduation, students in the MA Transportation Design program will be able to:

  • Synthesize knowledge and skills toward the creation of visionary, attractive, and socially responsible Transportation solutions that meet professional expectations.
  • Articulate and argue concepts and proposals through writing and presentation in a professional and persuasive manner.
  • Design advanced vehicle and vehicle system concepts with significant technological and conceptual reach while pushing the aesthetic horizon of market desirability
  • Apply understanding of business, technology, culture, and social responsibility both individually and collaboratively to elevate the practice of transportation design.

Materiality

Explore the Materiality Project
Final renderings. Automotive design sketches and interior 3D renderings where the synthesized "Nature +" materials are applied directly onto vehicular surfaces—such as the dashboard, side door panels, and center console—to demonstrate a cohesive premium vehicle interior.
Caden Wyatt, Nicholas Pyle
Another interior video of the interior of the Lucid Orbit
Wilde Wang
A side view of the Jaguar Monaco in a city setting with water behind
Siddharth Ghaisas
A detailed rendering of 4 people inside of the Lincoln Chariot
Jensen Moock
Detailed rendering of the seats in the 2100 Afro-Futurism
Jack Liu
John Carioti

Through collaborative projects, industry partnerships, and citywide exhibitions, student work takes center stage—pushing boundaries, forging connections, and drawing on Detroit’s energy to shape bold ideas and future creative leaders.

Explore more Student Work
Our Department

Hands-on experiences that help bring your imagination to life.

Students walking and talking around boards during industry day

Your Future, In Motion

With our extensive industry connections spanning over a century, we ensure that the active learning our students engage in aligns with industry needs, preparing them for careers.

Learn More about Experiential Learning at CCS
Developed for the Extended Reality (XR) course, Prescription for Profit is an interactive installation that exposes the stark disparity between the manufacturing costs of essential medications and their retail market prices. By scanning barcodes on prescription bottles, users trigger animated content alongside a printed receipt that breaks down the actual costs and corporate profits. This immersive experience highlights the steep price barriers that routinely place life-saving treatments out of reach for thousands of people.

Cutting-Edge Spaces for Creative Minds

Enjoy unlimited access to industry-standard facilities that prepare you for real-world production.

Take a Virtual Tour of Graduate StudiesSchedule a Campus Tour

Internationally, nationally and right here in Detroit, Transportation Design graduates pursue multiple avenues upon graduation

*Note: This information was gathered using Lightcast Labor Market Analytics and includes the median salary for the lifetime of a career in these specific professions. CCS alumni outcomes may vary.

Ford logo
Tesla logo
General Motors logo
Stellantis logo
Karma logo
Vizcom logo
Polaris logo
Kia log
Studio Syn logo
Mazda Logo

Possible Career Choices

Airplane Designer

Alias Modeler

Automotive Color & Trim Designer

Automotive Exterior Designer

Automotive Interior Designer

Autonomous Vehicle Designer

Bicycle Designer

Clay Modeler/Sculptor

Concept Hardware Artist

Creative Designer

Design Engineer

Digital Modeler/Sculptor

Industrial Designer

Market Researcher

Mass Transit Designer

Mobility Systems Designer

Motorcycle Designer

Recreational Vehicle Designer

Surface Designer

Transportation Systems Designer

UX Designer

Vehicle Exterior Designer

Vehicle Interior Designer

Virtual Reality Designer

Watercraft Designer

  • A vehicle in front of a large cascading water fall and lush greenery

    Dan Shapiro ’22

    Creative Designer, General Motors

  • A vehicle on a road with an open side; the vehicle has a bunch of products inside

    Dong Wu ’18

    HMI Architect, FAW-Volkswagen

  • A bi-pedal vehicle next to silhouetted people

    Veda Huang ’22

    Junior Industrial Designer, Pride Mobility Products Corporation

News & Events

Hear more about CCS’s community of artists, designers, and creative thinkers.

Through collaborative projects, industry partnerships, and citywide exhibitions, students push boundaries, forge connections, and draw on Detroit’s energy to shape bold ideas and future creative leaders.

Explore CCS NewsEvents
General Motors sponsored project with Transportation Design students.
AlumniColor & Materials Design

Winter 2025 Sponsored Projects at the College for Creative Studies

During the Winter semester, the College for Creative Studies hosted 14 sponsored projects, including a diverse range of sponsored projects…

Read More
Community OutreachKAID

Kresge Arts in Detroit Announces 2026 Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award Recipients

Read More
blurry brown and green plant image with the word season over top in white.
Alumni EventsAlumni News CalendarDetroitIn-PersonWoodward Lecture

Woodward Lecture Series: Season Talks

September 10, 2026 11:30 AM College for Creative Studies, Wendell W. Anderson Jr. Auditorium, Walter B. Ford II Building
Read More

Applying is as easy as 1-2-3

Two students working at a table. Behind them is a large mood board fill of images, writing and inspiration.

Complete your Application

Submitting your application for admission is the first step to becoming part of one of the best art and design schools in the world.
Apply TodayApply with CommonApp
Two students in a work lab using VR headsets

Submit your Transcripts

We accept unofficial or official transcripts for application. Official GED results may be accepted in place of a high school transcript.
Visit Undergraduate AdmissionsVisit Graduate Admissions
A student pinning a tryptic painting onto a board full of drawings and paintings next to a well lit window

Show us your Work

If the department you are applying to requires a portfolio, please take a look at our portfolio guidelines.
Submit your Portfolio with SlideroomRequest a Portfolio Review

Unlock Essential Admissions Info.

Fill out our inquiry form to receive personalized updates, tips, and can’t miss info from our Admissions team.

Visit Admissions