I’ve been searching the job board for similar questions, but I thought I’d be direct and just ask myself. Of course, I’m looking to apply to grad school, but my background is no where related to industrial design. I’m 25, graduated with a BFA in Illustration from Pratt, and have been working as a graphic designer in the publishing world for the past three years. I’ve been looking at admission requirements and they vary from school to school, but a handful of schools make it sound like I wouldn’t have a chance unless I’m in the field already. I know competition is fierce, so what can I do to strengthen my application? I’m sure I can’t compete with someone with a BFA already in ID and has internship experience or work experience. I’m signing up for a grad school prep course at Pratt, but any other advice would be great as well! Thanks!
Do a project yourself! Find something you have a problem with, then tackle it through an iterative process via sketching, paper models, etc. Then find a solution through your process that works and addresses the solution. Best way to learn is through doing.
Problem/brief → research → ideate (sketches, models) → test ideas with people → reiterate/refine → decide on a solution → present!