What We Do

The Design Center is an incubator for creative making. It’s an open and inclusive studio space for active experimentation with materials, tools, and equipment, supporting the design of objects as well as the pedagogy and learning associated with making. Our team is committed to addressing design justice and inclusivity in the fabric of our programming and our operational framework, to providing equitable access to design technologies within the Center, and to empowering members of the Barnard community to discover, experiment with, and pilot new technologies and design practices.

Incorporating a broad tool set that includes 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, sewing and embroidery machines, and a variety of soldering, hand, and woodworking tools, the Design Center expands opportunities for design-centered thinking across the Barnard College curriculum. Our programs and workshops will address everything from foundational maker concepts to sustainable design practices to the powerful ways in which designed and constructed objects impact our lives.