Design | News

Carnegie Mellon U Partners with Intel for Integrative Design Concentrations

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 03/19/14

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has launched an initiative that creates eight new concentrations that combine integrative design principles and related technologies with a range of other disciplines.

Dubbed IDeATe, for Integrative Design, Arts and Technology, the program is the result of CMU's participation in the Intel Design School Network. As part of the collaboration, Intel will provide funding for the program, including a research scientist position filled by Daragh Byrne, as well as technology such as laptops, tablets and Galileo Development Boards.

"The Intel Design School Network aims to connect students and faculty with Intel staff and individuals at other leading design schools for research projects and idea generation," according to a CMU news release.

IDeATe students will participate in collaborative studio-based courses that will focus on themes such as expanded theater, human-machine virtuosity, mobile design and physical computing.

The IDeATe concentrations launching in fall 2014 include:

• Animation and special effects;
• Entrepreneurship for creative industries;
• Game design;
• Intelligent environments;
• Learning media;
• Media design;
• Physical computing; and
• Sound design.

"IDeATe concentrations will prepare students to pursue careers in areas ranging from social media to the 'Internet of Things,' mobile computing, games for learning and performance technologies. They will be uniquely positioned to work in environments where multidisciplinary collaboration among well- prepared experts is key," said Thanassis Rikakis, CMU's vice provost for Design, Arts and Technology, in a prepared statement.

As the Intel Integrative Design Fellow, Byrne will help faculty members develop curricula and coordinate equipment use, lead research into best practices for integrative design education and coordinate research on using Intel products in creative and collaborative environments.

"Carnegie Mellon has benefited from a longstanding relationship with Intel. We are thankful for Intel's generous support, which will help our faculty bring diverse teams together to solve complex problems and train students to advance deep skills in their areas of interest in a collaborative context," added Rikakis.

Other institutions in the Intel Design School Network include Art Center College of Design, California College of the Arts, Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design and Royal College of Art.

More information about IDeATe is available at cmu.edu.