Multi-Disciplinary Design juniors present their final projects at Adobe’s headquarters in Lehi, receiving career-shaping feedback from a team of professional designers.
Led by Visiting Assistant Professor Sebastian Frith, students were challenged to reimagine popular apps of their choice by addressing typical challenges faced by users and exploring new features to create a more unique and user-friendly experience. Student teams showcased their design processes, highlighting user personas and overall interface development to a team of designers at Adobe as part of their final presentation.
Over the semester, the course explores the essential tools, methods, and mindsets used in modern UI/UX design. Emphasis is placed on understanding design systems, building interactive prototypes, and evaluating usability and accessibility. Students will also engage with industry tools such as Figma and explore emerging technologies, including AI-assisted design.
Frith emphasizes the value of collaborating with Adobe as part of the course experience.
Visiting Adobe’s Lehi office gives students a tangible sense of what it means to work within a professional design environment. Hearing classroom critiques echoed by industry practitioners and design leaders reinforces the credibility of that feedback, helping students recognize that the expectations and standards they encounter in class directly reflect real-world design practice.
As students presented their designs, Adobe designers provided feedback on presentation techniques, design processes, and overall usability. Students reflecting on the experience expressed appreciation for the direct feedback and recognition of their design approaches.
The day concluded with a tour of Adobe’s headquarters and opportunities for students to connect with staff members. The visit highlights both the career pathways available to graduates of the program and the partnerships the division continues to develop with industry leaders.
To learn more about Intro to Digital Design and opportunities to collaborate, contact Sebastian Frith at Sebastian.Frith@utah.edu.
By Paulina Sylvester
Assistant Director of Communications, College of Architecture and Planning