Color and Materials Design at the College for Creative Studies
The Color and Materials Design at the College for Creative Studies aims to introduce students to a forward-thinking approach to colour and material, and is the only accredited graduate-level CMF programme worldwide.
Course details
School: College for Creative Studies
Course: Color and Materials Design
Type: graduate
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Course dates: September 2027 to May 2028
Application deadline: 2 February 2027
Course overview
The College for Creative Studies’ Color and Materials Design program is the only accredited graduate-level CMF program worldwide.
The program curriculum encourages a mindset where forward-thinking color, material and finish strategies are framed to connect functional and emotional meaning to products, environments and experiences.
Often working in cross-collaborations through experiential learning with industry partners, students strive to achieve expertise in deciphering patterns within markets, cultures and geographic regions to develop narratives that offer innovative perspectives, mindful of the impact of their design decisions in terms of societal effects, product life-cycle, and sustainability.
Graduates of the program operate in both tangible and virtual environments, pushing forward color, material, and finish concepts through in-depth research and trend forecasting, practical experimentation and prototyping, advanced digital technologies, and visual and verbal storytelling.
What will I learn during this course?
- students undertake independent research and demonstrate competency in their analysis and interpretation appropriate to the line of inquiry
- utilize advanced research, ideation, prototyping and testing of materials
- to interpret, translate and anticipate trends and their potential to impact the behaviors of diverse consumers, communities and cultures
What are the requirements?
- a recent CV
- a relevant portfolio
- statement of purpose
- transcripts
- letters of recommendation
- English proficiency
What facilities and resources are available?
- 24-hour studio spaces
- industry-level technology and equipment
- a color and materials lab
- material libraries
What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?
Students can have possible careers in the following fields:
- CMF designer color and trim designer
- color designer
- materials designer
- trend specialist
- color and materials mastering designer
- materials development specialist
Who teaches this course?
Melanie McClintock, chair of Color and Materials Design
