Industrial Design Schools: Opinions and Questions

Leezard,

i’ll agree with you on your review of VT ID’s prgram. i am currently a 3rd year student there and its pretty much all up to you in terms of finding an internship. if you’re close with a professor you get some connections from them but thats about it unless you know some friends/alumni.

its hard to get seen/get experience when you’re going to school in the middle of nowhere. I hope they set something up like UC does in the future. it would make more sense since were arent near a large metropolitan area like NYC, Boston, SF, etc.

Heloo I study Industrial design in Serbia, and i am interested in master degree, so these are 2 schools I like Domus Academy in Milan, and Aalto university of Art, Architecture and Design … would love to here your opinion :slight_smile:

Request your help in making a decision on choosing the right industrial design school for my daughter for her first Under Graduate degree. She is accepted in two programs - BFA at California College of Arts (CCA) and with BS in Industrial design at North Carolina State University. On the parameters of the design program,faculty and learning, school resources, readiness for career in ID, industry outreach and collaboration, internships, career opportunities and recognition of the schools in the industry, can you provide your feedback and guidance? Thanks !

I am an alumni of the Academy of Art University and all I can say is DON’T go there! Nobody cares about you. You are just a paycheck. This school is a greedy money machine geared only to make money and care nothing for education. I won’t say I didn’t learn anything there but I feel that I learned despite them and not thanks to them as they were making it very difficult to learn when you constantly have to fight them over money, and the way they deal with it, jacking up their prices every semester and you rarely see it being invested back into the program. When you take the tour they seem very impressive but its one big sham. I am drowning in student loans over 100,000$ and I wish I could say :“well, it was worth it! I had fun! I learned! I got what I wanted” but unfortunately I can’t and if this post will save one person from making that mistake I would feel that I did something good. Of course I had some good times, of course some classes were awesome, but it wasn’t worth it. I did the work, I totally invested myself, financially, mentally, emotionally and I am very proud of my accomplishments and my portfolio but I will not give the, credit for any of it. They have no career center worth mentioning because once you are an alumni and not paying them anymore they don’t really care about you unless you got published somehow then they will be the first to find out and take credit for it (like what happened to me with a project they failed me on and I had to fight the whole department for a better grade and failed again) but after it won international competition and got noted they published it as exemplary student work on their website! Imagine how that might feel… Anyways enough ranting , do what you will ad I hope I at least made some of you reconsider… Good luck to everyone looking for a school!

Hi Guys

I studied engineering as an undergrad and always wanted to do design, so after applying to a few colleges I got into MA Industrial Design in SCAD and MA Interaction Design in Domus Academy.

I love to design products but I’m also a lot into interfaces and thinking about human interactions with systems equally, and so I’m kind of torn about which course to take up.

On one hand SCAD will be expensive but has a reputable and great program but I have little experience in Industrial Design which scares me, if I will be able to complete the program to the best of my ability and land a decent job after it.

I have some experience in IT and am also doing a job at an web design studio which I hope I can leverage after the program, and that’s why I’m thinking more about Domus and also because I might get a decent scholarship there.

What do you guys think? I am really desperate for some good advice, I’ve looked at the pros and cons, but I’d like to know things from current students and alumni and how their experience has been.

Thanks a lot guys and I hope somebody can reply soon, I don’t have much time.

Hi everyone!
At my 28 Ive realized what I want to do with my life and I’m desperately looking for product deign program now.
I got accepted to csm foundation, which I personally find a waste of time.
I donnot have design background but I’ve been drawing and sketching all my life, so I can prepare my portfolio in few months or so.
As time passing by I have already gave up on 2013 semester.
Here are few questions:
Is there some 3 year long BA program for product design?
Can I take some short courses to be accepted to work.
I’ve been looking towards uc now because they have great coop program. Will I actualy earn some funds while my studies?

I was curious of what people thought of the program at PhilaU. I just finished my first year in ID there. Any thoughts?

Hello,

I recently graduated from UC in ID and after working for a couple of months I’ve decided I’d like to go to grad school. I want a better understanding of the business aspect of design and would like to pursue a program geared towards entrepreneurs; not looking for something strictly business but a mix of both creative/aesthetic + business (law,marketing,managing).

The three I’ve weeded out from all of the reputable schools, based on the program description and curriculum for entrepreneurs, were SVA in new york, Aalto in finland, and Domus in Milan.

Does anyone have any other schools they would recommend for my interest? Or opinions about the schools I’ve chosen? Or input on the direction I am taking for keeping my option as an entrepreneur open?

Thank you very much, the information in this discussion has been very helpful, thanks to everyone for your input!

In my opinion, the best way to learn about the business side of design would be to work for a small firm or start up for 2-4 years. Going straight from undergrad to grad school is just going to repress your skills in an academic bubble of limited experience. After working for a few years, then decided if grad school would be a great addition to your experience set.

