Siebel Center for Design
Siebel Center for Design is a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign resource center providing maker labs, HCD workshops, interdisciplinary certificates, and signature events to UIUC students, faculty, and staff, funded by the university and philanthropy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersChampaign, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Siebel Center for Design does
Siebel Center for Design (SCD) is a campus-wide resource center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign dedicated to Human-Centered Design (HCD) education, research, and practice. It serves primarily UIUC students, faculty, and staff (with limited external engagement) through a dedicated 10-lab maker facility (Media Studio, 3D, CNC, Crafting, Electronics, Joinery, Laser, Print, Textiles Labs, and The Shop), flexible classrooms, and event spaces in a building designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. SCD delivers HCD workshops, interdisciplinary certificates (Health Innovation, Immersive Experience Design), a Coursera MOOC, experiential paid student roles (Concierge Team, Lab Attendants, Research Scholars, Teaching Scholars), an SCD Affiliate Program engaging nearly 100 faculty, and signature events such as UX Days, the Human-Centered Engineering Symposium, GenAI Dialogues, and Design Dialogues.
The center's technology footprint is predominantly physical: professional-grade fabrication equipment (Trotec laser, Omax waterjet, Roland and Canon large-format printers, Formlabs SLA, Creality FDM, Brother and Janome sewing systems) alongside digital content production (Sony cameras, Godox lighting, RODE audio). Software/API exposure is none; SCD does not offer a public product, SDK, or AI platform. Its primary externally visible surface is a website, monthly newsletter, and an active social presence across Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.
SCD is funded through University of Illinois allocations, internal funding from The Grainger College of Engineering, and philanthropic donations (UX Days Conference Gift Fund, annual HCE gift fund). Access is free for the UIUC community; external paid services are nascent (Illinois Design Consulting, ticket-bearing conferences, Coursera MOOC). SCD is a state-university-integrated unit rather than an independent commercial entity, and operates under the governance of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign system.
Siebel Center for Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Siebel Center for Design
- Legal name
- Siebel Center for Design, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Website
- https://designcenter.illinois.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Siebel Center for Design is a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign resource center providing maker labs, HCD workshops, interdisciplinary certificates, and signature events to UIUC students, faculty, and staff, funded by the university and philanthropy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Siebel Center for Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Design Center
- NAICS
- Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions) (EDAHAJAG)
Keywords
Where Siebel Center for Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Champaign
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Siebel Center for Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- University Funding: Funded by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and The Grainger College of Engineering as a campus-wide resource center.
- Donations and Philanthropy: Accepts charitable contributions through annual gift fund supporting Human-Centered Engineering, seed funding for faculty affiliates, workshops & trainings, and experiential learning programs. Also accepts UX Days Conference Gift Fund donations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Free access for UIUC community |
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Siebel Center for Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Siebel Center for Design operates as a university-embedded facility providing free access to ten specialized maker labs and studios, reservable classrooms and event spaces, and a comprehensive set of Human-Centered Design (HCD) educational offerings. Its core deliverables include HCD courses and certificates, paid experiential learning programs for students, signature conferences and speaker series, and design consulting services for external partners.
Product overview
Siebel Center for Design (SCD) is a university design resource center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that provides a comprehensive suite of physical maker spaces, educational programs, and community engagement offerings centered on Human-Centered Design (HCD). The center operates multiple specialized maker labs within The Shop (including Textiles Lab, Print Lab, Laser Lab, Joinery Lab, Electronics Lab, Crafting Lab, 3D Lab, and CNC Lab), a Media Studio for content production, and flexible classrooms and meeting/event spaces available for reservation. Educational offerings include HCD workshops, academic courses and certificates (via Coursera), experiential learning programs (Research Scholars, Concierge Team, Lab Attendants), and signature conferences (UX Days, GenAI Dialogues, Design Dialogues, Human-Centered Engineering Symposium). SCD also provides design consulting services and hosts the Moonlight Bay Residency Program and SCD Affiliate Program for faculty collaboration. Rather than a software product platform, SCD is a physical facility-based educational and creative resource.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Illinois Design Consulting Professional design consulting services offered to external organizations seeking human-centered design expertise delivered by SCD faculty, staff, and trained students.
