Stamps MDes Design Futures Panel: An Evening of Critical Dialogue and Connection

Join the University of Michigan’s Stamps School of Art & Design for a dynamic 90-minute panel discussion that brings together leading designers, researchers, and educators whose work spans the full spectrum of design futures, from technology-informed foresight to community-oriented, social justice-based methodologies. This is not a passive lecture; it is an interactive experience where attendees will witness and participate in a vital conversation about why design-informed futures are more critical than ever.

What You’ll Experience:

• Provocative Dialogue: Engage with panelists as they unpack how design can address systemic inequities, anticipate technological shifts, and co-create more just and sustainable worlds. You’ll hear firsthand how these practitioners apply speculative design, participatory methods, and futures thinking to real-world challenges.
• Live Q&A and Audience Reflection: The discussion will be structured to invite audience questions, ensuring that attendees, whether prospective students, fellow designers, or community members, can actively contribute their perspectives.
• A Window into the Stamps MDes Program: Beyond the panel, you’ll gain an inside look at the University of Michigan’s Stamps MDes program and its distinctive future-focused design education.

Stamps participants include Associate Professor Deepa Butoliya, Associate Professor and Director of MDes Program Sara Dean, and Associate Professor Sophia Brueckner, along with current Master of Design graduate students.

Thursday, September 10, 2026, 4 – 7 p.m.
SpaceLab Detroit, 607 Shelby St Ste 700, Detroit, MI 48226, USA