During the Fall semester, the College for Creative Studies hosted 13 educational partnerships, including a diverse range of sponsored projects and competitions that engaged a variety of academic departments. Students partnered with local and global brands and Detroit community non-profits to work on projects tailored to meet the needs of our partners. Educational partnerships at CCS are highly conceptual and allow CCS students the opportunity to participate in creative, research-based assignments, interacting with designers and staff from the collaborating partners. Highlighted collaborations during the Fall semester include:
American Chemistry Council – Plastics Division x Transportation Design
Bedrock x Communication Design and Strategy, Interdisciplinary Art + Design, Interior Design and Fashion Design
BRP International Design Challenge x Transportation Design
DSC Design Sprint x Product Design
Foley & Lardner LLP x Illustration
Ford Motor Company x Transportation Design & Graduate Studies Color & Materials Design
Gardner White x Communication Design & Strategy
Hagopian x CCS
Movement Festival x Communication Design & Strategy
New Balance x Product Design and Graduate Studies Color & Materials Design
Stafford House x Interior Design
Stellantis x Transportation Design
Urban Electronic, Inc. x Entertainment Arts
“Partnering with the College for Creative Studies during the holiday season on Windows on Woodward provided the opportunity to support emerging creative talent while strengthening connections between our downtown retailers and Detroit’s vibrant arts community,” said Francesca Eid, Bedrock Vice President, Experience. “Initiatives like this allow students to bring their creative ideas to life while contributing to the energy and spirit of the Lower Woodward corridor. We value these collaborations with local institutions and civic partners as an important way to nurture the next generation of creatives as they help shape Detroit’s future.”
The College for Creative Studies expands its User Experience and Color & Materials Design programs to include the College’s first online and part-time graduate programs, better serving designers seeking opportunities in this growing field.
Detroit, MI, October 17, 2025 – College for Creative Studies (CCS) is proud to announce the launch of new online and part-time graduate degrees in User Experience (UX) Design and Color & Materials Design (CMD). These programs are designed to make high-quality art and design education more accessible to working professionals and those seeking flexible learning options in the rapidly growing fields of UX and Color, Materials and Finish (CMF) Design. The new offerings complement a strong portfolio of existing full-time graduate programs at CCS, including: Color & Materials Design (MFA), Design for Sustainability (MA/MFA), Interdisciplinary Design & Media (MA/MFA), Transportation Design (MA/MFA), and User Experience Design (MFA).
“The MPS and part-time MA curriculum additions mark a significant step in CCS’s commitment to accessible education,” said Carla Gonzalez, Dean of Enrollment at CCS. “We understand the evolving demands of today’s professional landscape, and these options were designed to provide working professionals with the cutting-edge skills they need to excel in their current and future roles. This is particularly relevant in fields like digital design, where, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of digital designers and web developers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2023 to 2033.”
The new online and part-time programming is a part of CCS’s graduate school:
Master of Professional Studies (MPS) User Experience Design, fully online (enrolling for Fall 2026)
Master of Arts (MA) User Experience Design, part-time in-person (enrolling for Fall 2026)
Master of Arts (MA) Color & Materials Design, part-time in-person (enrolling for Fall 2026)
With the increasing demand for UX and CMF professionals, CCS’s programs offer a unique pathway for individuals looking to advance their careers in design, technology, and user-centered solutions. The curriculum emphasizes ethically, socially, and environmentally responsible practices, combining theoretical knowledge with practical application. Graduates will be well-prepared to enter the workforce and make an impact in the fields of User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Color, Materials and Finish Design (CMF) and emerging technologies.
The MPS in UX Design is an 18-month, fully online program focused on developing skills in user-centered research, interface design, smart mobility, user testing, augmented reality, and data visualization. The program is designed for working professionals, offering an affordable and convenient option for students who need to balance their studies with life commitments.
The MA in UX Design is a two-year, part-time program that includes studio and research-based courses focusing on strategy and theory. The program foregrounds skills in design thinking, user-centered research, prototyping and communication. Here, students learn to design technologically-mediated systems, experiences, and human interactions with objects, spaces, and interfaces.