- HCD Courses and Certificates Academic offerings including Understanding the Value of HCD (Coursera), the Interdisciplinary Certificate in Health Innovation, and the Interdisciplinary Certificate in Immersive Experience Design. Targeted at students seeking credentials in human-centered design across disciplines.
- Human-Centered Design (HCD) Workshops Design thinking methods and tools workshops teaching problem-solving approaches to identify unmet needs and collaboratively develop solutions through iterative design processes. Offered to UIUC students, staff, faculty, and community partners.
- UX Days Conference A two-day annual conference exploring the latest in UX design and research through talks, workshops, and interactive sessions. Open to UIUC students, faculty, and professionals across disciplines.
- GenAI Dialogues Interdisciplinary series of conversations and hands-on sessions exploring generative AI in research, teaching, creativity, and more. Hosted in partnership with campus collaborators.
- Design Dialogues Series Speaker series inviting designers from diverse fields to share creative insights and inspire human-centered approaches, with select sessions available as podcast episodes.
- Human-Centered Engineering Symposium Two-day annual conference bringing together educators, practitioners, and researchers from engineering disciplines to collaborate on human-centered design perspectives in engineering, held in partnership with the Human-Centered Engineering Consortium.
- Smart People Talking Smart Speaker series showcasing Affiliate research exploring the principles and practice of human-centered design across disciplines.
- Experiential Learning Programs Paid student opportunities including Concierge Team, Lab Attendants, Research Scholars, and Teaching Scholars for immersive, hands-on learning experiences at the center.
- Moonlight Bay Residency Program Residency program fostering creative collaboration and design innovation within the SCD community.
- SCD Affiliate Program Program connecting nearly 100 faculty from across the university exploring how design can enrich teaching and research, with seed funding available for collaborative initiatives.
- Classrooms and Studios Flexible instructional spaces including Classroom 1000 (40 seats), Classroom 1002 (30 seats), Sunrise Studio 1046 (65 seats), Sunset Studio 1050 (84 seats), and Classroom 0060 computer lab for design instruction and project-based learning.
- Meeting and Event Spaces Reservable venues including The Gallery (116 seats), Starlight Room (24 seats), Upper Lobby, Lower Lobby, Amphitheater, East Terrace, Meeting Room 1070, and The Annex for events, presentations, and gatherings.
- Maker Labs and Studios (The Shop) A comprehensive makerspace facility housing ten specialized labs (3D, CNC, Crafting, Electronics, Joinery, Laser, Print, Textiles, Media Studio) plus equipment checkout, providing hands-on making and fabrication resources to UIUC students, faculty, and staff.
Companies that use Siebel Center for Design
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Siebel Center for Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Siebel Center for Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Grainger College of EngineeringcoreInternal funding from The Grainger College of Engineering supports the launch of collaboration to embed human-centered design into engineering education. This includes new curriculum, faculty partnerships, and cross-disciplinary student experiences in Human-Centered Engineering.
- Human-Centered Engineering ConsortiumcoreCollaboration with the Human-Centered Engineering Consortium for the annual Human-Centered Engineering Symposium, bringing together educators, practitioners, and researchers from all disciplines of Engineering.
- Rokwire (Smart, Healthy Communities Initiative)minorRokwire's design and research team is based within SCD's cooperative Sunrise Studio workspace. The StratLab (Rokwire's Smart Campus Strategy Lab) is a partnership between the Illinois Smart Healthy Communities Initiative and SCD.
- Student Organization, Development, and Administration (SODA)minorRSO space requests must first be approved by the SODA Office before being confirmed by SCD. SCD requires completed event approval from SODA office for student organization reservations.
- NCSA (National Center for Supercomputing Applications)minorThe James W. Beauchamp Computer Music Project conducts software research and development in partnership with NCSA, implementing software developed at CMP at Shandong University of the Arts in China.
