To launch its new Course Thread in Human-Centered Design, the Townsend Center Course Threads team will host a discussion about the values and costs of design, considering the example of the cupcake: Is it an icon of luxury and obesity, or is it a source of community building, a connection point for non-competitive socialization, a source of relaxed and harmless pleasure? Does the design of the cupcake affect its potential for excess or comfort? Students are invited to engage with professional designers and design professors to determine how our public research university can help elucidate the role of design in our communities. How can our university support the education of students who intend to design for a living?

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