College for Creative Studies

projects 2026

Flowstate

glass microbe grand prize winner

Maxim Van Duyne, Abigail Carballo, O'Dell Carson III, Amber Tao

Flowstate is a temporary, bio-based spray paint system designed as a safer alternative to toxic acrylic aerosols. Developed in collaboration with Detroit stakeholders, it uses rescued local food waste to create pigments and bio-plastic base and top coats. Applied with standard spray equipment, Flowstate lasts up to three weeks on multiple surfaces. Beyond murals, it also supports conservation and construction applications, offering a non-toxic, low-waste marking system that aligns urban creativity with environmental responsibility.

Instructors 2026

Melanie McClintock is a designer, researcher, and Chair of the Graduate Color and Materials Design (CMD) program at the College for Creative Studies. With over twenty years of experience in the fashion industry and academia—spanning New York, Qatar, Indonesia, and Detroit—she focuses on the vital intersection of science and design. Her research, including Point of Origin and The Ruderal Material Project, explores how biological signals inspire new CMF applications that are both creative and industrially viable. As an educator, Melanie prioritizes sustainability and circularity, challenging students to find innovative solutions within waste streams. For the Biodesign Challenge, she directs research into the "Living Finish," exploring how extractions from food waste can be transformed into high-performance, resilient surfaces. Her work balances evocative storytelling with technical rigor, preparing the next generation of designers to lead in the field of responsible material innovation.