The MA in CMD is a two-year, part-time program that is the only accredited graduate-level CMF design program worldwide, attracting designers globally from the fields of product, transportation, fashion, interior, user experience, textile, and animation, as well as fine art, crafts, architecture, engineering, and the natural and social sciences. The curriculum prepares students to cultivate a mindset where forward-thinking color, material, and finish strategies are framed to connect functional and emotional meaning to products, environments, and experiences — with the understanding of user needs and preferences — across a wide range of industries.
Founded in 1906, CCS has distinguished itself as one of the premier institutions of higher learning in the world for more than a century. By offering these degrees online and in a part-time format, CCS is committed to breaking down barriers to education in the creative fields. CCS invites prospective students to learn more about these exciting new programs and how they can enhance their careers in design. For additional information, please visit www.ccsdetroit.edu.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a nonprofit, private college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and authorized by the Michigan Education Department to grant Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. CCS, located in midtown Detroit, strives to provide students with the tools needed for successful careers in the dynamic and growing creative industries. CCS fosters students’ resolve to pursue excellence, act ethically, engage their responsibilities as citizens, and learn throughout their lives. With world-class faculty and unsurpassed facilities, students learn to be visual communicators who actively use art and design toward the betterment of society. The College is a major supplier of talent to numerous industries, such as transportation, film and animation, advertising and communications, consumer electronics, athletic apparel, and many more. Its graduates are exhibiting artists and teachers, design problem solvers and innovators, as well as creative leaders in business.
Located in the heart of midtown Detroit, CCS’s prime location offers unparalleled opportunities for art and design collaboration. Our students have found countless ways to make a positive impact on local metro Detroit businesses through innovative art and design problem-solving.
Last year alone, CCS students collaborated to problem-solve timely topics for 15 metro Detroit businesses and nonprofit organizations. They addressed a range of issues in healthcare product design, sustainability, mobility, and even emerging augmented reality technology.
Embracing the city’s rich history of cultural and sporting events, students continue to participate in annual design competitions to create the newest posters for iconic Detroit events such as the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear, the Movement Music Festival and the 313 Presents Pine Knob concert series.
Here’s a look at some of the partnerships:
Augmented Reality Center (ARC) in partnership with Oakland University x Communication Design & Strategy, Graduate User Experience Design and Entertainment Arts
Crain Communications – Automotive News x Illustration
313 Presents x Illustration
Detroit Grand Prix x Illustration
GM x Transportation Design & Graduate User Experience Design
Godnii x Graduate Color & Materials Design
Hagopian Rug Competition x All Departments
State of Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification with support from the Global Epicenter of Mobility x Transportation Design
Zumiez and Somerset Collection x Illustration
BorgWarner x Product Design
Carhartt x Fashion Design
Henry Ford Health x Product Design
Changing Lives and Staying Sober (C.L.A.S.S.) x Interior Design and Graduate Color & Materials Design
What does it look like to work over 100 hours to handcraft a single pair of eyeglasses and only use local materials? First and second-year Graduate Color & Materials Design (CMD) students at CCS got to experience this firsthand this past semester when they worked collaboratively with GODNII, a sustainable Detroit-based eyewear brand.
GODNII asked CMD students to work in small groups to explore hyperlocal sustainable alternatives in color and material design, texture, and branding for an upcoming eyewear collection. In their research, students were asked not only to delve deep into the resources and materials available locally but also to consider the waste streams and innovative ways to improve material choices without compromising design quality.
“This project was pure inspiration,” said Ali Evans, Founder and Creative Director of GODNII. “Collaborating with CCS has been a longtime hope of ours, and it lived up to everything we imagined. The students brought forward deep research, bold ideas, and a clear vision for the future of sustainable fashion. Their work affirmed what we already believed—creativity with purpose can shift the industry. At GODNII, we’re excited to carry these insights forward as we continue designing not just for style, but for impact.”
