Overview

The Product Design program of The New School addresses contemporary realities including sustainability and technological change while exploring materials, fabrication, aesthetics, and social engagement in both local and global contexts. Shops and studio space are shared with other graduate and undergraduate programs taught at the School of Constructed Environments — Architecture, Interior Design, and Lighting Design — as well as Fine Arts, fostering interdisciplinary work.

Tools of Design

Courses help you acquire broadly applicable studio and critical thinking skills, including research graphic representation, modeling and prototyping, and professional presentation techniques. In art and design history and theory courses as well as related studio classes, you build essential research, writing, and critical reasoning skills while developing conceptual foundations for creative inquiry. Electives in areas such as user-centered design, digital and physical model making, professional practice and entrepreneurship, material innovation, wood and metal fabrication, experimental ceramics, and design for the public realm enrich your practice.

Future Opportunities

Graduates pursue careers in industrial design, product development, manufacturing, furniture design, humanitarian and service design, health design, and toy design.