Syracuse University Department of Design

I took a quick jaunt up to New York this week to visit some friends doing remarkable work shaping a vision for design education at Syracuse University. The facilities afford the tools, environment and culture of creativity and collaboration. The faculty and leadership are relentless creatives committed to the next generation of design leaders and the students are inquisitive, engaging and do some great work.


In my one hour talk- a combination of soapbox manifesto, call to action and invitation to greatness, the 70 or so students sat wide-eyed and engaged. One question to the group- do you consider yourselves leaders- yielded a nearly unanimous hands-up yes! I was beaming- my experience is that design students consider themselves followers rather than the emerging cultural leadership in the world. These guys are already there.


Keep your eyes on this school- with Lucinda, Jen, Ruth and Zeke building a vision, remarkable work will happen.