Here is a typical conversation I have when meeting new people during my summer in San Francisco.

IDEO designer: What are you studying?

Me: Interaction design.

IDEO designer: Where?

Me: Carnegie Mellon.

IDEO designer: I didn’t know they teach design.

This frustrates me to no end. Here I am at what I believe to be the premier interaction design school in the country and people in the industry have no idea CMU teaches design. Lovely.

So why is this the case? For one, CMU doesn’t pump out a 100 students a year, like the Institute of Design. Every other person I meet out here went to school there. However, I like the small factor of CMU, so I’m not suggesting the school take more students. In fact, I would be against that.

But I do think the School of Design doesn’t market itself well. This is most easily apparent by looking at the School of Design website, which tells you little about the actual work and conversations that go on in the school. As its portal to the world, the site offers a closed door to the brilliant teachers and amazing students within the school. I’m quite embarrassed by the site, and think a complete overhaul is needed.

The website aside, how come no one knows CMU teaches interaction design?