whatsay??

I got accepted to the ID grad programs at ASU, NCSU, RIT and IIT.

International ID Grads from the above mentined univs/insts. please fill in on your respective schools…regarding…

internships,
co-ops,
on-campus/off-campus jobs,
cost of living,
exposure,
job prospects ‘international students’,
more realistic cost of education,
on-campus/ off-campus housing,
Research projects carried out by the dept
campus recruitment
Ne other info wud b more than appreciated…

melovescookies,justdesignit,chetsnotcool,New Pratt Kid,cg,ykh,rando,IDiot
jen wright,YES,d-flux,jkkoplin,super kolbassa…and all the others that i’hv missed or ws too bored to copy/paste…u maketh the forum…expecting replies from u all…toooooo…apun ko tumhara madat chaiyhiyeeeeeee…thanx ppl…[/b]

Here r some inputs about the ASU program

internships,
None that i hv heard of!!

co-ops,
only research oriented projects

on-campus/off-campus jobs,
lotsa opportunities for both…

cost of living,
u will hv enough to spend on ur weekend if u take up ne of the above !!

exposure,
its a large campus…lotsa intrnl students…sm ID firms…but definitely not a place where u’ll find topnotch design firms…lotsa exposure to the sun…do the course and move out!!happy tanning…

job prospects ‘international students’,
good…i wud say…depends how u go bt it…keep ur eyes open …not a cake walk

more realistic cost of education,
u cant be more realistic…itz the most economical amongst the ones u hv mentioned…$$$

on-campus/ off-campus housing,
plenty of opportunities…off campus is preferred for intrl students like me…

Research projects carried out by the dept
the faculty is know for it…quite diffrent areas…check out the dept website.

campus recruitment
sorry…!!

Ne other info wud b more than appreciated…
Affordable quality education…all the best …!!

All rightie… RIT

Internships are not sitting there and waiting to be grabbed, but this year faculty helps out a bit by posting all the internship information they come across.

Co-ops…we’re working on it, a bunch of student met with the mechanical engineering department, and hopefully next year there would be a class offered where ID and engineering students can work together on a project. Also, there are plans to cooperate with craft students…will see. Actually, right now me and some other person are working with the engineers building a mobile sensory room for handicapped kids, we’re not getting any credit for that though. Each year some random company will come and work with students on collaborative projects, but this is for undergrads as far as I know. Oh, and there’s this local consultancy picking up RIT students for some kind of co-op, but it is for the undergrad program only.

On-campus jobs are never a problem, but the pay is not exactly fair…in my opinion. I’ve been working at RIT TV station for 2 years now and I still get paid less than 7$ /h…Off-campus is not a problem either, never heard people bitching that they can’t find a job.

The exposure…Well, the school is big and you get quite a bit of interaction with people majoring in other fields…Rochester is not exactly the hippest place to be and as I read recently – 278 days a year, Rochester has some kind of precipitation going on, if you’re not into snow, hail, or rain…you might not enjoy your staying at the Flower City.

RIT kind of got famous for the Thought at Work conference last year, we’ll see if we can repeat the event again this fall…

Cost is pretty high…pretty-pretty-pretty high.

Grads right now are working on an interesting project, they try to come up with ways to improve the campus layout, and make the navigation more intuitive and comfortable to use as well as just making the campus more friendly, convenient and appealing, and in a couple of weeks they are going to present their concepts to the big RIT guys…so I guess that would be called campus recruitment?

Housing, I guess for most of students is off-campus…it’s cheaper that way.

Tons of international students in all of the design and art programs, tons of them…mostly Koreans, we got a little Korean mafia thing going on :]

Good luck, make the right choice.

Thankyou so much melovescookies and IDevil…

Sorry i couldnt reply to your msgs earlier as was researching extensively about the programs at the univs where i got an admit from for thegraduate course…
ASU,Tempe
NCSU,Raleigh
RIT,NY and
IIT,Chicago.

Sm time back I was not sure about which programme i should be joining as there were no uniform parameters to arrive at a decision.

But now after a week long research I have come to a conclusion, which may not be an ideal one but, i can say its something that i have arrived at after taking into account the various factors of cost, course content, its relevance to me, financial assistance,my interests, future prospects.

