Congratulations to the MDes2024 Cohort!

This past December, we were able to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of the MDes2024 Cohort! This celebration honored the creative resilience, innovation, and hard work of our graduates.

Representing our student body were Bob Tianqi Wei and Gia Kirk, MDes2024 graduates. As student speakers, both shared incredible reflections from their time at MDes. Here are some few takeaways we loved from their speeches:

• At MDes, students are developing and applying advanced technology in a way that genuinely enhance human health and creativity.
• It is important to practice creating and sharing knowledge.
• Design isn’t about knowing all the answers, but about showing up even when the outcome is uncertain.

… and one that stuck with us:

• MDes students are shapers of experiences, advocators or users, and catalysts for positive change.

We also had the pleasure of hearing from our keynote speaker, Nicholas de Monchaux. Nicholas is the Weber-Shaughness Professor and Head of Architecture at MIT, a partner in the architecture practice modem, and the acclaimed author of Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo and Local Code: 3,659 Proposals About Data, Design, and the Nature of Cities. His influential work, exhibited at venues including the Venice Architecture Biennale, SFMOMA, and Chicago MCA, has garnered recognition worldwide. A Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and a visionary leader, Nicholas inspires the integration of design, technology, and the world around us.

His insights as a humanist, designer, author, and professor made us reflect deeply on what we actually mean . by “design”. He noted that design resembles play – It invites curiosity, fosters experimentation, and thrives on imagination. Lastly, he offered us a piece of advice that will stay with many of us: “Look closely to our world, not for what it is, but for what it could be”.

Thank you, Nicholas, for sharing your wisdom and inspiring thoughts with us!

Please join us in celebrating the journey, innovation, and brilliance of our fourth MDes cohort. Their projects and collaborative spirit exemplify the mission of the program: shaping a future where design transforms the way we experience the world.

Congratulations to MDes2024 graduates — and to our newest, cherished MDes alumni! 🎉.