It’s been a while since I’ve been on these boards, but I thought I’d chime in on my experience, now being a grad and all. This was a great resource for me when I was searching for a school. It can be a really daunting task picking a school, so I think any information would be helpful.

I graduated (2012) from the Cleveland Institute of Art in ID and loved my time there. I applied to many different school, CCAD, Pratt, RISD, UC among the top. The only one I wasn’t accepted to was UC. The only school I visited before making my decision was Pratt. I ended picking CIA based on great things I heard on this board (although lacking), and scholarships. It’s a relatively small school, my graduating class in ID was about 20 something. But the sense of community was great, and it was on a bigger campus, Case Western University, which was nice to meet others outside of Art school, without being enrolled in a large college/university.

Since my graduation, I got to visit once, and they have major overhauls in the facilities and the campus area is being renovated. The new MoCA Cleveland looks amazing and everything that is being built around it. A complete change from when I entered as a freshman. I’m definitely jealous :smiley: My favorite part of being at CIA was being able to take studio classes in different disciplines and visiting other departments. The head of ID is a great man and is really involved with the design world. He runs an amazing program. Cleveland itself as a city isn’t anything to brag about, but when you get to know the neighborhoods, it’s awesome. I would definitely recommend CIA to anyone interested. If anyone has questions about this school, I will gladly answer them.

Great to hear you found your passion! Preparing a portfolio depends on where you want to go, and the type of ID you would like to do. The school I ended up going to was looking for a fine arts portfolio, not ID or even design related stuff. I think that is most common for any art school with a design program. So if you can throw together something along those lines I think you’ll be in good shape.

I had 2 years of community college before entering design school, so I was also looking to transfer into the 2nd year, but ended up starting as a freshman with foundation art again, and I don’t regret it. I was really worried about being older, and having to go through freshman year again, but now that I look back, it was good that I did. Just something to think about. If you don’t have a a strong academic background, an extra year it worth it.

You can earn money while in school easily, I had 2-3 work study jobs (jobs for students) as well as an internship while at school. The money not be great, but it will get you by.

I was also very interested in UC, but wasn’t accepted (the only place I didn’t get accepted) which was fine cause it lead me to a great design program at the CIA.

Hi everyone
I’ve decided to go to grad school, I’ve narrowed my choices to Pratt (Master in Industrial Design) and RISD (Master in Furniture Design). I’ve visited both schools and reviewed their curriculum extensively. I’ve been racking my brain for a long time trying to make a choice, so any advise or comments on the schools and their programs is appreciated.

Background and interests: I have BFA in ID and over 3 years of experience in furniture design. I want to focus on furniture, lighting and accessories and in broader terms sustainability and design as a tool to renew production and consumption structures. I want to have my own firm/brand and collaborate with different companies/clients.

Thoughts on the programs:

RISD (Master in Furniture Design)
Curriculum: Excellent furniture design curriculum but seems a bit too specific; all the required classes are furniture studios or seminars and the electives seem very theoretical.
Alumni work: Their graduate student thesis work is always very impressive.
Location: Providence is a beautiful town but I’m worried I will be isolated from an active design community and all the cultural options that a big city has to offer.

Pratt (Master in Industrial Design)
Curriculum: The ID curriculum is much broader. They don’t have a specific furniture design program but you can ‘focus’ on furniture design through electives, they also have the Center for Sustainability Studies. Pratt accepts students that have no design background and while that makes for a richer group, it might also be argued that the level/demand might not be as high. They do have an introductory semester (semester 0) to get everyone on the same level but… can you really summarize 4 years of teaching into one semester?
Alumni work: Their graduate work seems mixed, some top notch and some average.
Location: NY and everything it has to offer including museums, conferences, design events, connections and city life.

Cost of attending and re-location are not an issue.

I have a very short time to decide so I’m anxious for any feedback from alumni, current students or anyone who has an opinion.
Thanks in advance!

Hi,
So I’m going to CIA this fall, and I just noticed (maybe a bit late haha) that the graduation rate at the school is around 50%! Is there something I should know? Maybe SaMi8402 could chime in?

Someone else can jump in also, but thats probably a pretty high graduation rate for industrial design. The academy of art is between 20-30%. My first drawing class went from 18 students to 6 by week 3 and only 3 of the remaining 6 passed.

It’s most likely because people aren’t prepared for the work ethic that ID demands.

I think Academy Of Art has such a low graduation rate in part due to their open enrollment and no portfolio required application. I would think that schools with a stricter entry level would have higher rates of graduation. When I was in school (a long time a go in a galaxy far far away…) we started with about 60-65 students and graduated about 40. Some transferred to other majors, some dropped out.