This project was brought to life through CCS’s new Practicing Design Center (PDC), an initiative that pairs small businesses and nonprofit organizations with CCS students and faculty to address real-world challenges through art and design.
Shannon McPartlon, Executive Director of the Office of Partnerships explains, “The CCS Practicing Design Center is not just an extension of the classroom; it’s a bridge connecting student creativity with real-world needs, fostering a generation of career-ready designers while simultaneously infusing fresh, creative solutions and economic vitality into local non-profits, small businesses and the broader Detroit economy.”
For 20 years, the C.L.A.S.S. Agency has supported outpatient treatment for adults, teens, and children living in the 48219 zip code and its neighboring communities providing vital prevention, intervention, and substance use disorder treatment. Their mission is to provide strategies and treatment services for families focusing on improving quality of life.
“Designing for C.L.A.S.S. brought me out of the city center to look at how other neighborhoods build up their local connections. Through research, we found out how under-resourced some of these places are. Designing for this project gave me a new understanding and opportunity to really do something for the city that we are living in.” – Yuya Cheng, MFA Color & Material Design
Dr. Karla Mitchell, executive director of C.L.A.S.S., explains that understanding the CDC’s Distressed Communities Index is crucial to grasping the necessity of C.L.A.S.S. in Detroit. The index provides a detailed view of economic well-being at the zip code level, highlighting widespread distress across the city. She also notes that their office location is among the areas most affected by suspected opioid overdoses, closely correlating with the index’s measures of social vulnerability.
For Dr. Mitchell, the nonprofit’s mission is deeply personal.
“Both of my parents had addictions. I recall there being no support for the children and families in a system of services with diminished access and quality. I have an understanding of how support for youth impacted by trauma, distress and social vulnerability should look.”
A newly acquired residential property will serve as the nonprofit’s safe haven for prevention, intervention, and substance use disorder treatment for adults and children. CCS students worked closely with C.L.A.S.S. to design their new headquarters.
The design brief required students to design for regeneration with a focus on actively restoring and renewing ecosystems, communities, or cultural aspects to enhance health and vitality. The aim was to improve overall well-being by emphasizing sustainable practices, mindful materials, and increased capacity for positive development.
Through in-depth interviews, field research, and creative collaboration, CCS students created final projects that put the needs of the nonprofit’s at-risk community first.
In The Third Space by Caden Musa (Interior Design), Dalaa Kain (Interior Design), Tanaya Kotasthane (MFA Color & Materials Design), and Tanushka Karwa (MFA Color & Materials Design) the group took a residential design approach to the project brief, creating a space that feels like home. While Bridge to Belonging by Laura Lin (MFA Color & Materials Design), Yasmin Childs (Interior Design), and Alejandra Castañeda Gomez (Interior Design; exchange student from Spain) focused on interconnectivity through themes of nature and play that encouraged a greater sense of belonging and ownership among visitors.
Each of the final six group projects presented left C.L.A.S.S. incredibly impressed.
“I am ecstatic about the possibilities uncovered by the youth. I am also proud to know that CCS is a gem in the city that anchors an incredible amount of creative genius,” said Dr. Mitchell. “What the students were able to envision and reimagine after connecting to our mission gives our staff and youth great hope for the kind of community this project will create. The passion and connection to the work that C.L.A.S.S. does was evident at every encounter, every design review and we loved it.”
Chair of Interior Design, Sandra Olave, was thrilled with the students’ final outcomes. “This sponsored project was notable for its strong focus on human-centric design. Working with C.L.A.S.S. and Dr. Mitchell greatly contributed to this emphasis, enabling our students to develop empathy for real-life scenarios encountered in day-to-day experience design.”
