Nancy Richardson Design Center Courses Open to everyone, our courses give you a competitive edge

Learn the principles of design thinking in practice with opportunities to work on real-world issues for companies like the Food Bank of Larimer County, Defy Colorado, and Target Corp. (AUCC 3B)

Credits: 3
Offered: every Fall

Want to take this course online?

Learn the essentials of Rhinoceros 3D to build models and explore the prototyping labs 3D printers, laser cutters, and plotter machines.

Credits: 2
Offered: every Fall

Gain skills in Photoshop and Illustrator in a course that will benefit all of your future creative endeavors.

Credit: 1
Offered: every Fall

Learn the basics of woodworking and construction by exploring the various machines that the Wood Lab has to offer. Discover the factors that make wood different than other material options.

Credit: 1
Offered: Fall (odd years)

Create your own textile designs and patterns with Photoshop and other creative software’s then get the opportunity to print on fabric in our Prototyping Lab.

Credit: 1
Offered: Fall (odd years)

Explore the possibilities of augmented and virtual reality in our Ideation Lab and VR Computer Teaching Lab with unique classroom capabilities.

Credits: 3
Offered: Fall (even years)

Learn how to create an impactful visual story using sequential art techniques to prototype a graphic novel.

Credit: 1
Offered: Fall (odd years)

Communicate object function and detailed construction plans by learning how to illustrate the specifications of your ideas and designs.

Credit: 1
Offered: Fall (even years)

Create your own projects in embedded computing technology. Learn to add interaction, connectivity and sophistication to your designs using Arduinos and Raspberry Pis.

Credits: 2
Offered: every Fall

Build on your wood working skills and create original furniture designs with wood using more complex techniques and the CNC router. If you have prior experience with woodworking techniques, reach out to us for an override.

Credits: 2
Offered: Fall (even years)

Learn skills for facilitating effective learning in one of our design thinking courses.

Credits: 1-6

Design for community partners of your choice, solving real problems by fabricating solutions in the labs. Internship opportunities available following course.

Credits: 3

Partner with the United States Department of Defense to work on a semester-long national security problem.

Credits: 3
Offered: every Fall

Foster the development of your professional skills and perfect your utilization and understanding of 21st century skills in the workplace.

Credits: 1-6

With a team, investigate areas of special interest in interdisciplinary and collaborative topics related to design thinking.

Credits: 1-6

Learn to apply design thinking tools and decisions making strategies to discover, construct and individualize your college experience and future career.

Credits: 2
Offered: every Spring

Learn the principles of design thinking in practice with opportunities to work on real-world issues for companies like the Food Bank of Larimer County, Defy Colorado, and Target Corp. (AUCC 3B)

Credits: 3
Offered: every Spring

Want to take this course online?

Learn how to design, iterate, prototype, and engineer with paper using your hands and tools from the prototyping labs. You’ll learn to fold, joint, connect and construct functional objects and products as you’ll push the limits of what paper can become.

Credit: 1
Offered: every Spring

Learn diverse communication techniques to display information and data and meaningfully communicate your ideas towards intended audiences through the use of Adobe creative suite.

Credit: 1
Offered: every Spring

Explore basics of metal fabrication to bring your designs to life. You’ll learn form and joinery techniques on the MIG, TIG, and Plasma machines in our Metal Lab.

Credit: 1
Offered: every Spring

After learning the basics of Rhinoceros 3D software, stretch the limits of 3D modeling as you dive deeper into model creation and test your ideas in the prototyping lab. If you have experience in another 3D Modeling program and laser cutting, reach out to us for an override into this course.

Credits: 2
Offered: Spring (even years)

Take your printed textile design to the next level by learning to use the long arm quilter, CNC embroidery machine, seam welder, laser cutter and sewing machines. IDEA 310F is recommended, but you may reach out to us for an override if you have yet to take IDEA310F.

Credits: 2
Offered: Spring (even years)

Build on your metal fabrication skills and create original designs with metal using more complex welding techniques and the CNC mill.

Credits: 2
Offered: Spring (TBD, check Class Schedules)

Learn skills for facilitating effective learning in one of our design thinking courses.

Credits: 1-6

Utilize all of our labs and your design thinking skills in a semester-long project designing and building a tiny home.

Credits: 3
Offered: every Spring

Foster the development of your professional skills and perfect your utilization and understanding of 21st century skills in the workplace.

Credits: 1-6

With a team, investigate areas of special interest in interdisciplinary and collaborative topics related to design thinking.

Credits: 1-6

Learn the principles of design thinking in practice with opportunities to work on real-world issues for companies like the Food Bank of Larimer County, Defy Colorado and Target Corp. (AUCC 3B)

Credits: 3
Offered: every Summer

Want to take this course online?

Explore transferring your digital creations to tangible products through various printing techniques. Learn eco-UV and cyanotype (blue print) printing methods before moving to screen printing and woodblock printing.

Credit: 1
Offered: every Summer

Learn skills for facilitating effective learning in one of our design thinking courses.

Credits: 1-6

Foster the development of your professional skills and perfect your utilization and understanding of 21st century skills in the workplace.

Credits: 1-6

With a team, investigate areas of special interest in interdisciplinary and collaborative topics related to design thinking.

Credits: 1-6

Experience first hand how design thinking facilitates understanding of our environment and the identification of ill-defined societal problems in both design and non-design contexts.

Credits: 3

Explore designing and conducting human-centered research and co-design methods common to innovation frameworks.

Credits: 3

Explore developments in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies and how they are shaping the future.

Credit: 1

Learn how virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technology helps us to better understand diverse human perspectives.

Credit: 1

Learn how inclusive design principles and theories aid in immersive learning and therapeutic experiences.

Credit: 1

Explore and analyze how immersive virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies impact and aid in the understanding of complex information.

Credit: 1

Learn how to create virtual worlds using the Unity game engine to provide hands-on experience in application prototyping.

Credit: 1

Explore concepts of hand-fabricated and digital/computer game development and the benefit of games when tackling  social change and civic engagement.

Credit: 1