Experience Design and Management News 

Last May, students from the Department of Experience Design and Management at the BYU Marriott School of Business showcased innovative, experience-focused product demos to FamilySearch executives, garnering high praise and paving the way for a promising long-term collaboration.

At the start of the fall semester, Brigitte Madrian, dean of the BYU Marriott School of Business, welcomed 11 new faculty members to the college. “At BYU Marriott, our faculty are dedicated teachers, exceptional scholars, and transformative role models. We are thrilled to welcome these new professors and know that their insights and experience will greatly enhance the educational experience of our students.”

Among almost 300 experience design professionals gathered at the second annual World Experience Summit, BYU Marriott's ExDM students and faculty stood out for their research-driven understanding of experience design theory.

BYU Marriott School of Business dean Brigitte Madrian has announced the appointment of Mat Duerden as the new chair of the Department of Experience Design and Management. Duerden succeeds Neil Lundberg, the previous department chair, on July 1, 2024.

Each fall Peter Ward, associate professor of experience design and management (ExDM), leads his students as they climb Rock Canyon’s rugged walls. So whether in rock-climbing classes amidst breathtaking scenery or ExDM research classes within the walls of the BYU Marriott School of Business, Ward teaches students how to interlace academic and spiritual studies.

Macy LeCheminant began college in Arizona with plans to become a professional vocalist, but a challenging medical condition altered those plans. Now at the BYU Marriott School of Business studying experience design and management, LeCheminant allows her optimism to shape her opportunities.

A growing body of research shows that a student’s sense of belonging can have a significant positive impact on academic performance, retention and mental health. With that in mind, professors at BYU and Texas A&M recently asked BYU students how they anticipated their experiences on campus would impact their feelings of connectedness to BYU.

In his first semester at Brigham Young University, Aaron Scribner sustained severe facial injuries in a grisly zip-lining accident. He then overcame a steep recovery and found a renewed drive to positively impact others.

This past summer a group of ExDM students and faculty from BYU Marriott traveled through the Alaskan frontier. For two weeks, the class camped across the state to learn how exposure to nature and practicing grit can help them improve quality of life.

Katelyn Bell, a senior in the ExDM program at BYU Marriott, helped plan the launch for the Sorensen Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership, which included a zipline across Brigham Square on campus.

With the goal to enrich belonging on campus, the Experience Design Society (ExDS) and the Marriott Inclusion Business Society (MIBS) co-hosted "Sit with Me," an event focused on practicing collaborative dialogue.

A new BYU study found that individuals who had the healthiest identity development also had high levels of family history knowledge.

The BYU Marriott School of Business welcomed the international Experience Research Society (EXPRESSO) for its third annual Seven Experiences Summit in the fall 2022 semester. More than 100 people from eight different countries attended the society’s first in-person event.

When she was in fourth grade, Michaela Horn wanted to run for class president. So when the sign-up sheet landed on her desk, she wrote her name down. Then she noticed the name of another student also running for president, and doubting herself, Horn erased her name off the list. Now an experience and design management (ExDM) student and the program’s student association team lead, Horn is grateful for the confidence and empowerment she has gained since the fourth grade to follow her aspirations.

Neil Lundberg, the chair of the Department of Experience Design and Management, has witnessed the Experience Design and Management (ExDM) program change and evolve. As the program transitioned into what it is today at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Lundberg has adapted alongside it.

As a student at the BYU Marriott School of Business in the then-fledgling experience design management program (ExDM), Breck Laing broadened his career opportunities by developing transferable business skills. Now with his job at Destinations, a travel company that specializes in corporate retreats, the 2013 alum expands other people’s worlds and opportunities. 

As an artist and musician, Alexa Fox wanted a career that would enable her to use her creativity. Fox discovered the experience design and management program at BYU Marriott and, now a senior, is using the program's blend of creativity and business skills to prepare for a career in consulting.

At the BYU Marriott School of Business, seniors are not the only ones looking for a final project. After teaching at BYU Marriott for 23 years, experience design management professor Brian Hill started searching for a culminating capstone to his career. As part of that pursuit, Hill applied for and received a Fulbright scholarship to teach at the University of Salzburg in Austria.

Being the head coach of the BYU men’s extramural soccer team means Brandon Gilliam is often stretched to the limits of both his time and resources. However, the BYU Marriott recreation management and youth leadership alumnus stays in the game because he can think of few things better than helping young people develop their passions.

Thirty experience design and management students traveled to Europe this summer to climb glaciers, see puffins, and participate in immersive games and performances. These activities were part of a BYU Marriott School of Business study abroad program dedicated to furthering students’ understanding of how to design memorable experiences.