The Design Consortium: A Brief History

Image: Design Consortium Millennium Calendar exploring the ominous Y2K millennium change, through a playful and temporal typographic interaction of seasons, time, color & space. To reemphasize the growing contrast between the future (unknown) and the past (the known) we purposely used an antiquated technology (letterpress) to help us represent the unique physical quality of the present. 1999. c/o Design Consortium

By Ned Drew

The Design Consortium has its roots within the Graphic Design Program here at Rutgers University-Newark. Originally conceived as an informal and collaborative design studio between Professor Ned Drew and Rutgers Graphic Design Majors in 1995, the DC has grown into a critical center-piece of our program’s curriculum. From the beginning, the DC’s mission was to offer pro-bono design services to non-profit organizations, educational institutions and other types of community members—connecting our students to the greater Newark community.

The goal was to provide Graphic Design majors with a professional experience where they can apply their design skills and knowledge while investing in and serving the Newark community. These projects helped facilitate meaningful connections and long-lasting relationships between our program and Newark’s residents. Often, these collaborations developed in very organic ways, through colleagues, word-of-mouth, as well as referrals from proceeding clients.