“This project is C.L.A.S.S Agency’s dream and reaching out to us was like them entrusting us with their ‘field relay batons’ of hope. We got to work on a project that has a more direct impact on students’ current landscape and got the chance to really interact with the environment as well as the community. I thought this project was a really valuable experience and unfolded many facets of what it means to design for humans.” – An Luu, Interior Design
Speaking to the caliber of work, one group of students was selected to present their final project at Milan Design Week, the preeminent global design fair. Yostina Kaoud (MFA Color & Materials Design), An Luu (Interior Design), Yuya Cheng (MFA Color & Materials Design), and Yasmeen Khalifa (Interior Design) had the opportunity to display and present their final project, Sight to Self, at the design fair in May with over 360,000 visitors in attendance.
Color & Materials Design chair, Melanie McClintock, felt student participation in Milan Design Week was a bonus. She emphasized the outstanding work completed by all of the students, which she credits not only to the students but also to Dr. Mitchell’s passion for C.L.A.S.S. “This was the first time our department has participated in a community-focused project working directly with a local non-profit. Collaborating with Dr. Mitchell and the C.L.A.S.S. team was such a positive and enriching experience – so grounded in a collective desire to do good,” said McClintock. “The outcomes of the projects were incredibly thoughtful, intentionally created with deep consideration for the client and the community. I was really impressed with the level of empathy, dedication, collaboration, and engagement from the students, which was a reflection of their passion for the project.”
As for the future of C.L.A.S.S., Dr. Mitchell hopes to break more boundaries and expand care.
“We look to expand our direct services to include Integrative Behavioral Health, Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient for youth and young adults – in a way that does not feel like institutionalized care to those we serve.”
The final projects will be presented this fall during Detroit’s Month of Design, where this year’s theme, Creative Currents, pays tribute to the city’s unique legacy of artistry and innovation while emphasizing the importance of collaboration and collective action.
This project was funded by the new Practicing Design Center at CCS — a dynamic hub where partner organizations receive top-tier design support, students gain immersive, hands-on skills, and the community benefits from enhanced collaboration.
Over the course of the Winter semester, the College for Creative Studies hosted 13 sponsored projects and competitions across a variety of disciplines. Students from Communication Design and Fashion Design to Graduate Color and Materials Design and Product Design were able to partner with local and global brands to work on a specific project tailored to meet the needs of our industry partners.
Sponsored projects are highly conceptual and allow CCS students the opportunity to participate in creative, research-based assignments within real-world design parameters, interacting with designers and staff from the partnering company. The students worked on the following projects during the Winter semester.
C.L.A.S.S. x Interior Design & Color and Materials Design
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear x Illustration
Ford Philanthropy x User Experience Design & Color and Materials Design
General Dynamics Land Systems x Transportation Design
General Motors x Transportation Design & User Experience Design
Hagopian Rug Competition x All Departments
John Deere x Transportation Design
Midea x Product Design & User Experience Design
Movement Music Festival (Paxahau) x Communication Design & Advertising Design
Nickelodeon x Entertainment Arts & Illustration
Stride x Entertainment Arts & User Experience Design
Tapestry x Fashion Design & Color and Materials Design
Visionalist Entertainment (Detroit: The City of Chefs) x Entertainment Arts
These educational partnerships were part of a CCS initiative focusing on experiential learning. Highlighting this approach, Matt Chung, Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programs, states: “Each semester, our partners engage our students with creative challenges that extend their practice beyond the classroom. Through experiential learning, where ‘learning by doing’ is key, students bring classroom knowledge into real-world contexts. These partnerships not only sharpen our students’ skills but also fuel growth and innovation in our partner organizations.”
A contingent of three departments from the College for Creative Studies participated in the prestigious Salone del Mobile Milano 2024.
The Salone del Mobile Milano is widely recognized as the preeminent global design fair. This year was a standout year with over 360,000 visitors, 1,950 exhibitors from 35 countries and over 5,500 accredited journalists in attendance. Participating departments were undergraduate Interior Design, undergraduate Communication Design and graduate Color & Materials Design.
