Our Crowdfunding Groups
Imagine you're a student entering the College of Design. You're full of inspiration and enthusiasm, ready for new experiences and eager to share your innovative ideas.
It can be difficult to focus on building your skills and expressing your creativity if you can't afford the materials and supplies needed by a first-year Design student. Students in our Core Design Program take a required studio — Design Studies 102 — and a required introductory drawing and visual communication course — Design Studies 131 — along with other classes that provide the foundation for success in their chosen majors.
In their first year of study, College of Design students focus on the design process and learning the skills needed to advance through their degree programs. We want them to be able to concentrate on their inspiration and the quality of their work – not worry about how to pay for the materials needed to produce it.
Jordan Brooks, director of equity, inclusion and multicultural student success, has expanded the Design Closet to provide more support to a greater number of students.The Design Closet was established to provide first-year students who cannot afford the additional cost of the required supplies with recycled and gently used materials donated by other students, staff and faculty. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we began partnering with the University Book Store to purchase some materials in bulk and to provide gift cards for students to obtain their supplies while taking courses remotely. Once students returned to campus, we recognized that gift cards remain a helpful resource for students to purchase specific supplies for their studios that may not be available through the Closet.
We're continuing to build on that initiative to grow the impact of the Design Closet. Subsidizing the cost of materials for Design Studies 102 and 131 can make a huge difference by lessening the financial burden so students can focus on creating their best work. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for this kind of support, and it is more important than ever to help our students succeed!
Design Studies 102
Students in the introductory design studio need a variety of materials — cardboard, foam core, tracing paper, adhesive, and so on — for their assignments. A $50 contribution will help us cover the cost of these basic materials for a student or a gift card to purchase them from the Design Store, a branch of the Iowa State University Book Store located on the second floor of the College of Design.
Design Studies 131
The general supply list for DSN 131 includes a portfolio case (to carry flat work in); supply caddy (to store and carry all the pens, pencils, erasers, etc.); sketchpad; sketchbook; cardboard; tracing paper; a variety of graphite, mechanical and colored pencils; multiple erasers; various pens and markers; charcoal sticks; watercolor palette, paints and brushes; masking and Scotch tape; X-acto knife, scissors and T-square. Each instructor provides a slightly different list tailored to their own studio section. While many of these materials can be reused by students after the first year, they represent a significant initial investment. A $75 contribution will allow us to provide a student with an introductory supply kit for this class, or a Design Store gift card to purchase the specific supplies required for their individual studio.
Professional Development
As our students advance through their degree programs, they seek opportunities to participate in conferences, design competitions, internships and other professional development experiences. Financial barriers can make it difficult for some students to take advantage of these opportunities. Your support at the $100 level will provide funds for students to develop their professional portfolios and submit their work to exhibitions and competitions. A $200 contribution will help us fund conference and workshop registration fees — and travel as these activities resume in person post-COVID — for students to gain valuable knowledge and networking opportunities.
Our goal is to make Design accessible for every student. We hope one day to be able to provide a basic kit of supplies to every first-year College of Design student, and professional development funds for advanced students to participate in activities that help make them more competitive in the job market. With your support, we can!
#designcloset
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We all create because we were inspired by someone or something in our lifetime. Thank you for being an inspiration!
Our students are on a journey of imagination. Your contribution will help them make their ideas a reality one collage, model, sculpture, drawing or video at a time!
When our students create, they all start with a draft – a preliminary sketch, a small-scale model, a rough outline — that serves as the foundation for that final, polished project. Sometimes they just need a few extra dollars for materials to start a project. Your $50 donation will purchase gift cards for students to buy materials at the Design Store. The Design Store is a branch of the Iowa State University Book Store on the second floor of the College of Design. They partner with us to distribute materials to students in the college.
Once they have a draft, our students learn to refine their work until it's the best reflection of their inspiration, imagination and skill. A gift at this level will provide supplies needed for the Design Studies 131: Drawing I class, which teaches methods of visual thinking and drawing as tools for creative problem solving, design development and visual communication. These supplies are essential for the first year, and students continue to use them in their degree programs.
After students have refined their projects to the best of their ability and made changes after critiques, they're ready to present their finished work. Donations at this level can provide a comprehensive package of needed supplies for the first-year Design Studies 102 and Design Studies 131 courses or help more advanced students prepare their professional portfolios for career fairs and interviews for jobs and internships.
As our students advance through their degree programs, they seek opportunities to participate in conferences, art exhibitions, design competitions, internships and other professional development experiences. Financial barriers can make it difficult for some students to take advantage of these opportunities. Donations at this level will create professional development funds to help fill gaps in access to these experiences.
Our dream is to provide all College of Design students — regardless of financial need – with their required first-year supplies and access to professional development opportunities so they can focus on what matters: turning their creative ideas into reality and preparing for their future professions. Donations at this level will help us help more students and sustain the Design Closet for years to come!