On September 22, the 2026 Design IMPACT Showcase featured five projects that model design as a catalyst for living out our Vincentian mission. Seventeen students across the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media worked with industry mentors to develop projects blending creativity, technology, and social impact.
The Design IMPACT Grant, made possible by generous benefactor Mary Sandy, funds projects that leverage design to address real world problems.
The program runs for a ten-week cycle over the summer, providing students guidance throughout the iterative development process via scheduled feedback sessions with professional mentors and a team of School of Design faculty.
Students form multi-disciplinary teams and apply what they learn through their studies at DePaul University towards addressing problems of the twenty-first century. At the heart of these projects is design – connecting technical innovation directly to human interaction, physical place, and surrounding ecosystems.
“The Design IMPACT Grant underscores the alignment between the School of Design and the Vincentian values of the University,”says Michael DeAnda, director of the grant program and senior professional lecturer in the School of Design. “We honored this alignment through a Shared Coin ritual at the IMPACT Showcase. The Shared Coin is a tradition grounded in history, and by passing coins to the students of the 2026 cohort and our benefactor, Mary Sandy, we acknowledge how these projects enliven the Vincentian Mission.”
This year's partnering organizations include Code Your Dreams, the Chicago Architecture Center, and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. The event welcomed approximately 40 attendees, including students, alumni, faculty, staff, external guests, and grant benefactor Mary Sandy.
“This is the second year we have invited industry professionals to sponsor our Design IMPACT Problems, which give students the opportunity to work with clients," says DeAnda. "This collaboration creates space for students and professionals to develop creative responses to identified issues, providing students with client-based opportunities for professional development."
2026 Design IMPACT Projects
Cost of a Click 2.0: The Environment Remembers - An interactive installation that turns digital actions into environmental receipts, highlighting the usage of local resources when users create prompts with AI chatbots.
Filter Kings - A serious game designed to teach players the importance of water quality and how oysters play an important role in maintaining a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
Peggy Notebaert Interactive Prairie Exhibit - An exhibit at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum that showcases the beauty of Illinois natural environment and the resilience of Illinois' disappearing landscape, the prairie.
Robot Interrupted - An interactive street art installation designed to encourage passersby to engage with a robot drawing chalk art on the street, supporting community engagement.
Virtual Chicago City Model - A proof-of-concept VR experience that reimagines the Chicago Architecture Center’s city model as an interactive virtual environment.