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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ID Hosts Free Coding Classes for Chicago Youth

The partnership with We All Code brings STEM education to underserved communities.

August 30, 2023

A young person looking at a laptop in a workshop

ID has partnered with We All Code to host technology classes for Chicago students.

Founded in 2013 by ID adjunct faculty member Ali Karbassi, We All Code fosters digital literacy and inclusion by providing STEM opportunities to girls and underserved students. The organization offers free coding and problem-solving classes to Chicago youth aged 7–17. Classes include individualized support with a 2:1 mentor ratio.

With a shared passion for education and equity, the two organizations have come together to provide free, year-long coding classes for underserved students in Chicago.

“
We All Code, with its commitment to real coding skills for all children, offers an environment for experiential learning, collaboration, and fun. ID's programs expand the applications of human-centered and systems-based design, helping individuals and organizations navigate the complex challenges. Together, we are unlocking new ways forward in the realm of digital education, inspiring the next generation of coders, thinkers, and leaders.
—Ali Karbassi

The partnership launched this summer and will continue until summer 2024. Learn more at weallcode.org.

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