Master of Graphic & Experience Design
Take a leadership position in user experience and user interface design (UX/UI) at a software company or design consultancy. Or become a faculty member at a research university.
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Overview
The Master of Graphic & Experience Design (MGXD) moves students toward a deeper knowledge of graphic and experience design through purposeful, individually driven design practice. Inquiry into contemporary and emergent design issues prepares graduates for leadership positions in user experience and user interface design (UX/UI), with expertise in research, data visualization, digital typography, and artificial intelligence. Successful completion of the MGXD results in a terminal degree, equivalent to the MFA, and qualifies graduates to teach at the university level or to pursue a PhD in Design. We are one of the few programs in the U.S. with STEM Classification (CIP).
The NC State Master of Graphic & Experience Design (MGXD) is consistently recognized as one of the top NASAD accredited graduate graphic and experience design programs in the country. The faculty is nationally and internationally recognized (see Faculty at a Glance). Alumni are designers in enterprise-level software companies and leading design consultancies (such as IBM, RedHat, Lenovo, Adobe, IDEO, Fjord), as well as, faculty members in colleges and universities (including University of Washington, Pratt Institute, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan).
Special congrats to this year’s MGXD Award of Excellence recipients! Rebecca Planchart, Kweku Baidoo, Aashka Patel and Olha Novikova! So excited to see what comes next for all of you! #mgxd #ncstatedesign #ncstate
Congratulations to this year’s 2025 MGXD graduates! We could not be prouder of your accomplishments! #ncstatedesign #mgxd #mgxdncsu #ncstate
Final review time! Huge congratulations to our 1st Year and Track III students for all the hard work, creativity, and growth you’ve shown this year. We can’t wait to see what’s still to come! #mgxd #ncstate #ncstatedesign #ncsumgxd
Huge shoutout to our MGXD Track 3 students who presented their final projects at SAS Headquarters today! 🎉 This sponsored studio challenged them to design original B2B applications using generative AI, and they totally delivered. Big thanks to Prof. Jarrett Fuller and the team at SAS for making it all possible! #mgxd #ncstate #ncstatedesign #ncsumgxd #SASxNCState
Meet Eryn Pierce, our incredible alumna and now an Assistant Professor at Boise State University! 🎓✨ Eryn is passionate about guiding the next generation of designers, and her advice is golden: "Take the time to find the right fit for you, whether it’s a design job or a teaching position." 💖 Finding that perfect place where your creativity can thrive makes all the difference! 🌈💼 Eryn’s journey reminds us that every step counts, and the right opportunity can lead to amazing adventures.
#AlumniSpotlight #ncsumgxd #ncstatedesign #ncstate #ncsu
Meet Erica Funderburk🌟
A graduate student from Greensboro, NC.
🎨Which design style, artist, or movement inspires you the most, and why?
My favorite visual artist is Kehinde Wiley because he takes everyday people and paints them like royalty. This has influenced how I uplift and position people in my work. I am also inspired by typographic, retro, modern, and contemporary design styles.
🧠What is something you’ve learned, or an area where you feel you’ve grown the most during the program?
Mistakes are a part of the process. Failure is not final. Use the setbacks as a tool to learn, explore, and ideate.
📚What has been your favorite course or project in the program so far, and why was it your favorite?
My favorite class so far has been Publishing & distribution with Jared Fuller. I enjoy the projects we’ve had. The class has really pushed me to think and approach design differently. Each project has a twist that is fun yet challenging. I enjoyed our Form Flip Flop project, where I changed cooking Instagram reels into a cookbook.
💡What advice would you give to prospective or new students in the program?
Be open-minded. There are so many things to learn from those around you. Your peers have valuable experiences that can push you to think and approach things differently.
#mgxd #ncstatedesign #ncstate #ncsumgxd #gxid
🌟 Alumni Spotlight! 🌟 Meet Harrison F. Lyman III, our talented 2020 graduate who’s now shining bright as the Creative Director at Kadro eCommerce Consultancy! 🎨✨ His wise words remind us all: "Grad school is short and your career will be long. Absorb all you can, then move on with confidence and curiosity." Well said, Harrison! 🙌 On the personal side, he’s also enjoying life with three adorable huskies! 🐾💕(wish that was me)
#AlumniSpotlight #ncsumgxd #ncstatedesign #ncstate #ncsu
“All technology offers opportunities and limitations. See AI as a good intern or a creative partner.” 🌟🤖
Here is a sneak peak of our amazing time with MGXD Alum Danny Stillion. He led a lecture on “Envisioning Futures with an AI Partner” on Thursday for our GXID Department.
Gems from the lecture:
➡️ If you are skeptical, use the technology. Explore. Try things. Establish a relationship with the tool by spending time with it.
➡️”Diversity in Thought”: There is beauty in what the technology doesn’t know. This can add a new perspective.
➡️ “The best way to predict the future is to design it.”
On Friday he led an amazing talk and workshop with our Studio II class. We worked through thinking in our Fidelity project into the future scenarios of our personas. We worked with Danny to practice prompting and AI image iterating.
#ncstatedesign #ncstate #mgxd #ai
Thank you, MGXD alum Danny Stillion for rounding out our semester with a great AI Creativity and Futurecasting Workshop! #mgxd #ncstatemgxd #ncstatedesign #ncstate
🎉 Yesterday’s Graduate Student Research Symposium was an absolute blast! 🌟Our talented grad students showcased their incredible work and shared innovative ideas. 🌟 It was inspiring to see so much creativity and dedication in one place! A huge shoutout to everyone who participated and shared their research.💡
#gradresearch #gradlife #ncstate #ncstatedesign #gxid #ncsumgxd #mgxd
Meet Kadamma Jackson🌟
A graduate student from Sylva, NC.
🎨Which design style, artist, or movement inspires you the most, and why?
I would say Postmodernism because it responds to what Modernism claims to be, and I think that breaking the constraints leads to more innovation and creativity for designers and artists.
🧠What is something you’ve learned, or an area where you feel you’ve grown the most during the program?
Critical thinking skills: it’s easier to go outside the box with ideas and narrow them down more specifically.
📚What has been your favorite course or project in the program so far, and why was it your favorite?
This semester, I would say the Future of Interface with Mac Hill. As designers, it’s important to keep up with the trends in the design world, and it makes us better designers as a whole.
💡Her advice to prospective students would be:
We are all here to learn. Everybody has different skills coming in, so don’t feel like you’re behind on your skills and knowledge. Also, it’s easy to get caught up with your work, but make sure you set aside time to decompress or step away from the project.
#ncstate #ncstatedesign #ncsumgxd #mgxd
📢 Join Us at the NC State Graduate Student Research Symposium!
We’re so proud of Alexis Boone, Kweku Baidoo, Olha Novikova, and Rebecca Planchart for representing the Graphic & Experience Design program at this year’s 18th Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium! 🎨✨
This is a fantastic opportunity to see the amazing work of graduate students across NC State, learn about groundbreaking research, and support our peers. The event is open to the public—so bring your curiosity and come explore!
📸 Tag us in your posts if you stop by!
#ncstate #ncstatedesign #ncsumgxd #mgxd #researchsymposium
