Inspired by Colorado State University’s land-grant heritage and mission, we in the Department of Design and Merchandising are committed to excellence, setting the standard for public research universities in teaching, research, service, and extension for the benefit of the citizens of Colorado, the United States, and the world.
Teaching
AM 475 Product Development Capstone
Fourth-year students studying product development in the apparel and merchandising major research a specific population or target market in need of adaptable clothing including those with prosthetic limbs, arthritis, relying on a wheelchair for mobility, diabetes in need of injection access, visual impairments, and others. Through research, students create adaptive design solutions to make clothing more accessible.
Kristen Morris, Associate Professor in Apparel and Merchandising
INTD 310 Third Year Studio
“Studio III students participated in a national-level competition by the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) to create a refugee environment. Students had the opportunity to work on small teams and chose a place on the globe and research the reasons why a particular group of people are being forced to migrate to new regions. They did research on the cultural crisis and crafted personal narratives for the inhabitants of their dwelling. They were challenged to address both the functional and emotional dimensions of the design challenge. Students created graphic posters that contain their visuals and written statements. ”
Laura Cole, Associate Professor in Interior Architecture and Design
AM 450 Social Psychology of Clothing
“In Social Psychology of Clothing, students conduct research projects using qualitative methods to explore why people dress the way they do, how they construct their personal appearances, and what they wish to communicate through appearances. Student topics are inclusive of the lived realities of diverse individuals and have explored issues such as the ways that members of the queer community communicate gender and sexual identity through dress, the meanings of waist beads among US-based (African) makers and wearers, body image among college-aged men, and the beauty- and aging-related attitudes and behaviors of middle-aging women.”
Jennifer Ogle, Professor in Apparel and Merchandising
INTD 110 All Gender Restroom Case Study + Policy
Examining Restroom Design as a traditional space of exclusion in the built environment
In INTD 110, students examine the restroom through several lenses to understand the impact of exclusion on the build environment. Guest speakers from CSU Facilities Management Team, and the University Operations Diversity Committee present the case study about the policy for updating restrooms on campus to be all-gender and the research that went into this design decision becoming a policy decision for new construction on campus. In addition, the Inclusive Fort Collins guest speaker presented an initiative to help local businesses update their signage for all-gender restrooms. Students also engage with industry perspectives on restroom design related to advocacy for building and plumbing codes and policy changes to impact design.
Leah Scolere, Assistant Professor, Interior Architecture and Design
Introduction and Application of Design Justice Frameworks
Drawing on the concept of Design Justice by Sasha Costanza-Chock, students analyze design projects in the context of design justice principles which seek to rethink design processes by centering more voices that have been traditionally marginalized in the design process. Students apply a design justice framework to their projects as an analytical tool to strategically consider who benefits from a design, who is involved in the design, and who might be harmed by the design. Students are introduced to a co-design process that focuses on designing with instead of designing for to activate community resources and knowledge toward design solutions.
Leah Scolere, Assistant Professor, Interior Architecture and Design
Mitchell Olivieri, a senior in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University, found his groove at CSU. After transferring schools and switching programs, Olivieri was able to grow his love for fashion through CSU’s apparel and merchandising program.
Mitch Perez is a first-generation student in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University. The COVID Pandemic made Perez realize he wanted to pursue a career in fashion as opposed to finance. Since beginning at CSU, Perez has made use of the resources available to him to succeed in his degree.
Molly Reed, an outstanding graduate from the department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University, leaves a lasting legacy at CSU through her integral involvement in the Textile Science Laboratory. With a wealth of experience in textile science and standardization, Reed looks forward to a bright future in the apparel industry.
Alexis Rinaldi, a senior in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University, embodies what it means to be a CSU Ram. From resilience in her transfer experience, to overcoming various obstacles, Rinaldi is graduating with honors and is ready to embrace the next step of her interior architecture and design journey.
Kailene Tram is a first-generation student in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University. Tram has made use of resources offered by the school, her community, and the internet to continue to thrive in her passions of fashion and music.
Zining Zhu, an outstanding grad from the department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University, is graduating with pride, with her remarkable achievements in interior architecture and design and her success as an international student.