I would like to mention here some of the findings so that it will be of help to others like me who cannot afford a trip to the colleges due to geographical and economical constraints to see the facilities or for whom the entire process of application to universities and institutes is so taxing esp if ur a working professional, it so happens that once u get admits to some of them u just dont have the enthusiasm/or enough/reliable information to decide…Now this information is what i have gathered through forums…websites,articles…correspondence…so theres much you ppl can add to if there r some deficiencies…

ASU:

THIS is one of the few state universities offering graduate course in industrial design which is just not an extension of the studio experience that one has in a under grad ID course + its accreditted
Being a state university it works out to be affordable(but very competitive) and the chances of getting a funding or a industry sponsorship for a project is much easier.
Here I would like to mention that the programme is evolving… in sense its moving towards the area which is in between educational and business module (which is very good). As i feel that getting into a totally business module at an exorbitant price is not a very good thing to do.
Here there is much industry involvement in research projects…Paul Rothstein whos one of the Profs at the school of design, Prof Prasad Boradkar , Prof Donald herring are involved in industry sponsored research projects and Rothstein, whos an IIT, ID graduate is experimenting with integrated development, cross functional teams and strategic planning…theres definitely a lot of innovative ideas in action at asu with the formation of designspace …aigaasu chapter…and personally i feel that one could take up courses if one has to work upon computer appln skills…or knowledge regarding materials n processes…these r somethings that keep changing…and u hv to keep your self updated as no education in the world can spoon feed u wid that kinda knowledge…please fill in if some things are wrongly worded or r wrongly interpreted…this information is right to d best of my knowlegde…

RIT
From what i have gathered the course content is good, accredited with stress on computer application , materials basically its project oriented and to some extent its an extension of studio work experience like one has in under grad course.
Probably one of the ideal courses to get a hang of things for those who do not have an undergraduate degree in ID or for those who r from a stream closely related to design,…
From the website/ forums/(melovescoolies)…emails…what i felt ws it stressses a lot on developing skills…rather than a program which articulates ur thought process…cant really express it…but it felt like i could gain the knowledge by taking up courses in solid works or alias at ne stage of my career…but this course somehow falls short when it comes to what a graduate course needs to be…(well pls tell me ne ideas wht it ought to b?)
Its a fact , which melovescookies can throw light on that the course is very practical and kinda prepares u for the profession …but my question is …dosent the undergraduate course do it well tooooo…considering the computer software skills…and other methods which help u render your concepts better …is just a part of industrial design not the crux …just a look at coroflot and there are these infinite number of people who r into rendering …probably not into design …but just software guys…where do we stand then…the race to perfect the art of rendering seems just toooooo long…and if you take up RIT its like paying through your nose…wid the annual $5k schol awarded to most of them!!!
Again i wud mention that if you guys have ne suggestiong please add on…!!


IIT,Chicago

Now this program is very highly ranked amongst the industry ppl( the source for this statement being the various forums, articles(a selected ones…usually not the ones linked to idsa but yes one of its alumnus has won the ideo recently!!) …also u come across professionals and they say that the course is good…!!(pls note when i mentioned Paul Rothstein for ASU i didnt fail to mention he ws from IIT,Chicago)
But ppl i simply fail to understand that if the course is soo good…why isnt it accredited??Someone at IDSA listening…?? r very good courses not accredited??is accredition only for average and above average courses!!!

If the institute is doing its job and training graduate students for managerial posts related to design then what is stopping it from being acre…i have seen its website…impressive…seen kinda companies that recruit its graduates…very impressive…(as a matter of fact its unmatched)…like the website says the graduates are paid at par wid ne mba’s…!!..somehow theres some lack of transparency…no funding for sucha school which has corporates running for its graduates!!..and if its there then why dosent it trickle down to the gradute students…???The fees too high…!!! …if someone can throw light on it please do…many of us simply fail to understand the situation.

The course is damn good …(again website…info…and word of mouth) …so i too say tht its good…(spreadingthe word) but tell me something…for someone whos don this kinda course with probably a few yrs of experience say around 3 to 5yrs before the course (guess thats when we normally think of choosing to do a graduate course …for futher direction…n all…) what r the chances of someone in this scenario being hired by a big corporate firm at a managerial post…?? i hv my apprehensions …bt it…please give your inputs…???

