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Nancy Richardson Design Center

Nancy Richardson Design Center Learn by doing "The RDC is teaching new ways of thinking through doing."

— Jason Frazier, Assistant Professor, Graphic Design

Our courses give you a competitive edge

We want you to succeed, to be empowered to do more with your degree, to discover the power of collaboration and alternative ways of problem-solving. With creative, flexible learning spaces centered around Design Thinking curriculum, the RDC is a hub for learning and connecting.

Take a Course

From learning how to make textile patterns and infographics, to working with wood and 3D modeling, there is an ever-rotating array of Design Thinking Toolbox courses offered at the RDC.

An instructor and his students discussing their work in the Wood Lab

Earn Undergraduate Certificate or Minor

The undergraduate Certificate or Minor in Design Thinking will improve not only the way you learn and find solutions in your current coursework, but will also help make you more employable with sought-after marketable skills.

Several students making use of the manual screen printer, laser cutters, and sewing machines in the Prototyping lab

Earn Graduate Certificate Online

The Graduate Certificate in Design Thinking will improve your personal creativity while initiating change in your industry. Design thinking skills are useful across numerous industries, not just the design world. Advance your career as you learn about the innovation process.

Design students collaborating on the third floor of the RDC

Dual Enrollment Program

The RDC offers dual enrollment to high school students through our online courses taught by CSU faculty. Help your school give students a head start to their college education through dual enrollment.

Three students collaborating in the Prototyping Lab

IDEA450 Build a Tiny Home!

Spring 2021, a class of transdisciplinary students in Colorado State University’s Design Thinking capstone course designed and built a tiny house on wheels. The students constructed the design to the National Organization of Alternative Housing standards. Fall of 2021, the University will sell the tiny house with all proceeds supporting the educational mission of the RDC and funding the Spring 2022 tiny house capstone project – a fully accessible NOAH Certified tiny house on wheels. We invite you to click on the 3D camera footage to virtually visit the home and click on the yellow, green , and gold tags to learn about the house’s industry donors, design features, and fun facts about CSU.

Follow CSU Tiny House on Instagram!

The IDEA 450 capstone course was co-taught by Maria Delgado, assistant professor in the Interior Architecture and Design program and core faculty with the Nancy Richardson Design Center (RDC), and Mitch Holmes, owner of MitchCraft Tiny Homes and affiliate faculty with the RDC.

  • In six semesters of Intro to Design Thinking, students have successfully tackled more than 271 problems 271
  • 13 different IDEA courses offered with immediate access and hands-on learning in our fabrication labs
  • 219% According to the Design Management Institute, companies using design thinking outperformed the S&P Index by 219% over 10 years