Dallas Study Tour Provides Industry Knowledge to Graduate Design Students

Environmental Design Goes Beyond the Classroom in Study Tour Experience

Graduate students in the Department of Design (DOD) recently attended a study tour in Dallas, Texas on Oct. 11 and 12, accompanied by DOD faculty members. Students in the Acute Care Design and Designing for Special Populations courses were able to tour top design showrooms and network with design professionals and Texas Tech University Interior Design (ID) alumni.

"By offering experiences outside the classroom, we expose our graduate students to more than academic knowledge and skills," Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the Graduate School Kristi Gaines, Ph.D. said. "The purpose of the study tour is to prepare students for successful careers whether they choose to be academics, researchers, practitioners, or work in other related fields."

Many environmental design college degree programs lead their graduates to work with professionals in the field of landscape architecture and environmental design. Texas Tech's study tour offered graduate design students the opportunity to see firsthand the operations of a large professional architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firm.

The study tour began with a tour of Herman Miller, one of the top furniture design companies in the world. Students were welcomed to a presentation of company products, providing students with ideas of how to best incorporate the new pieces in future course projects.

Environmental design master's student Taylor Haight stressed just how important interactions with top design firms are for graduate students.

"Not only is it a great learning experience to visit design firms but it can also lead to potential job opportunities or connections with other professionals working in the industry," Taylor said. "It definitely helps put it into perspective what we as students are working towards in getting our master's or Ph.D.—I encourage graduate students to go on as many design tours as possible within their graduate career."

Following Herman Miller and a tour of the fabric showroom Maharam, graduate students on the study tour met with Interior Design undergraduate students, faculty, and ID alumni for an alumni reception at Janus et Cie.

"This was a great opportunity to talk to underclassmen and tell them what to expect in their future careers and what a great opportunity it is to go to graduate school," Taylor said. "There were also other professionals that are alumni from Texas Tech's Interior Design program that proved to be great connections. I definitely made it a point to talk to the professionals and grab a business card or two as potential job opportunities."

Professor Debajyoti Pati, Ph.D. explained that one of the main goals of the trip was for the students to see how AEC firms work and to gain a better understanding of the design process.

By interacting with professional design teams and leaders, the students showcased their potential as future colleagues at firms like Perkins + Will.

"I firmly believe that a two-way interaction between professional practice and academia best serves our discipline in multiple ways – student learning, student engagement, nurturing future leaders, and developing innovative thinking," Dr. Pati said.

As part of the Blue Zones Project, a community-wide improvement initiative in Fort Worth, students on the study tour participated in the Design & Health North America Chapter roundtable event to discuss future plans for healthy changes in the community, and gain a better understanding what are important aspects of environmental design.

After the roundtable event, students toured Perkins + Will.

"Perkins + Will would be a dream to work for and this tour provided the opportunity to get in contact with the professionals in hopes of a future job or other connections within the world of design," Taylor said.

Taylor explained that although some design graduate students have experience with real-world design firms, many do not.

"It is incredibly important to visit firms so that the students can have a better idea of where they would like to apply to work after they graduate," Taylor said. "As interior designers and architects, it is super important to visit showrooms and design firms in order to learn and grow as a student."