Richmond Institute for Design and Innovation

Product design student pointing at the critique board. — Look around

Behind every product you see, touch or feel is a team of creative visionaries known as designers.

RIDI classroom on the first floor with empty rows of seats and sun filtering into the room of the wall of windows. — When you enroll in the Richmond Institute for Design + Innovation you get the RID+I experience, where we go beyond conventional design education and become an extraordinary practitioner.

RIDI classroom on the first floor with empty rows of seats and sun filtering into the room of the wall of windows. — When you enroll in the Richmond Institute for Design + Innovation you get the RID+I experience, where we go beyond conventional design education and become an extraordinary practitioner.

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Scholarships

Students who participated in a pitch competition pose with the judges and their awards. — Record number of patents filed!

During spring 2025, 16 Western Michigan University undergraduate students filed patents for their original work. All 16 were product design students in the Venture Studio. It's one thing to develop a concept for a class project; it's another to refine and pitch the idea to actual investors and have a patent pending—all before graduating college.

Bring your ideas to life...

Image of a meeting with a pad of paper covered in sticky notes. Alongside an image of a medical technician talking to a researcher.

Discover problems, identify opportunities.

Sketches and renderings of an umbrella with heat lamps under the canopy and a circular interior design.

Develop your ideas, compelling solutions and bring your ideas to life.

Renderings of a finalized battery project and some interiors.

Deliver real solutions to real problems.

Do YOU have lots of ideas? Do YOU love learning how things work? Do YOU want to help our planet? Do YOU want to improve lives? Then, study DESIGN with US!

RID+I News

Casey Miller standing next to the project board for his project, including sketches and research.

Students turn ideas into market-ready products at RID+I’s Venture Studio

Ana Charnesky giving a presentation about her work at a internship at GM.

Innovation in Action: WMU's Anastasia Charnesky Honored with the 2024 Central District IDSA Merit Award

Kelsi Schmottlach and Ana Charnesky stand next to a sign with Chinese characters on it outside the Beijing Architecture Museum.

Product design grads cap college experience with China trip, pending patents

Product design alumni on leading edge of innovation

WMU institute renames program to meet dynamic demands of design industry

Product design major gets a broad range of internship experience through Broncos Lead Internship Program

WMU interior design student places in IIDA Michigan Chapter ThinkUp Student Design Competition

Interior design student helps plant shop owner grow new business