Industrial Design instructor uses gaming platform for virtual classroom
In MIAD adjunct faculty Julian Hurrle’s computer-aided industrial design course, students learn how to use SolidWorks 3D modeling software, an essential tool in their career field. When pivoting to online learning, Hurrle set up a virtual classroom in Discord, a popular application used by PC gaming communities.
JD Byrne ’21 (Industrial Design) and a controller design project from this semester’s course
“We’re using Discord and that’s been fantastic. We’ve livestreamed tutorial videos from our professor to the entire class and we ask questions from the comfort of our couches,” says JD Byrne ’21 (Industrial Design).
Sub-channels for the class provide portals for students to submit screenshots of their models in progress and have text or voice discussions. Students also can share their screens with the instructor or use a sub-channel for individual discussions with the instructor, providing one-on-one interaction and helping walk students through different aspects of the program.
View of virtual classroom in Discord where students share work in progress
“This program is doing the exact thing I do in the lab at MIAD, but from my screen at home with a microphone,” says Hurrle.
Hurrle reports that attendance for the class is excellent, and all of the students have been in the channel and watching the livestreams. Hurrle also records the lectures and posts them on a shared drive for students to access outside of class when they need to review the content.
News
Meet Kas Cook and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Mcallaster’s Special
Cas Kook ’26 (Animation Track in Illustration) is a Dean’s List student from the Greater Chicago area and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. “Project Calvin Sazerac” is about Calvin Sazerac, a seasoned barkeep, who creates new cocktails for his favorite regulars. When he is challenged to meet the demands of a picky saloon patron, he creates something life changing.
Meet Mac Bronnson and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project MENd
Mac Bronnson ’26 (Communication Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Milwaukee and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. MENd – No Bro Left Behind is a men’s mental health app that is not designed as a mental health app.
MIAD faculty designs for Brewers Wisconsin Artist Series
Faculty member Ric Stultz, who teaches Illustration at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, has designed what is sure to become iconic apparel during the Milwaukee Brewers 2026 season.
Meet Cyrill Reyes and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project NECROZOIC
Cyrill Reyes ’26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from the Greater Chicago area. My thesis is game concept art and visual development of the world of NECROZOIC, a prehistoric fantasy that retells the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Meet Bailey Staerkel and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Stitched Together
Bailey Staerkel ’26 (Fashion and Apparel Design) is a Dean’s List student from Vancouver, Wash., and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. My thesis, Stitched Together, is an exploration of Gothic horror through fashion, taking classic horror archetypes and reinterpreting them into a collection of fully realized couture looks.