photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Visitors browse the designs from over 100 KU School of Architecture and Design students at the KU Student Showcase, part of KC Design Week.

With Kansas City, Missouri, becoming a hub of architecture and design, leaders with KU’s School of Architecture and Design wanted to tap into that energy.

Dan Rolf, the director of the Hatch Resource Center and communications with the school, said he and Jae D. Chang, a professor of architecture and associate dean for research, innovation and entrepreneurship, wanted to figure out a way to “convey the energy and creative drive” of KU students to a broader audience in the growing design community there.

“We wanted to open the doors to what we do and what our students create here,” Rolf said.

That desire brought about a partnership between the school and KC Design Week, a yearly event that brings thousands of designers and architects into the Crossroads district. The KU Student Showcase, which took place on Friday, featured the work of over 100 KU students.

The showcase is now in its third year, and Rolf said while it can’t detail the full scope of work going on at the School of Architecture and Design, it helps people “see what the school and our students are all about.”

Rolf said getting those extra eyeballs on their work is “especially meaningful” for the school’s students, who get not only invaluable “face time” to talk with different designers and make connections with potential employers, but also get to experience all the creative energy at the event that can inspire their future work.

“Kansas City design week is such a great thing for the city and the design community,” Rolf said. “Having our students there, they become part of the (larger) community.”

While the school can’t display every single project at the event, Rolf said it was important to highlight all the different disciplines being worked on at the school.

The exhibit Friday night featured student projects from all seven programs across the Department of Architecture and Department of Design: architecture, interior architecture, industrial design, interaction design, animation, illustration and visual communication design. Students submitted their projects to the faculty, who decided which ones to feature, Rolf said.

It is easier to highlight some projects than others. Rolf said they can’t “bring a built house” into the space, but they can capture those large projects through “rich photography” on posters while also featuring furniture projects or prototypes of consumer goods.

Rolf said it is fun to be able to highlight all the diverse array of projects on display, but it also showcases traits that connect all the students.

“They are creative. They are problem solvers,” Rolf said.

Although there is not one main theme for the student works, Rolf said a key “thread” in this year’s showcase is focusing on sports design. With Kansas City’s strong reputation for sports design and the 2026 FIFA World Cup — Rolf said 12 of the 16 venues hosting matches are connected to KU architecture alumni — the school wanted to celebrate that.

One way to do it was through class projects in the school’s new interaction design program — a discipline that focuses on improving user interface systems for digital products and other applications Rolf said students in the program each received a semester-long project that included creating an app and designing a product that could be used or seen in a future World Cup. The students interviewed members of the KU women’s soccer team as part of their research process.

Quin Martin, a junior majoring in interaction design from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, said his project was focused on improving designs for soccer cleats. After a soccer match between design and architecture students on a “super muddy field” where players were slipping and sliding, Martin said he designed cleats that could automatically adjust the length of the studs without players having to screw them in and out of the shoe. The app would also provide feedback on the conditions and if the cleats were at the optimal position

Sajedah Andalsi, a junior majoring in interaction design from Olathe, was designing an improved jersey for the athletes. She found that injury prevention is an important topic, and that led her to designing a jersey and an app could link up to “share player vitals in real time” and flag signs of overheating or injury risk.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

A poster highlights KU student projects from a interaction design class. The students worked with the KU women’s soccer team and designed apps and consumer products around a soccer theme.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Stadium designs and other student projects shown during the KU Student Showcase as part of KC Design Week.

Rolf said these showcases highlight the students’ projects, but it also provides a chance to build interpersonal skills crucial for job interviews. He said students can make “rich visuals or interesting prototypes,” but it is just as important they can clearly articulate how it works or why they made it. This is a chance for students to practice “communicating their ideas with clarity” for potential employers.

Jackson Reusser, a fourth-year student from Wichita majoring in architecture, had his designs from his most recent studio class featured at the showcase Friday night. While he said the department has done a good job connecting students with the Kansas City architecture community, it was still a big deal to have his work showcased.

“We present our work a lot just within the school (but) it’s cool to have our stuff shown physically in Kansas City,” Reusser said.

Along with the networking potential, the students said having their work featured gives them a feeling of accomplishment for their work in the field. Reusser said that it felt nice to be highlighted as something that is “the best work coming out of class,” and presenting in front of professionals at KC Design Week is “eye-catching” for his resume.

Martin said he did a “ton of research and testing” and failed in different ways that led to his eventual breakthrough. He also noted that he is part of the first cohort of interaction design majors at KU, so getting selected to present at the event was an awesome feeling.

“It feels super good to see (my) hard work pay off,” Martin said.

Andalsi said having her project showcased felt super personal. She said she is of Moroccan and Algerian descent, so she feels “incredibly proud to put my name out there” during KC Design Week because of the Algerian national team coming to the region for the World Cup.

“It’s truly an honor to represent both KU and Kansas City (by presenting),” Andalsi said.

Rolf said the student showcase benefits more than just the KU community. While it obviously can help students make connections to give them a head start, it also puts the Kansas City design community front and center. Rolf said there are “world class firms” in the region working on “global projects.” It can mean students stay in the area, helping boost Kansas City’s design reputation and helping the campus tap into that important energy.

“We see it as a win for everyone,” Rolf said.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Student design projects are featured at MMTH Creative Studio, 103 W. 19th St. in Kansas City, Missouri, for the KU Student Showcase of KC Design Week. The works on display represent all seven programs in KU’s School of Architecture and Design.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Student designs including stadium interiors and buildings displayed as part of the KU Student Showcase at KC Design Week.