College of Design Portfolio Event

In-Person: Wednesday, February 26, 2025: 5:30-8:30pm at the Great Hall, Coffman Memorial Union
Virtual: Friday, March 21, 2025: 9-11am through Zoom
This event is for all Apparel Design, Architecture, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Product Design, and User Experience (UX) Design students to begin making connections with alumni and professionals in your field.
Bring your portfolio or work samples, resume, and process iterations (optional) to share with professionals and get feedback.
Sign Up for In-Person Reviews, February 26Sign Up for Virtual Reviews, March 21
How to Prepare
Prepare your online portfolio/website. You may also want to prepare a PDF presentation just for the career fair to make presenting your materials easy compared to a website.
Practice presenting your design work. At first, students are often too slow and indirect when describing their projects and solutions. You should be able to communicate the essence of the design problem and your approach in 2-3 sentences. It is often easier to explain your design process if you have visuals; consider creating a few process slides or a process notebook for key projects in your portfolio.
Research employers that interest you by visiting their websites, social media, and do an online search to learn of any recent news, initiatives or products they have launched.
Collect contact info. At the end of the interaction, get the representative’s name and contact information so you can send a detailed thank you note and possibly follow-up on a potential job, internship or project you may have discussed.
Dress for success. We recommend you to dress in a way that represents your authentic self. The standard at most career events is business casual, but consider if your attire and grooming aligns with your personal brand. We encourage you to choose clothing that makes you feel comfortable, confident and prepared for the weather elements. For ideas on attire, check out our Dress the Part Pinterest page.
Make an appointment. Meet with Brian Green, your senior career consultant for CDes to go over preparing for a career event and ask any questions you may have.
What to Expect
Registered Firms for In-Person Reviews
Sign up for an in-person review. The sign-up deadline is February 21. Check out the 50+ firms in attendance.
Firm Name | Portfolios Reviewed | Student Level |
---|---|---|
Abigail Grewenow (Freelance) | Graphic Design | UG |
ADCI | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
Alliiance | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
BKV Group | Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
Bolton & Menk | Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
Capsule Design | Graphic Design | UG, Grad |
Carlisle Fluid Technologies | Apparel Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Product Design, User Experience (UX) Design | UG, Grad |
Collage Architects | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
Cue, Inc. | Graphic Design | UG |
Damon Farber | Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
Dana Kingery Design | Graphic Design | UG, Grad |
DJR Architecture | Architecture | UG, Grad |
DLR Group | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
Ecolab | User Experience (UX) Design | UG, Grad |
Enviro-Tech Construction Services | Apparel Design, Architecture, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Product Design | |
Greater Thought | Graphic Design, Product Design, User Experience (UX) Design | UG |
HCM Architects | Architecture | UG, Grad |
HDR Inc | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
HGA | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
HKGi | Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
ISG Inc | Landscape Architecture | UG |
JLG Architects | Architecture | UG, Grad |
Kick Design Agency | Graphic Design, Product Design | UG |
Kimley-Horn | Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
Landform Professional Services | Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
LHB | Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
LSE Architects | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
Magenta Creative | Graphic Design | UG, Grad |
Medtronic - Diabetes | Product Design | UG, Grad |
Miller Dunwiddie | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board | Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
Mohagen Hansen Architecture Interiors | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
MSR Design | Architecture | UG, Grad |
O2 Design | Landscape Architecture | Grad |
OPN Architects | Architecture | Grad |
Optimize Digital Marketing | Graphic Design | UG, Grad |
Partner's and Hunt Creative Services | Graphic Design | UG, Grad |
RSP Architects | Architecture | UG, Grad |
Shah Studios (Independent) | Graphic Design | UG |
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) | Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
Soladay Olson | Connections for Creatives | Graphic Design, User Experience (UX) Design | UG |
Stantec | Architecture, Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
Target | Architecture, Graphic Design, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
Thomson Reuters | Graphic Design, User Experience (UX) Design | UG |
Triple Play Studio Architecture + Design | Architecture | Grad |
Tubi | Graphic Design, Product Design, User Experience (UX) Design | |
Typothesis | Graphic Design | UG, Grad |
UMN Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing | Graphic Design | UG |
U.S. Bank | Graphic Design, Product Design, User Experience (UX) Design | UG, Grad |
Veranex | Product Design | UG, Grad |
Weber Architects & Planners | Architecture | UG, Grad |
Wendel | Architecture | UG, Grad |
Zeus Jones | Graphic Design | UG |
Registered Firms for Virtual Reviews
Sign up for a virtual review with one or more of our 15 firms. The sign up deadline is March 9.
Firm Name | Portfolios Reviewed | Student Level |
---|---|---|
Alliiance | Architecture | UG, Grad |
Bolton & Menk | Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
Capsule Design | Graphic Design | UG, Grad |
Continua Interiors | Interior Design | UG |
EUA | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
GKG | Architecture | UG |
HGA | Architecture | UG, Grad |
Kick Design Agency | Graphic Design, Product Design | UG |
LSE Architects | Architecture, Interior Design | UG, Grad |
MillerKnoll | Interior Design | UG, Grad |
Perkins&Will | Architecture | UG, Grad |
SMAKK Studios | Graphic Design | UG, Grad |
SITELAB urban studio | Architecture, Landscape Architecture | UG, Grad |
Typothesis | Graphic Design | UG, Grad |
United Airlines | Graphic Design, User Experience (UX) Design | UG, Grad |