NCSU…

Its again a state university.(hence economical…not cheap but average!!) The last i visited the IDSA website its still bearing the asterix (*) which says its in the process of being accredited.!!!
Course content wise…please forgive me but have to say that yes it could be compared to rIT…but really not in position to say the quality (please fill in bt it…)…the industrial design dept dosent have financial assistance…Raleigh, as mentioned on the website seemslike a hub for research and a commercial centre…but general opinion is that its a village…help…?? whts the truth…??heh hehe…

Some how the difficulties faced by me was right from the correspondence wid these ppl…somehow could never relate to the university…all that i can feel for the univ…or how i relate to it is the red bands it has on its letter head with a neat 'NC, State University mentioned’on it…and the same bands being used in the webpages (the ID webpage hs green) and the brochure… The course content sounds good on paper( though its an extension of under grad studio experience…but donno how does it justify itself to be a graduate course( now this is what i feel a graduate couse should justify…!!)…so the basic deterrent for me to not investigate further into it ws the non availability of funding and the communication gap.







Friends …and all of you whom I got in touch with or who helped me form opinions bt the various inst/univs…i’m very thankful for your time and efforts that you all put in this forum…I wont let go of this opportunity on behalf of the entire international community which benifits to a large extent from such forms and ppl like you who share inforamtion so frankly…its been a good experience…

The one thing that i felt so sorry bt , was that when we post a message…it gets so many 'views’like 100’s but somehow very few ‘replies’…which somehow hv never crossed double figures…or for that matter now a dayz seldom r in double figures!!..If we could do someting bt the ID community…it could be done right here…(pls am not preaching…its heartfelt…and hd to say it once)
At this exact moment as i’m typing this line …there r so many apprehensions bt the course that i hv finally decided to join(guess u know by now) …but still i’m feeling satisfied and theres a sense of assurity that what i felt throughout the entire process has become a part of this forum forever…for everyone to react to…and i’m not alone who’s part of the decision…I have an audience here…its for everyone to to ponder over whether i made a right choice or a wrong one and if i did pls dont let others do it… for me the only reason wud hv been d lack of information …which could be definitely improved upon for prospective graduate students…
i wish each one of us a very best for our future endevours…cheers…hv fun!!

OH man…thats quite sm school review…!!..

atleast me coming across smthing like this after a long time…

this has again sparked off the debate whether Masters in ID should be more research oriented or more ‘hone ur skills’ kind…

Hope to c some serious views on this one…!!

Allthebestdude!!

yesso…IDevil…!!
what say ppl…???

Hi

I am in my final semester of Architecture and would like to pursue my masters in Industrial Design. I have been working on my portfolio and need some help and guidance.

bye,
Hariesh

hey hariesh…
just shoot ur qts…!!..
btw where do u wish to do your masters from?

hi

I would like to do my pg in Europe, UK or Australia.Right now my focus is on Europe & UK.
I need some suggestions regarding schools in Europe & UK.
Most importantly I would like to know what ppl expect out of a portfolio.

Do they want to see works that I have done regarding Industrial Design (which I have done). I have worked on a couple of Interiors, A few products like a paper clip, glass holders, furnitures, wash basins, table lamps, two seater cars, to a bicycle.

I have done all these through sketches…no software generated 3D views.

I had gone through the comments given to a few ppl in these discussion forums.But I still am not very clear bout it.

I would like to know how to go about the process of making a good portfolio.Would be helpful if I get a see a few…

bye,

Hariesh.

heya, in your portfolio, be sure to show how your designs and final pieces evolved from the initial concept. Include plenty of your early stuff (re-do your early sketches if necessary) not just the final renderings… In talking to a couple of grad admissions people after the application process was through, this was one of the points where i fell down in my own portfolio… benifit from my mistake!

I dissagree. Looking back at the NE IDSA conferences, I attended while in the ID program at RIT (1996-2000), I felt RIT’s students represented the most pragmatic and down to earth program out of the group.

Other NE conference schools seemed to emphasize design without boundaries and far out solutions - that is not what happens in the real world come time to earn a living as a desginer. Students from these schools may have had creative ideas, but they were not on the practical side.

My training at RIT gave me a well balanced preparation for real ID work. Just as much emphasis was given to basic design skills as well as the design process itself. I developed projects during my time there and even after graduation when working which stood their ground on all aspects by which you judge modern design. That includes solving a problem and at the same time balancing design goals with real world engineering, marketing and sales needs.

