In 2026, after nearly 90 years, the Institute of Design was folded into Illinois Tech's School of Design & Society.
This website is an archive of the impactful and inspirational work produced by the ID community before that transition.

László Moholy-Nagy opened the New Bauhaus in Chicago in 1937, treating design as a discipline that was teachable, testable, and consequential. Nine decades on, its scope had widened from the things people use to the systems they depend on: hospitals, government agencies, classrooms, supply chains, digital platforms. Along the way, ID community members developed the published research, methods, and frameworks that designers rely on every day.

Chief among them is human-centered design: close attention to how people actually live, and advocacy for what that research reveals. It shaped designers who are comfortable with complexity and ambiguity: curious, rigorous, inclusive, and stubbornly optimistic about design's ability to change the systems that shape our lives.

To every one of them, who taught, studied, built, critiqued, and stayed late in the studio: thank you, and keep designing.

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Master Classes

Master Classes

Applied Expertise—
Adapted to Your Needs

Master Classes from the ID Academy transform complex design methodology into actionable insights for your team. Designed to address your organization’s biggest challenges, these intensive courses combine curriculum from ID’s top-ranked graduate programs with the proven approaches of our Action Labs.

From service design and behavioral insights to human factors and healthcare innovation, each Master Class is customized for your context and objectives. Classes are available virtually, on-site in Chicago, or in hybrid formats.

Key Features

  • Tailored Learning: Content and case studies aligned with your industry and specific challenges.
  • Interactive Workshops: Designed to engage participants through discussions, breakout exercises, and direct feedback.
  • Rigorous and Practical: Graduate-level content made accessible, relevant, and action-oriented.
  • Verified Completion: Digital credentials to verify completion.

Current Offerings

New Master Classes can be developed in collaboration with your organization to address emerging needs or industry-specific challenges.

Our current Master Classes include:

  • Fundamentals of Design
  • Behavioral Design for Organizational Leadership
  • Prototyping for Strategy
  • Design-Driven Strategy and Planning
  • Design for Climate Leadership
  • Unlocking Service Innovation
  • Communicating Complex Ideas in Organizational Settings

EXPLORE

Closing the Loop: Food waste prevention pathways for Chicago - Food Systems Action Lab

Fundamentals Master Class

This interactive workshop introduces participants to the foundational concepts of design and design thinking, as taught at ID.

Intended for those new to design, the class helps demystify what design is—and isn’t—and how it can be practically applied to everyday problems.

Who is it for?

  • Professionals new to design methods
  • Teams looking for a shared language and mindset to approach innovation
  • Organizations seeking an entry point into human-centered design

CONTACT

Request More Information

Email us at id-academy@illinoistech.edu or complete the form for general questions or partnership inquiries.

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