This May undergraduate students from the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences visited design companies throughout California. Participating students included sophomores, juniors, seniors, and a few May graduates in the sequences of apparel merchandising and design (AMD), and interior and environmental design (IED).
The trip began May 19 in San Francisco, where the AMD students visited Old Navy while the IED students visited the Leverone Design Studio. The group also had time to visit notable San Francisco landmarks, such as Fisherman’s Wharf, City Hall, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
In Ventura, California, students visited Patagonia’s headquarters, which was one of the highlights of the trip, said Elisabeth Reed, faculty member in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. The company representatives shared their work backgrounds, their job descriptions, and how their jobs are connected to the company’s mission and core values. Following the tour, employees joined the students for a surfing lesson on the beach.
In Los Angeles, students toured the Warner Brothers studios, getting an up-close look at set design and costume design. After the tour, the IED students explored the nearby Walt Disney Concert Hall, acclaimed for its architecture and acoustics. In addition, all students toured the Getty Center, which includes European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts, as well as American, Asian, and European photography.
The IED students toured the Gensler design firm, which employs architects, designers, planners, and consultants to work on more than 3,000 projects a year. The AMD students heard a presentation from TOMS, a shoe company that gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of shoes sold.
On the last day of the trip, students met with costume designers and set designers from The Walt Disney Co. After the meeting, the students were free to enjoy Disneyland for the rest of the day.
