These are pretty exciting times at Art Center: this fall we’re launching a new Designmatters concentration. Core 77 recently caught up with Vice President and Director of Designmatters Mariana Amatullo to discuss this new course of study, offered to undergraduates wishing to focus on the use of art and design for meaningful social impact.

Amatullo says: “For us, it’s a great chance to educate artists and designers to think about becoming involved in local, national and global issues right at the strategic and leadership levels, the beginning of the life-cycle so to speak of an issue, instead of coming at it at the end to simply style or package a cause.

“For our students, it’s a great chance to connect academic practices to design-based explorations of real world issues. They have the opportunity to step into this space while still a student; at the same time, they’re also asked to step up in the way they look at, confront, research and address real world issues.”

Read more: The Designmatters Concentration at Art Center College of Design: Q&A with Mariana Amatullo, and follow Designmatters on Twitter.