Industrial Design alumni receive international awards for innovative designs
Industrial Design (Product Design) alums Adam Carter ’16, Paul Rossetto ’95 and Rachel Wallace ’05 were recognized at the 2020 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) for their designs that promote innovation and excellence.
Every year IDEA honors products and services that enhance, influence and push the industrial design industry forward. Entries are reviewed by a jury of designers and leaders in various industries.
Carter and Rosetto both worked on products for Milwaukee Tool, including a rod cutter and a digital torque wrench. Their designs help improve safety and efficiency on the job site.
Wallace and her team at Delve created a portable tool that uses virtual reality technology to help patients with rehabilitation. The tool helps make rehab more enjoyable with immersive activities that employ game design to engage patients and keep them motivated.
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Milwaukee M18™ Brushless Threaded Rod Cutter, designed by Adam Carter ’16 |
M12 FUEL™ 3/8” and 1/2” Digital Torque Wrenches w/ ONE-KEY™, designed by Paul Rossetto ’95 and his team at Milwaukee Tool |
REAL Immersive System, designed by Rachel Wallace ’05 and her team at Delve |
News
MIAD faculty, alumni shine at WI Visual Art Achievement Awards
Professor Leslie Fedorchuk and alumni of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) received four of the eight individual 2026 Wisconsin Visual Art Achievement Awards for “their significant contributions to the state’s creative culture.”
National Society of Illustrators honors 13 MIAD students
First-place winner Sophia Simonson ’28 created Refractions as part of her MIAD studies in Interior Architecture and Design. She is one of 20 students studying at MIAD through a cross-registration program with Concordia University. MIAD students Kaitlyn Powers ’26 (Illustration) and Natalie Spetell ’27 (Product Design), both of whom have minors in Communication Design, received Honorable Mentions.
Pallas Textiles competition provides real-world experience
First-place winner Sophia Simonson ’28 created Refractions as part of her MIAD studies in Interior Architecture and Design. She is one of 20 students studying at MIAD through a cross-registration program with Concordia University. MIAD students Kaitlyn Powers ’26 (Illustration) and Natalie Spetell ’27 (Product Design), both of whom have minors in Communication Design, received Honorable Mentions.
2026 First-Year Exhibition showcases professional growth
An annual tradition at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design from late March through September, the juried First-Year Experience Exhibition celebrates students’ yearlong personal and professional growth.
Meet Carmen Briones and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Echo
Carmen Briones ‘26 (Product Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Cambria, Wis., president of the MIAD IDSA student chapter and an intern at SI Jacobson Manufacturing. Briones designed a device called “Echo” that removes ovarian cysts without surgery.


