Our project-based learning places students in real-world work scenarios and often gives them opportunities to COLLABORATE with students from other majors as well as industry leaders in tech, social media, entertainment, fashion, and beauty.

Companies continually reach out to us with innovative project ideas. Here are just a few of the many examples.

Kiehl's and FIDM Team Up For 7 Promotional Events

 Students in our Promotion & Presentation class developed promotional events at seven different Kiehl's stores in Southern California. Student groups were tasked with developing a marketing plan for their respective event and promoting it on social media. Events included a DIY Fill-A-Bag making station with nonperishable goods to benefit Feeding America and the Los Angeles Food Bank.

Students Present Levi's 501 Remastered Designs to Vintage Denim Guru

Students in The Business of Denim program presented their final sketches and sampled jeans for the "Levi's 501: Remastered" project to Eric Schrader, a world-renowned denim expert and founder of vintage denim retail boutique Junkyard Jeans. The students were challenged to reinvent the iconic 501 for modern times. Schrader mentored the students throughout the project, traveling between Los Angeles and his home in Boise, Idaho for rounds of edits and feedback.

Graphic Design & Beauty Students Team Up to Create Products for 2050

Pairs of Beauty Marketing & Product Development and Graphic Design Students worked on developing unique concepts under the banner "Connected Beauty Concept of 2050" for Cosmoprof North America, the leading business-to-business beauty trade show. Students Quiana Johnson and Alysha Freeze were named the winners for their concept NU-YU, technology that protects you on earth and in space.

Redesigning Red Bull Wings Team Apparel

Via one of our Industry Partner Classroom Projects, Red Bull challenged students to redesign their Red Bull Wings Team Los Angeles apparel collection and an undercover sampling bag. To kickoff the project, students met with leaders of Red Bull's Marketing team to learn about the company's history, branding, and marketing strategy.

FIDM Students Win Adobe Creative Jam with Socially-Conscious App

Student teams were challenged to create an interactive app for social good and then present it to the competition judges, who included Heather Haselwood, UX Designer at NFL Media; Pau Hershey, Sr. Experience Designer at Electronic Arts; and FIDM Alumnus Daniel Santos, Associate Design Director at Kettle. The winning team created the app Walking Buddy to help people feel comfortable walking in unfamiliar areas.

Designing Window Displays for GAP

Students in the Design Installation class worked to design and execute a set of windows for the retailer. "The kickoff meeting took place in our FIDM + GAP pattern lab where we teach future industry professionals in the Retail Management Program the GAP design and product development process and how to work in high functioning teams in the industry," said Visual Communications Department Coordinator, Lisa Hoffman.