Students in the program develop critical thinking skills, refine their intellectual and creative processes, and learn contemporary aspects of design and design thinking. The program prepares design leaders to proactively manage change and innovate processes toward improving the civic, cultural, and commercial experiences that people encounter in their daily lives. The program focuses on a collaborative design process for identifying root problems and facilitating meaningful solutions to complex issues. This approach is intended to harness the power of design to clarify, humanize, and energize the issues that are central to life in a pluralistic society.