Two University of Cincinnati graduates are among the greatest living American songwriters — and they say a design classroom at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning is a big reason why. Matt Berninger and Scott Devendorf, both 1996 graduates of DAAP, are founding members of The National. The New York Times ranked the band No. 85 on its Readers' Choice list of the 100 Greatest Living American Songwriters in 2026, placing them alongside John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Trent Reznor, and Lauryn Hill. 🎶 Their DAAP education never left them. Berninger describes his role in the band using design language. Devendorf says the co-op experience built into the DAAP curriculum was a core reason he chose UC. Both have had a hand in every album cover, poster, and visual identity the band has produced across ten records. "It's the process of refinement," Berninger said. "I know that UC and that design program definitely instilled that in me." The full story of h...