Wilson School of Design Blog

The 2022/23 academic year kicks off at the Wilson School of Design!

Welcome to all our students and faculty

On the first official day of our classes (September 6), the campus was a-buzzing with excitement. It is wonderful to feel the energy of students on campus again, and all of us in the Dean’s Office were happily watching the streams of students coming in to their classes.

We were so happy to host our New Student Orientation event on August 31st, as part of the KPU Orientation Week. After a morning spent in the main Richmond Campus building, our new students came to the Wilson building and were welcomed by our staff and faculty. Students were divided into two groups, and participated in two very different but engaging activities.

New students assembled on the Grand Staircase for Orientation
Staff and Faculty Welcome Our New Students

Group 1 assembled in our crit space on the 1st floor and were grouped into teams of 5 or 6 people. Each team was given unique scenarios as part of “The Thing From The Future” game, which is essentially a design challenge. The object of the game is to come up with the most entertaining and thought-provoking descriptions of hypothetical objects from different near-, medium-, and long-term futures.  All teams had equal time to develop their concepts, and then one at a time each team presented their ideas. All teams then voted on the winning team, who were then awarded some great prizes!

Group 1 deep in discussion
Students Voted On The Winning team
Student Volunteers Helped With All Activities

Group 2 were led to our 4th floor event space where they participated in a hands-on activity creating their own custom tote bags using textile paint and custom block prints. These unique block prints were designed by some of our student assistants, then cut out on our laser cutter. The activity in the room was electric, and students dove in to produce their own original bags.

Group 2 – Custom tote bag activity
Student assistant David, filling up the paint pots!
Creations in the making

Students then switched activities, and capped off the day with some snacks and mingling. We had a great turnout and are so glad that students had an opportunity to meet their peers and get to know some of our team.

Three cheers for an exciting year ahead!

Check out our Flickr album with images from this event.