The PhD in design, environment and the arts with a concentration in digital culture in design focuses on the role of computational systems in enhancing creativity and the quality of human design. Graduates of the program should be thinkers as well as doers; they should learn to question the existing paradigms that govern the digital world as they impact design and the arts; they should be able to analyze systematically how digital tools affect the way designers and artists think, conceptualize, create and evaluate their designs and artwork; and, as a result, be able to come to a unique synthesis, leading the way in these fields. This concentration will primarily explore the impact of digital culture on how built environments, products and visual communications are designed and analyzed by design professionals and are utilized by their intended audience. Students should to be able to systematically question existing paradigms and ontology's of digital tools, evaluate the new paradigms that emerge as a result of digital culture, and propose new frameworks for design disciplines. Issues such as user interface design for new products, computer simulation of performance of buildings and products, effects of digital tools on architectural form giving, digital design processes, better incorporation of human factors into design tools, usability and interaction design are some examples of faculty expertise and areas of focus.

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