- University CateringminorUniversity Catering is an approved caterer for SCD events and can be contacted for event catering services.
- Bohlin Cywinski JacksonminorThe Siebel Center for Design building was designed by Peter Bohlin and colleagues at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, whose iconic projects include Apple stores spanning the globe and Pixar's headquarters.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Siebel Center for Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MIT Media Lab: MIT Media Lab is an interdisciplinary research center at a top university that combines maker-style prototyping facilities, faculty-led projects, and industry partnerships. Directly comparable to SCD in combining university infrastructure, maker labs, and cross-disciplinary design/research.
- Stanford Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school): Stanford's d.school is the prototypical university design thinking center offering HCD methods, maker-style studios, courses, and experiential learning. Directly comparable to SCD as a university-embedded HCD education hub targeting cross-disciplinary students and faculty.
- Carnegie Mellon School of Design: CMU School of Design offers interdisciplinary design education with strong human-centered and product design programs. Comparable to SCD as a university design program emphasizing hands-on making and design thinking.
- IIT Institute of Design (Chicago): IIT Institute of Design is a graduate design school focused on human-centered design, systems design, and design methods. Comparable to SCD's HCD curriculum focus and Illinois/Midwest geographic footprint.
Emerging players
- IDEO U: IDEO U is the online learning arm of IDEO offering HCD/design thinking courses. Comparable to SCD's HCD MOOC ('Understanding the Value of HCD' on Coursera) and certificate programs in teaching HCD methods to broader audiences.
- Autodesk Technology Centers: Autodesk Technology Centers (Boston, San Francisco, Toronto) provide maker-style fabrication facilities, residencies, and workshops for designers and engineers. Comparable to SCD's maker lab infrastructure and workshop programming, though operated by a commercial vendor rather than a university.
Broad incumbents
- Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): RISD is a leading standalone art and design college offering undergraduate and graduate design education. Comparable to SCD's design education mission at greater scale and longer history, though RISD is a degree-granting college rather than a campus resource center.
- Parsons School of Design (The New School): Parsons is a major design school offering programs in product, communication, and UX design. Comparable to SCD in HCD/UX pedagogy, though Parsons is a degree-granting school with continuing education revenue streams SCD lacks.
- Pratt Institute School of Design: Pratt Institute is an established design college with strong programs in industrial, communication, and UX design. Comparable to SCD as a design education institution, though Pratt is a degree-granting standalone college.
Regional players
- University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design: Stamps is a Big Ten peer institution's art and design school with interdisciplinary programs. Comparable to SCD as a peer university design program in the Midwest, though Stamps is a degree-granting school rather than a campus resource center.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Siebel Center for Design social profiles
Digital presenceSiebel Center for Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Siebel Center for Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Siebel Center for Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Siebel Center for Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Siebel Center for Design
What does Siebel Center for Design do?
Siebel Center for Design operates as a university-embedded facility providing free access to ten specialized maker labs and studios, reservable classrooms and event spaces, and a comprehensive set of Human-Centered Design (HCD) educational offerings. Its core deliverables include HCD courses and certificates, paid experiential learning programs for students, signature conferences and speaker series, and design consulting services for external partners.
Is Siebel Center for Design a public or private company?
Siebel Center for Design is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Siebel Center for Design founded?
Siebel Center for Design was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Siebel Center for Design based?
Siebel Center for Design is headquartered in Champaign, United States, in the North America region.
How does Siebel Center for Design make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. University Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations and Philanthropy.
Who are Siebel Center for Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MIT Media Lab, Stanford Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school), Carnegie Mellon School of Design and IIT Institute of Design (Chicago). Emerging players are IDEO U and Autodesk Technology Centers. Broad incumbents are Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Parsons School of Design (The New School) and Pratt Institute School of Design. University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design is listed as a regional player.
Does Siebel Center for Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Siebel Center for Design.
What industry is Siebel Center for Design in?
Siebel Center for Design's product category is Higher Education Design Center. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAJAB, Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior), with a secondary code of BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54149.