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Hey I’m attending CIA in the Fall too! I did notice that the graduation rate was pretty low as well, which I initially found surprising since I’ve literally only heard good things about the school and its programs. I wonder whats the cause of this here or at any school for that matter. I’ve pondered cost, lack of direction and advisement, program structure or perhaps its just the type of personality artistic careers attract? who knows, but i’m sure i’ll find out soon haha.

Hi everyone . I am good at furniture desgin ,I want to know which is better between Cranbrook Academy of art 's master of furniture and Rhode Island School of Design’s master of furniture desgin .Would you help me .Thanks a lot .

I have a few questions. First off I am a Junior in High School. I attend Arlington High School in Arlington, TX and currently I have three goals.

  1. to become a great Industrial/Product Designer
    2)To work at Apple Inc. and design the worlds leading consumer products.
  2. To work at Google, Microsoft or Motorola and develop their android devices.

I’m afraid that I am stuck between two colleges. Money is not a problem because I’m not too concerned if I’m in debt or not. I just want to learn from the best and get paid for doing what I love. My first choice is CCA (California College of the Arts) because it’s closest to Apple and their campus seemed more welcoming. My second choice is ACCD (Art Center College of Design). I heard such wonderful things about ACCD but little to none about CCA. My questions are which can I get more for my buck, which have the more rigorous of Product Design courses, and where do I have a better chance of getting an internship or working at the top three tech giants. I know Microsoft and Google are easier to get into than Apple but Apple is where my heart lay right now.

What do you advice for a Junior to start doing to get ready for either CCA or ACCD. I want to be prepared as possible, win as many grants/scholarships as I can and get the best ID bachelors degree for my situation. Sorry if the message sounds a little confusing. Please also if you can refer me to some people or resources to help me build my portfolio. I have a Behānce page at Behānce.net/DLAJ Thank you in advance.

Daniel Austin

Hi Daniel,

Welcome to the boards! It is good that you are thinking about these things already. I wish that I had done some more research “back then” and had found out more about ID and the online community before getting out of high school, and I am sure other members here are in the same boat.

It is good to have goals – knowing what kind of company you would like to be at – but I would try to keep an open mind for the time being.

Yes, Apple is nice, but there are thousands of iPhone concepts online that are all very much alike, and a lot of the designers of those concepts only have Apple concepts in their portfolios. To any employer that isn’t Apple*, they would probably think that you can’t design anything besides that. After 4 years in school (and internships at other companies), your design tastes will change, and what if you then want to do something different? You might regret limiting yourself to 3 companies. 4 years is also a huge time span for consumer electronics to change (smartphones may be completely different by then or not even exist).

A big part of school is to push you outside of your comfort zone. Teachers will want you to explore a wide range of problems that design can solve, explore a wide range of concepts after deciding on a problem, and then come up with solutions to that problem. If you go into the project with the mindset that “I’m going to design a slick smartphone,” you will automatically be limited from the start, and your teachers will not be happy. Not to say that you can’t challenge the teachers at the right time. :wink:

I don’t know too much about those schools. Art Center has a great reputation but I don’t know many details about their Product Design program. You might also look at ID at the DAAP (University of Cincinnati). They are a favorite of this board, and a few designers here could tell you more detail about the program. CCS (in Detroit) is also good. Definitely practice observational drawing (people, still lifes, architecture, etc.) all you can, that will help with getting into most schools – they usually prefer these skills to digital and design skills as they want you to be a blank slate.

*I am not sure if the designers that Apple hires actually have Apple stuff in their portfolios or not. I know one talented designer who works at Microsoft, and her student work was not an endless stream of tablet designs, but a varied but strong portfolio with some consumer electronics, some experimental new materials, and some furniture / lighting.

That was long-winded but ask any more questions you might have!

ACCD and CCA are both great programs from what I’ve heard. But if what you think you want to do is consumer electronics then I might choose CCA solely because it is in the Bay area and most of the professors are professionals working in the industry so you’ll have an advantage in terms of making connections at employers. I looked into transferring to ACCD a few years ago and balked at the cost of tuition there – not sure how bad CCA is but going to school in SF can’t be cheap. Just an observation but I haven’t been seeing a lot of great portfolios coming out of ACCD recently – just judging by what I’ve been seeing from some of the stuff on Behance and which schools are being represented at the big firms.

On the other hand, I would strongly consider UC. I think they have the best combination of a great program as well as connections in every single industry especially consumer electronics out in the Bay area. I would take UC over either CCA or ACCD if I could go back 5 years when I was looking at schools. UC also has the advantage of not being a private school so much cheaper tuition.

Regardless, which school you choose can make it easier to get to where you want but by no means is it the deciding factor. As long as you go to a good program and work hard enough on getting some solid projects in the areas your interested in then you should be fine.

Has anyone heard of Metropolitan State University of Denver? It seems like a great deal as far as ID schools go, but I’m curious how their program stacks up against others.