Design is as simple as a paper clip, as complex as a city plan, as critical as a ballot. It expresses style, inspires process, clarifies thinking. It informs, excites, provokes, delights. Design defines the way we live.

The Design Center at Philadelphia University is the rare institution solely devoted to design, showing us just how design shapes everyday life. Through its presentation of gallery exhibitions, enrichment programs, lectures and special events – such as DesignPhiladelphia – the center reflects Philadelphia University's extensive design curriculum encompassing architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, graphic design, textile design, fashion, interactive media and product design. The Center's library and collection serve as outstanding resources for scholarly research and provide inspiration to designers, artists, educators, students and aficionados.

In addition to mounting exhibitions and creating public initiatives, TDC houses Philadelphia University's extensive historical and contemporary textile collection. The collection – some 200,000 items strong – is a nationally recognized resource for the study of Western and non-Western textiles and costumes from the 1st century A.D. to the present, representing nearly every country in the world. Established during the university's tenure as the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, the collection is open to university classes, scholars, faculty and students by appointment. A special feature of the collection is an extraordinary assembly of 19th and early 20th century textiles, textile-related artifacts, and tools that document the emergence of Philadelphia as one of America's great textile producers of the time. It is the only comprehensive repository of 19th and early 20th century industrial fabric samples in the United States, documenting a broad range of styles and techniques, and serving as a critical resource for research on American industrial design.

The Design Center’s education department offers special programs and field trips for students and faculty, as well as guided tours and workshops for community groups and the general public.

Visit The Design Center. Enjoy our programs. Open your eyes. Spread the word.