“Being able to take a team of students to showcase their student work at Milan Design Week was an opportunity for us to shine a light on their exceptional work, our community and Detroit.” – Melanie McClintock, Chair of Color & Materials Design
“Having my work shown in Milan Design Week felt so unreal, but I also felt so proud of my team. We all worked extremely hard, for many long hours, days and weeks to make sure our project was perfect.” – Yostina Kaoud ’24, Color & Materials Design
In what was once home to the historic Carminati Toselli factory for tram and railway rolling stock, the Fabbrica del Vapore showcased undergraduate CCS Communication Design student work during the INTERDEPENDENCE international exhibition. As part of the larger Milan Design Week, INTERDEPENDENCE reflected relationships connecting projects of Politecnico di Milano https://www.polimi.it/ students with those of 50 international design schools. Four of these projects were from CCS Communication Design students: Luke Fabricatore, Rebecca Hernandez, Yasmin Ali, Madi Ritemburg and Lucy VanEerde. Their projects explored concepts in reframing immigrants through an immigrant lens, a first generation social advocate experience and empowering Native people to reclaim their history.
Also participating in Salone del Mobile, undergraduate Interior Design and graduate Color & Materials Design students were one of only six international design schools asked to participate in the six-day UNFOLD exhibition hosted by Domus Academy https://www.domusacademy.com/ . UNFOLD showcased design prototypes addressing crucial global challenges through design as a problem-solving discipline and as a form of communication. CCS students Yostina Kaoud (MFA Color & Materials Design), An Luu (BFA Interior Design), Yuya Cheng (MFA Color & Materials Design) and Yasmeen Khalifa (BFA Interior Design) were in attendance and presented their work from a Winter sponsored project with the local Detroit non-profit Changing Lives and Staying Sober https://www.class-agency.org/ (the C.L.A.S.S. Agency). C.L.A.S.S. asked students to create an environment that promotes a safe space, holistic healing and transformation for a newly acquired residential property that will serve as a safe haven for prevention, intervention and substance use disorder treatment for both adults and children.
“It was an honor to bring both CCS and C.L.A.S.S. Agency to an international viewpoint. So thankful to showcase our group’s work and passion — it was overwhelming in the best way possible. It provided a space with new ideas and new horizons where I was able to talk and learn with fellow students and schools from all over the globe.” – Yasmeen Khalifa ’25, Interior Design
CCS Student Work at Milan Design Week
“CCS has been working for years to involve students in Milan Design Week. The opportunity to be the only U.S. college invited to participate in the Domus Academy exhibit was exceptional and one I will not forget.” – Sandra Olave, Chair of Interior Design
Create an experience digital or analog that moves users into physical spaces that forge new connections.
Boolean is a speculative human centered social advocate product that recognizes the people you brush past in a day in your life. Given the consequences of social distancing and digital socialization, this product is designed to bring Gen Z back in physical contact with on another in a subtle but meaning way. Its not a dating app, a friend app, its not an app at all, its a small device to help you navigate real human interaction on your own terms.
This experience is designed to empower Native people to reclaim their history. Through a series of workshop experiences, Indigenous people would annotate and write over Westernized, Euro-centric textbooks with their histories and perspectives allowing for the reclamation of identity.
“Our goal is to share our current insights, from the creative process, without assuming authority on behalf of the Indigenous community. To to honor the lives and narratives of Indigenous people. All presented artwork and research strives to embody ethical, respectful, and authentic practices. The projects showcased serve as proof-of-concept, recognizing that further development necessitates collaborative content creation and sourcing with the Indigenous community, autonomously facilitated by trained experts.”
“I’m American Too”, uses the negative associations of immigrants in America in order to flip this narrative as a positive, humanistic and more accurate way. The challenge was to move beyond stereotypes in order to celebrate America’s rich history of created by immigrants.
The rise of branding in America has contributed to an identity crisis, highlighting the nation’s imperfect history and its complex role as a perceived leader on the global stage. While our country has always been flawed, it was once seen as a beacon of ideals to emulate. Consequently, we constructed a brand around this image, whether rooted in reality or myth, which now shapes individual perceptions and relationships with our national identity.
