Product Design juniors collaborate with local tattoo shop
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design students in a junior-level Product Design class recently visited Walker’s Point Tattoo Company to learn about tattoo equipment. Larry “Murf” Murphy, the instructor for Human Factors: Designing for Capabilities and Limitations, asked students to design a prosthetic arm with a tattoo gun attachment. He coordinated a visit to a local tattoo shop so students could get hands-on experience with the equipment. Tattoo artists talked to students about the latest advances in tattoo technology. “I want it on record that no one is allowed to get tattooed during this trip!” laughs Murf.
The visit to Walker’s Point Tattoo Company was not the first field trip this particular Product Design class has taken. Earlier in the semester, they visited a local hat-making shop to learn about millinery. Murf, who has instructed this group of students for three consecutive semesters, admires how well they all work together. “They are raising each other’s level of accomplishment,” says Murf. “They are challenging each other in the best way. I see all ships rising in the tide, if you will.”
Learn more about Product Design at MIAD!
News
Double ASID award winner is inspired by nature and internships
Rising senior at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Adam Wold ’27 received two awards in May from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). The Interior Architecture and Design (IAD) major won the Silver Award in the Commercial category and the Bronze Award in the Residential category.
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
Works by 13 students and recent graduates of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) were selected from among 4,550 nationwide submissions to receive 2026 honors from the national Society of Illustrators.
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.