Winter 2024 Sponsored Projects at the College for Creative Studies

Over the course of the Winter semester, the College for Creative Studies hosted 13 sponsored projects and competitions across a variety of disciplines. Students from Communication Design and Fashion Design to Graduate Color and Materials Design and Product Design were able to partner with local and global brands to work on a specific project tailored to meet the needs of our industry partners. 

Sponsored projects are highly conceptual and allow CCS students the opportunity to participate in creative, research-based assignments within real-world design parameters, interacting with designers and staff from the partnering company. The students worked on the following projects during the Winter semester.

• C.L.A.S.S. x Interior Design & Color and Materials Design
• Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear x Illustration
• Ford Philanthropy x User Experience Design & Color and Materials Design
• General Dynamics Land Systems x Transportation Design
• General Motors x Transportation Design & User Experience Design
• Hagopian Rug Competition x All Departments
• John Deere x Transportation Design
• Midea x Product Design & User Experience Design
• Movement Music Festival (Paxahau) x Communication Design & Advertising Design
• Nickelodeon x Entertainment Arts & Illustration
• Stride x Entertainment Arts & User Experience Design
• Tapestry x Fashion Design & Color and Materials Design
• Visionalist Entertainment (Detroit: The City of Chefs) x Entertainment Arts

These educational partnerships were part of a CCS initiative focusing on experiential learning. Highlighting this approach, Matt Chung, Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programs, states: “Each semester, our partners engage our students with creative challenges that extend their practice beyond the classroom. Through experiential learning, where ‘learning by doing’ is key, students bring classroom knowledge into real-world contexts. These partnerships not only sharpen our students’ skills but also fuel growth and innovation in our partner organizations.”