(1) Meeting Recap
(2) DI Reminders & Upcoming
(3) Additional Support & Resources
(4) Design Opportunities & Events
Meeting Recap
Around the World of Design and Tech! 🌏🎨
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our Around the World of Design and Tech event! We explored music streaming in Sub-Saharan Africa, landscape archaeology and remote sensing in Cambodia, 3-D printing for fashion in Paris, and cartography for mapping the Amazon Rainforest — all through the lens of design! Lastly, we did a Design Trade-Off activity where we came up with a solution to a challenge and then chose one of three conflicting priorities to sacrifice.
Some key takeaways:
Design turns data in actionable insights
User-centered design enhances accessibility & engagement
Interactive & immersive design bridges the physical and digital worlds
Thanks to all who joined us! ☺️
Reminders & Upcoming
Next Week’s Portfolio Workshop! 📁🎨
Design Interactive invites you to a Portfolio Workshop in 4191F Helen C. White Hall at 6 PM on Monday, March 17th! This workshop is designed to help you create a compelling and professional portfolio. We will be covering the best practices and offer guidance on how to effectively showcase your work. Hope to see you there! 😊
Trek Bicycle Site Visit Recap! 🚲
Last Friday, 13 of us had the incredible opportunity to visit Trek Bicycle, a leading innovator in cycling technology and design! Our visit included a guided tour of Trek’s headquarters, an in-depth look at their design process, and a chance to connect with their UI/UX team. One of the highlights was the career panel, where Trek’s designers shared their journeys into UI/UX, key lessons learned, and insights into the industry. Thanks to everyone that joined in!
Additional Support & Resources
Looking to start your first Figma project after our crash course? Check out these tutorials!
Build it in Figma: Designing a book app for designers
Join Rogie as he designs an app to help designers discover must-read books for leveling up their skills. In this first part of a three-part series, he dives into ideation and wireframing, walking through the early design process and turning ideas into a functional layout. Whether you're new to Figma or looking for inspiration, this session is packed with insights to kickstart your own projects.
Figma Design Basics for beginners
In this workshop, Figma experts cover the basics of working with Figma for design, covering topics like creating graphics, working with typography, and making a simple prototype. This workshop is intended to help you get more familiar and confident with Figma, whether you are just beginning your design journey, or applying your existing knowledge from another tool.
Figma for Edu: Portfolio to Interview: Crafting a Compelling Case Study Deck
In this session, join designers Miggi and Meher as they walk through the process of finding your style, knowing your audience, sharing your process, and lastly forming a narrative to create a solid case study!
Upcoming Design Opportunities & Events!
Design Lab Digital Salon - Applications are Open
Design Lab’s Digital Salon is now accepting submissions for its 16th annual showcase! This online collection highlights innovative new media projects by UW-Madison undergraduate and graduate students, featuring artistic and research-based work that takes digital form or relies on digital technology in its production.
📅 Submission Deadline: Friday, March 31, 2025
📍 Showcase Exhibition: April 2025 (dates TBD) | Open Book, Room 1250, College Library
Students interested in having their work featured in the online collection must complete and submit an online submission form. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your creativity and research—submit your work today!
Design Field Notes: Virj Kan
Design Field Notes is UC Berkeley’s speaker series that brings together designers, artists, and academics to share their insights and creative practices. On March 19th, from 12-1 PM, Virj Kan, a designer, engineer, artist, and founder of Primitives Biodesign, will be featured. Her work focuses on developing advanced materials that drive nature and ecosystem restoration, operating at the intersection of business, technology, and art. With expertise in human-computer interaction, biodesign, and sustainable chemistry, her research has earned recognition with awards such as the SXSW Interactive Innovation Award, ACM CHI Best Paper Award, Audi Greentech Award, and ISC3 Sustainable Chemistry Audience Award. The series is free and open to all students and the public via Zoom.
Information Science at Work Event
On March 18th, from 5:30 - 7pm in Helen C. White 4207 meet Information Science alumni who will share how they built successful careers across a variety of industries. This is a great opportunity to hear real-world insights, ask questions, and connect with others exploring career paths in the field. All students are welcome for this event and registration is encouraged but not required!
Figma for Education Monthly Workshop - Your First Prototype in Figma!
Want some more experience with prototyping in Figma? A prototype is an interactive tool designers use to visually demonstrate how others will interact with apps and websites. This month’s workshop will be held on March 14th @ 1pm on zoom. Several different methods for creating a prototype in Figma will be discussed in this webinar. By the end of this session, you will be able to make a basic prototype to test your ideas and share with others! Led by Figma’s Designer Advocate for Education Miguel 'Miggi' Cardona, this is a great opportunity to get some more experience in Figma!
Check out our website!
If you missed joining our Slack, want to learn more about DI and our exec team, or to view our table of curated resources, then check out our Design Interactive website.
That’s all for now! 🗓️👋
We hope you enjoyed this week’s crash course, and we hope to see you next Monday, March 17th from 6-7pm in 4191F for the start of our Portfolio Workshop 📁🎨!