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Product Design

News or events specific to the Department of Product Design
NCUR 2026

3 UK design undergrads to present at national research conference

Haven L. Patrick
 Mar 5, 2026
Architecture, College of Design, Interiors, Product Design, Research, University of Kentucky

Forty-eight University of Kentucky students, including three from the College of Design, will present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) on April 13-15 in Richmond, Virginia.

FoSi Summit 2025

UK Future of Sport Summit explores how technology is making sports smarter

Amanda Nelson
 Feb 26, 2026
College of Design, Product Design, University of Kentucky

How is technology transforming the way athletes train, compete and recover? That question will take center stage at the Future of Sport Institute’s Sports Tech Summit, set for Monday, March 2, at the University of Kentucky. Hosted by the UK College of Education and UK College of Design, the event will explore how innovation is reshaping sport at every level.

Kristi Bartlett recently received the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award with $649,752 over five years for her research. Photo by Jeremy Blackburn, UK Research Communications.

UK researcher explores new approaches to computer-aided design education

Erin Wickey
 Feb 25, 2026
College of Design, Product Design, Research, University of Kentucky

A University of Kentucky researcher is examining how students learn computer-aided design and what makes them excited to use it.

Anna Quarles sitting on her quilted chair. Photo by Bree Walton.

Creating a seat for sustainability: UK student turns recycled fabric into modular chair

Katelin Ralenkotter
 Feb 23, 2026
Product Design, Research, University of Kentucky

Anna Quarles, a product design senior in the University of Kentucky College of Design, prioritized sustainability in her final Soft Spaces class project last semester. With the help of Erin Geibel, recycling coordinator in Facilities Management, she transformed old T-shirts, blue wrap and grocery bags into a unique piece of children’s furniture.

lecture graphic

Lecture + Workshop Cas Holman: Designing for Play

Mar 4, 2026, 4:00 PM – Mar 5, 2026, 2:00 PM
College of Design, Product Design

Join designer, educator, and play expert Cas Holman for a lecture discussing her book Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity, co-authored with science journalist Lydia Denworth. Holman will share key insights from the book, reflect on her journey from designing toys for children to championing play for adults, and explore how a more playful approach can transform the way we think, work, and connect with one another.

Product Design student leaves comments on fellow students' sketches.

College of Design hiring for Department of Product Design Chair

Nov 25, 2025
College of Design, Product Design

The University of Kentucky College of Design has launched its search for the next Chair of the Department of Product Design. This key leadership role will guide the program’s continued growth, advance its academic and industry partnerships, and support the college’s mission to prepare the next generation of innovative designers.

Product design in process promo image

Product Design: In Process

Nov 21 – Dec 12, 2025
College of Design, Product Design, Research

Fourth-year PRD students Jackson Deye, Kiefer Howland and Connor Sinewe have been hard at work since May designing a mobile pin-up panels that bring flexibility and creativity to studio spaces across our building as part of a research project with assistant professor SK O'Brien.  Now, you can see their full design journey, from early sketches to prototypes to the final product, in “Product Design: In Process,” the newest installation in the Gray Design Building's Gallery.

2025 Oswald Winners

PRD students sweep design category at 2025 Oswald Research and Creativity Awards

Haven L. Patrick
 Nov 20, 2025
Product Design, Research, University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) recently announced the 21 undergraduate winners of the 61st annual Oswald Research and Creativity Awards. Chad Risko, Ph.D., faculty director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, and Research Ambassadors, presented the awards.

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Spring 2026 Product Design Electives

Oct 20, 2025
College of Design, Product Design

The Department of Product Design's Spring 2026 elective offerings explore the development of educational toys and communication with AI tools for design. Full course details are listed below. Register Now

Sustainability Intern Group

Two CoD students named to 2025-2026 sustainability internship cohort

Adreonna Rainey
 Sep 15, 2025
Architecture, Product Design, University of Kentucky

The sustainability internship program has been around since 2016, giving undergraduates the opportunity to engage with others through campus projects, research, and outreach within sustainability. Each intern works within a unit within the sustainability department, strengthening their professional and technical skills while enhancing their leadership skills.

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