Dear Hriesh
as far as ID in Europe, Aus or uk is concerned i’m not the right person to comment…

Regarding the portfolio I totally agree with what random has said…
I would also add that its always a good idea to go through the websites of various schools/univs that you are applying and then c to it that your portfolio satisfies the minimum requirements of each of the schools…like size, stuff like when the project ws done, materials, ur input, size of model or design,…some do wish that your name be mentioned on each page, the cover page should mention the course and yr to which you are applying…etc…
http://www.coroflot.com is a good site where you could find various ways in which ppl exhibit their work,dont fail to notice the simplicity wid which its being displayed…bottomline keep it simple…you r not doing a graphic exercise(though to sm extent it is!!) bt providing a backdrop to your work!!!
Also its crucial that you be very selective in choosing the projects…make sure that your portfolio is relevant to ID( as you are into arch)…hence lotsa work related to ID, and it is always good to hv atleast some computer renderings…its all about showing the range of work you could do and not the quantity…guess a 15-20 pgs portfolio is enough if you devote each page to one project…

All the best…Hariesh.

hey nydesignguy…
guess you have done your undergrad course in ID from RIT?

If you noticed what has been disscussed in the post is Graduate Course.

What you said is right and I emphasize that RIT is very practical( which is same as saying its a studio based course) and thats exactly what I hv said in the post…its grad course is an extension of its undergrad course!!

The debate here should be whether its a good idea to hv a grad course just being an extension of undergrad course or should it be something at a higher level of thinking…?? in the former case you would be gaining knowledge which ne other undergrad wud be having and would really not add to your level of thinking which is the basic aim of a grad course …whatsay??

Hi

Need some help in choosing schools.I have been thinking of applying to the following schools,

1. Delft University, Netherlands.
2. Domus Academy, Italy.
3. IED, Italy
4. Florence Academy, Italy,
5. Design Academy, Eindhoven,
6. Edinburgh University, UK
7. Brunel University, UK,
8. Kent University, UK
9. Salford University, UK
10. Middlesex University, UK.

Can ppl pls rate these universities so I can get an idea.Also suggest me other schools in UK & Europe.

Bye,

Hariesh

I think the better question is what do you plan to do with a MFA? Are you going to teach or continue to work as a designer. What was your undergraduate area of study?

I really don’t see what Graduate studies bring to the table as far as an employer is concerned if you already have a BFA in ID.

For the Brunel Vs. Loughborough universities, and descriptions of both, see the “Brunel / Loughborough” thread.

Both are prestigious universities for Design in the UK, and in the top ten of UK universities at the moment. I can’t seem to find the current Times list, though…

Yeah, and your point is? School is the place to prove that you can push the envelope and design solutions that are totally blue sky. The programs are designed to open your minds and eyes to new possibilities, not to limit your creativity to the engineering constraints that are assumed to be there. If not for blue ski ideation many of today’s innovations would not have evolved. IE OLED (flexible display screens you can roll up like paper), Apples use of translucent plastic with no merge or stress lines, shoot many IDers have even proved that the uniform wall thickness is not necessarily “law”. Let the design constraints stay in the middle phases of the real world work, and allow the students to expand their minds, eyes, and creativity.

Hi Random

Can you give me a list of university which has a good reputation for industrial design in UK.Your views would be of gr8 help in my decision making process.

bye,

hariesh

If not for blue ski ideation many of today’s innovations would not have evolved. IE OLED (flexible display screens you can roll up like paper),

I really don’t think that was the brainchild of some IDer - more likely engineers at Philips. The people at Philips Design just put it to practical use.

Regardless of what you think about blue sky design without boundaries, it surely won’t save US design jovs from being taken away by Asia like other areas of work.

When you get down to its essence, ID is about designing product that serves a need and makes money. Blue sky design work doesn’t do that in the short term which is what most of us are faced with in the real world of accelerated product development cycles.

Actually the engineering team at Philips was given the ultimatum to make it work of Apple would find another plastic vendor. And actually it was the ID department in collaboration with the engineering and molding vendors who together developed the process.

But my point was that if ID would only stick to the existing parameters and not explore “out there” concepts engineers, who are complacent by nature and tend to only want to do what already works, would never have any reason to develop new processes or disprove past manufacturing myths.

To put it in words you might understand…

Without Blue Sky Ideation There Will Be No Innovation…
And ID might as well be a dead end field full of engineer wanabes who couldn’t remember the formulas to pass their calculus, statics, and differential equation classes.