Product Design students design custom tap handles

Juniors in a Product Design class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) partnered with two local industry leaders to work on a unique product—they designed custom tap handles in collaboration with manufacturer Hankscraft AJS for Third Space Brewing’s iconic Happy Place brew.

Digital Sketching, Visualization & Narrative Systems, taught by Larry “Murf” Murphy, asks students to connect “manual drawing skills to digital media and then to [design] narrative presentations.” Moving between analog drawing and digital sketching, students develop sensitivity to both design options.

“Balancing the design objectives brought by two clients was a good challenge,” says Murf. “One focused on the brand and identity, the other on the manufacturing side of the equation. The students began quickly to understand finding the balance between two sets of objectives is critical for a successful product design.”

Cole Krueger ’07 (Illustration), art director at Hankscraft AJS, visited MIAD several times to critique students’ designs. Students also worked with marketing specialists from Hankscraft AJS and Third Space Brewing to refine their designs.

“Visualization of the balance between objectives—manufacturing requirements and brand essentials—is a hallmark of good design,” continues Murf. “The reaction from both clients was overwhelmingly positive with an appreciation for how the students both represented themselves, and balanced all of the competing criteria for a successful product.”

Learn more about MIAD’s Product Design major!