i’m a kendall alum, so yeah, it’s at ground zero for furniture because of it’s proximity to major manufacturers. furniture as an industry is sucking some major wind right now. this is the worst i’ve seen it in my career and makes the tech bubble bursting in '00 look like a picnic. it had hardly recovered when this latest recession came around so the playing field has changed quite a bit.
i am a LOT more dynamic in my role as a furniture designer than i ever thought i would be, but that might be more of my work ethic or preference. other furniture designers i graduated with are doing other things, not furniture. like stella, i took the ID route in college, i think i’m a bit better off because of it.
i like my education from kendall. i’m a bit more balanced, practical, and i think humble. my last manager was from RISD and i was never impressed with his work. he was great at theory, horrible at applying it. that’s not the only RISD grad i’ve met with this charactristic. in the right environment, it’s great. when it comes time to shut up or put up, it’s a detriment to the department and company. not all RISD grads i’ve worked with have been this way.
the art center grads i’ve worked with have been creative juggernauts, but some of them were really lacking in practicality and execution.
just my experience. i’m not flaming any program, but i think you need to find the program that fits YOUR desired course and style. you get from your education what you are willing to put into it.