Design Conversations, The MDes Podcast, Innovation Catalysts Updates, and More!

[Lauren Ardis]

Hello Jacobs Community, 

It's been a busy few weeks at Jacobs Hall. Have a look at some of the upcoming events and news we're pleased to share with you, including tomorrow's first Design Conversations speaker of the fall semester with Liz Gerber; the launch of the MDes podcast; and the announcement of our fall Innovation Catalysts grant recipients. 

See you tomorrow! 

Lauren 

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES 

Design Conversations with Liz Gerber: How We Make Impact?

TOMORROW • Friday, September 24

12–1 PM

Virtual Event: Join the conversation here!

Liz Gerber is the Co-Founder and Co-Director for the Human Computer Interaction, and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Communications Studies at Northwestern University.

Making connections is key to making an impact. We make an impact by connecting to grand social challenges, connecting to the root cause of a challenge, and connecting to people who understand the challenge. In this talk, Liz will share examples of how the designers she has worked with have used connections to make a social impact to build a better future.

This talk will continue our ongoing theme for Design Conversations, For Whom? By Whom? Designs for Belonging, which invites guests to discuss the ways their work examines ideas around inclusivity.

Design Field Notes, Intersections of Art, Craft, and Design with James Tucker, The Aesthetic Union

Tuesday, September 28

4–5 PM

Virtual Event: Join here (Note: this link was updated recently. Please bookmark this link going forward if you have not already!)

Founded by James Lewis Tucker in 2013, The Aesthetic Union is a celebration of the craft of letterpress printing. Keeping the human element front and center, The Aesthetic Union imbues soul into everything they make, revealing the human element in each hand-crafted and unique print. Borne of collaboration, they provide a place to come together and create.

Reunion and Parents Weekend at Homecoming, 2021

Jacobs Makerspace Open House

Saturday, October 2

11 AM–1 PM; Scheduled tours at 11:30 and 12:30

In person at Jacobs Hall

Join the Jacobs staff and student leadership for an open house celebrating UC Berkeley’s Reunion and Parents Weekend at Homecoming! This is a great way to celebrate our return to campus and to learn more about the academic programming, design education, and opportunities available at Jacobs Hall.

Stop by for one of our half-hour Makerspace tours (11:30 AM & 12:30 PM), laser-cut your own Cal Bear pin at a demo led by our student supervisors, talk with student club leaders, and learn more about our newly launched Master of Design Program (MDes). Learn more by visiting our Prospective Students Page. 

MDes Info Session: Program Overview

TOMORROW, Friday, September 24

9–10 AM

Virtual event, register here.

Applications for the next Master of Design cohort are officially open! If you've been curious to learn more about the MDes program, join them for one of their many upcoming admissions events and information sessions throughout the application window. These events will include members of our faculty, leadership, design staff, and current MDes students. All are welcome to join!

MDes Info Session: Program Overview

Wednesday, September 29

5–6 PM

Can't make Friday's Info Session? Join MDes for their second Program Overview later in the week. Please visit the MDes Admissions Events page for the link to join and register.

Want to see what our current cohort has been working on? Have a listen to our newly launched podcast series, Design Despite Disciplines, created by our students as part of the foundational course, DESINV 201: Debates in Design. 

NEWS AND UPDATES 

Welcoming the Fall 2021 Design Innovation Grant Recipients 

Congratulations to the eight student groups and projects selected for this semester's Innovation Catalysts grants. Five groups were selected for our Ignite grant, which awards students up to $2000 to continue in-progress projects; and three were selected for our Spark grant, which offers up to $500 for early-stage project ideas. 

We are thrilled that this semester's cohort includes a wide range of Jacobs students, including freshmen and our MDes cohort. Learn more about the cohort and their projects by visiting our news page. 

Want to learn more about the Innovation Catalysts grant and sign up for information about future application cycles? Sign up here. 

Jacobs Design Fellows

Have you met the Jacobs Design Fellows yet? The Design Fellows share their expertise with the Jacobs Institutein in various ways, including holding office hours, offering creative workshops, and attending critiques. Students and instructors, we invite you to get to know them by checking out their bios and setting up a time to talk with them; learn more here. The current Fellows are listed below. 

• Zahin Ali, interaction designer at IDEO Chicago

• Purin Phanichphant, Artist, Designer, and Educator

• Eric Weinhoffer, Senior Hardware Development Specialist at Skydio

Jacobs Hall Studio Updates

Those of you who are returning to Jacobs Hall may have noticed changes to our building layout. The 2nd floor is now a reserved space for the Master of Design program, but the 3rd floor and basement levels remain open for courses, events, and meetings from our broader community. The Our Spaces at a Glance section of the Jacobs website describes the current layout of the building, as well as hours, access, and rental information.

 

[Lauren Ardis]

Hi all! 

Here is an updated link to sign up for future Innovation Catalysts information. Sorry for the broken link! 

--

Lauren Ardis

(she/her/hers)

Public Programs + Communications Officer

Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation

College of Engineering | UC Berkeley