ADAAPT Shop

Where Creative Ideas Take Shape

The ADAAPT Shop is a student-powered marketplace and design lab nestled in Cincinnati’s Findlay Market. Discover bold experimental products and limited-run goods created by emerging talent from UC's DAAP.

ADAAPT Storefront

ADAAPT serves as the physical embodiment of the Creative Entrepreneurial Initiative at UC DAAP, a dynamic, hybrid space that seamlessly integrates retail, design, and learning under one roof. Situated at 24 West Elder Street in Cincinnati, ADAAPT empowers students to bring their ideas to life, gain real-world business experience, and sharpen their entrepreneurial skills.

Featuring a fully operational storefront, ADAAPT supports a wide range of creative endeavors from product experimentation and small-batch retail to market testing and experiential learning. With access to mentorship, peer collaboration, and industry-grade tools, students engage in a journey that blends creativity with commerce.

Through ADAAPT, DAAP fosters a generation of designers who are not only artistically skilled but also business-savvy launching ventures and working in public-facing environments. It’s where imagination, innovation, and entrepreneurship intersect to prepare tomorrow's creative leaders.


Calender of Events

Every piece here reflects the imagination, hustle, and hands-on learning of DAAP and UC students. These aren’t just products — they’re prototypes of possibility.

All products are sold during special ADAAPT pop-up events.

Help us support more student makers! Contribute to the CEI Fund

Our designers include current students, faculty, and alumni, each contributing a unique voice to the ADAAPT Shop. Their work exemplifies the creative entrepreneurship we cultivate at DAAP, transforming innovative ideas into real-world products.

Sections:

  • Students
  • Faculty
  • Alumni

Want to see more student voices thrive? Support CEI Programming

Join us at one of our in-person events at 24 West Elder Street to meet the designers, see new work, and purchase directly from the shop.

Your gift helps fund materials, signage, and event costs for future pop-ups. Donate to Make It Happen


1

ADAAPT: Growing Student Ideas

December 19, 2024

Steven Doehler, an industrial design professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), says he prioritizes the entrepreneurial aspect of a student's design product – which led him to create HomeGrown Studio.

Support the Creative Entrepreneurial Initiative

Invest in the future of creative entrepreneurship.

The Creative Entrepreneurial Initiative (CEI) at DAAP empowers students to launch bold ideas through hands-on learning, pop-up retail experiences, and real-world experimentation. With your support, the ADAAPT Shop becomes more than a storefront — it becomes a springboard for creative careers.

Whether you're giving $25 or $20,000, every contribution fuels design-driven innovation and student success.

Choose Your Level of Impact: 
One-Time Gifts

Every gift makes a difference:

  • $25 — Help a student prototype their first product
  • $100 — Fund materials and display signage for a pop-up
  • $250 — Support a community workshop or designer feature
  • Custom Amount — Make a gift that fits your passion and capacity

Leadership Giving Levels

Shape the narrative.
As a Spark donor, your contribution helps bring new ideas to life.

Benefits include:

  • Your name on our donor wall and website
  • VIP invitations to opening nights and receptions
  • Two complimentary tickets to signature lectures or events
  • Special acknowledgment in ADAAPT publications
  • Private curator-led tours of our ecosystem

Be at the table where ideas grow.
Concept-level patrons directly support student entrepreneurs and innovative programming.

Includes all Spark benefits, plus:

  • Invitation to a private dinner with designers and curators
  • Recognition in print materials for a featured exhibition
  • A limited-edition piece of student-designed work
  • 15% shop discount or $100 gift card to the ADAAPT Shop

Champion bold expression.
Your gift sustains dialogue and public access to early-stage design entrepreneurship.

Includes all previous benefits, plus:

  • Recognition as Program Sponsor for a talk, workshop, or event
  • Option to host a private event in the gallery space
  • Personalized curatorial session or portfolio consultation
  • Inclusion in select press and donor campaign materials

Lead the future of DAAP’s creative culture.
Visionaries are our partners in reimagining what ADAAPT can be — and how it can shape the region’s creative economy.

Includes all prior benefits, plus:

  • Recognition as Lead Sponsor for a featured exhibition
  • Personalized thank-you artwork or custom-designed token
  • Exclusive feature in our newsletter and social media
  • Concierge access to events, private previews, and docu-series inclusion

Let’s Build Something Bold — Together

Whether you’re an alum, creative professional, or champion of local innovation, your support helps cultivate the next generation of design leaders.

Interested in becoming a sponsor or discussing your gift? Click below!

Contact Us

Headshot of Steven J. Doehler

Steven J. Doehler

Associate Professor, Industrial Design Coordinator

513-556-3752

Headshot of Brooke C Brandewie

Brooke C Brandewie

Associate Professor

(513)556-3887