Design 101

A design resource for students and the curious alike. 

Five different material samples including a corrugated sheet, a concrete piece, two carpet samples in brown and reddish tones, and a purple marbled hexagonal tile.

Materials

Material Bank is a great resource for Designers. Or check out Material District for news & information.

Material Bank
A hand-drawn sketch of a hairstyle with notes indicating the back pillow surrounds hair and the lower back.

Sketch

Resources to develop your sketching skills

Sketching Resources
Architectural sketch of multiple modern houses with illuminated interior spaces, drawn with black lines and some shaded areas, on a gray background.

Design 101

How to get better at design FAST. Speed challenges, competitions, and briefs.

Design 101
A white cube composed of smaller interlocking cubes with warm orange interior lighting, placed on a reflective surface with a dark gradient background.

Design & AI

Handouts for Design & AI

Design and AI
Three textured ceramic sculptures on a wooden table with a wavy base, set against a plain gray background.

Mycelium

Designing and making with Mycelium

Mycelium Design
A chair made of metal frame and woven colorful strands, casting a shadow on a light-colored surface in a dimly lit setting.

Furniture Design

Resources to for Furniture Design Coursework

Furniture Design
Close-up of a modern art sculpture featuring illuminated white neon lights and textured white material against a gray background.

Lighting Design

Resources for lighting and lamp design.

Lighting Design

Additional Resources

Person taking a photo of a plate with three peaches and herbs on a textured cloth.

Professor Josh White, a photography professor from Appalachian State, taught a two-session class on Taking Great Images with your iPhone for the Craft Your Commerce program.

Blue background with colorful confetti and bold black text asking, "What ideas did you come up with?" and a prompt to share ideas using #TheIDEA Machine.

Feeling stuck? Don’t know where to start? Check out this awesome online brief generator designed by by students from Twynham School in Dorset.

Exterior of The Design Museum with large white signage and a row of colorful posters on the wall

For teachers: check out these Lesson Plans from The Design Museum.

Safety First! Here is a list of the best PPE

Pair of eyeglasses with clear lenses and tortoise shell patterned frame.

Best Safety Glasses! So many colors and works well for process shots.

A black breathing mask with blue smoke swirling around it, set against a dark, textured background.

Masks suck. But the RZ mask is easily the most comfortable and works best with pony tails/diverse hairstyles.

Pair of work gloves, one black and one green, with the brand name D-ROC and several labels on the green glove.

Best Gloves for small hands! Yes, I’ve cut off a finger. So now I carve with A9 gloves.

Box of Medline Restore nitrile exam gloves, size small, with a wood grain background, green oat plant, and a wooden scoop filled with oats on the packaging.

Best disposable gloves! These come in all the necessary sizes and are great for dry skin.

Black and blue wireless Bluetooth headphones with built-in controls and yellow ear tips.

Best ear protection! Bluetooth/comfort/hearing protection all in one.