CADC Students Explore Germany in New Interdisciplinary Study Abroad

The inaugural course examined how the allied design disciplines shape daily environments, cultural narratives and collective futures through an exploration of Germany’s rich design history and contemporary innovation.

The course was led by Environmental Design (ENVD) Assistant Professor Eilís Finnegan, Graphic Design (GDES) Program Chair and Professor Robert Finkel and Industrial Design (INDD) Associate Professor Verena Paepcke-Hjeltness and included students from both the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (APLA) and the School of Industrial and Graphic Design (SIGD).

During the spring semester, students from Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Environmental Design, Architecture (ARCH) and Landscape Architecture (LAND) engaged in research-driven case studies before embarking on an immersive international experience through Berlin, Potsdam, Dessau, Ulm and Munich, where they could collaborate and share learning across disciplines.

“The most exciting and rewarding aspect of this new CADC study abroad program, from my perspective as faculty, was witnessing students from multiple programs continually inspire one another and expand each other’s ways of seeing,” Finnegan said. “Rather than experiencing each place through the lens of a single discipline, students shared their unique perspectives, methods and curiosities, revealing new dimensions of the environments we encountered to the whole group.”

Throughout the trip, students explored iconic cultural and design landmarks, including the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall Memorial, Jewish Museum Berlin, Bauhaus Museum Dessau, Ulm School of Design and BMW Museum. The students even toured Olympic Park with architect and Würzburg-Schweinfurt Technical University professor of sculptural design Stefan Niese, whose research brought him to Auburn last year. They also participated in professional visits with design firms and industry leaders, including a speculative design workshop with Taikonauten Future Workshop in Berlin and a tour of the design studio and fabrication facilities of ProGlove in Munich.

“We had the most wonderful inaugural student group one could have wished for. Each of the group members brought their own perspectives and unique characteristics to the study abroad program and made it a whole,” Paepcke-Hjeltness said, noting that the trip was particularly rewarding as it connected her German cultural heritage and profession as a design educator.

The itinerary connected historic movements with contemporary practice, allowing students to examine how their individual design interests intersect within broader social and technological systems.
“This study abroad experience opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about design,” said INDD student Audrey Young, noting that seeing the roots of Auburn’s Industrial Design program was a highlight of the trip. “The interdisciplinary approach of the program allowed me to experience a broader lens for viewing design. I also enjoyed meeting other students and professors within my college with different majors.”

For ENVD student Kimberly Ha, the experience provided an invaluable glimpse into both global design culture and professional practice.

“Traveling through Germany with CADC has been one of the most exciting opportunities of my education, from researching live entertainment spaces and festival installations to visiting studios like Taikonauten and ProGlove for a real look at the design industry,” Ha said. “Learning alongside other CADC students made for an experience I will never take for granted, and I am so grateful to have been a part of it.”

By combining academic research with cultural immersion, the program challenged students to think across disciplines, broaden their perspectives and develop a deeper understanding of design’s role in shaping the built world.