The DesignLab

Businesses, nonprofits and government agencies engage CCAD’s faculty and student talent to solve product, branding, fashion, interior, and advertising design challenges through three flexible platforms:

• Charrettes: Intense 54- to 72-hour design challenges
• Class projects: 16-week, in-class creative problem solving with established classroom learning goals
• Partnerships: one-week to several semesters in length, students, faculty, and staff are recruited specific to the scope of the project

CCAD’s curriculum is based on developing essential workplace and foundation art and design skills to launch successful careers.

The CCAD MindMarket, home of the DesignLab, expands the scope and flexibility of services CCAD now offers to the creative marketplace.

From fashion swimwear, to city bus shelters to packaging and promotions for Fortune 100 companies, and design work for local nonprofit agencies, CCAD draws on the expertise of its experienced faculty and 1,350 talented students to create the cross-disciplinary problem solving approach for its wide range of clients. Students bring to the challenge their creative minds and specialized skills from nine majors—Advertising & Graphic Design, Animation, Cinematic Arts, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Photography.

Frequently Asked Questions

How will I know if my project is a match with CCAD?

The MindMarket director will be able to review your project idea with you in person or via phone. The first step is to complete the design brief/project application (pdf). The director will work with you to identify if the project is a good match for our students’ skills and to define the duration of the challenge—a charrette, class project, or longer-term partnership.

Is there a set calendar for projects?

To maximize CCAD talent resources, we select design projects to start during the academic semesters, which begin late August and mid January. We review projects throughout the year, and work with clients to identify the ideal start time based on the client’s needs and the duration of the project. We prefer to finalize all project details in October for January start dates and in May for August start dates, but are flexible on shorter term assignments and charrettes.

What is expected of the client organization throughout the project?

Clients are expected to work with the MindMarket director and later the deans and department chairs to develop a timeline and specific project expectations. Representatives of the client will meet with students to kick off the project and explain the need and to answer questions. Depending on the duration of the project, a follow-up meeting or meetings will be established for creative teams to present solutions to the client and to refine the final product based on client feedback.

Who owns the solutions?

The client owns the designs chosen for the final solution. CCAD retains the intellectual property rights of student and faculty artwork for non-commercial use. Students are informed at the start of a project about their responsibilities pursuant to confidentiality, intellectual property rights and are reminded that their involvement is voluntary.

What about confidentiality?

Students are required to sign agreements to keep proprietary information confidential for a period of time outlined in the final project contract.

Can students use the final work in their portfolios?

CCAD’s mission is to prepare the next generation of art and design professionals, and the development of dynamic portfolios is a critical step in the students’ progression. We understand that design solutions may reveal confidential information, and we developed the following standard for portfolio use:

• Designs not selected by the client for the final solution may be used in portfolios unless the client notifies CCAD in writing that the concepts reveal confidential information.
• Final design solutions may be used in portfolios only with advance written permission from the client. The client agrees not to limit exposure of student designs for non-commercial purposes.

What are the fees to access CCAD talent for a project?

CCAD has fee structures for nonprofit and for-profit organizations. The pricing structure is:

• Charrettes vary by project scope
• Class projects Start at $15,000 for-profit businesses; $10,000 nonprofits
• Partnerships Start at $15,000

All project and partnership prices are plus expenses.

What is a charrette?

Charrette means "cart" in french. Various architectural school legends hold that at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in 19th Century Paris, students were still sketching as carts carried their boards away to be juried.

Today, the term is used to describe high speed, intensive creative work sessions. Charrettes conducted through CCAD’s MindMarket DesignLab incorporate student design teams directed by CCAD faculty experts, and concentrate on specific design challenges.

The Design Lab charrette program provides an environment of imagination, creativity, productivity, and results. Teams of student designers from varying disciplines with a range of talents, personalities, experiences, and expertise collaborate together on a single project with a 54- to 72-hour deadline.

Business partners benefit from the opportunity to work with students and look at a problem from different and fresh points of view to build solutions that draw from each team’s strength and perspective. Student designers gain the experience of working with professionals from a variety of disciplines to further develop their creative and presentation skills at a professional level.

How does a charrette project work and what is the timeline?

In DeslignLab charrettes, teams of randomly grouped cross disciplinary student designers will be given a creative design challenge with a limited time-frame in which to present design solutions.

At the end of the charrette, each team is expected to deliver a presentation showcasing brand identity, packaging, retail environment design, fixture displays, and graphics.

Rules for successful charrettes:

1. Come with an open mind—no ego
2. Do not come with preconceived ideas about the project or its direction
3. Remember: No idea is a bad idea
4. Actively engage and actively listen
5. Have fun!

Sample charrette timeline

Day 1:	2 p.m. Design teams arrive and meet the representatives of the client firm or organization 3 p.m. Overview of the challenge presented 4:30 to 9 p.m. Design work commences
Day 2:	9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Design work continues
Day 3:	Noon Group presentations of final work 4 p.m. Reviews and selection of the final designs

We are ready to get started. Who do we call?

Call or email to set up the initial consultation:
CCAD MindMarket Director: Cynthia Gravino

MindMarket Contact:
email | MindMarket AT ccad DOT edu | phone 614.437.7555