i've been on a search for many months as to how i will fit into the design world.
the niche for me is anything related to: (in order of importance)
furniture design / commercial interiors / product
now, i've thought long and hard about going back for a BS in product design, and no matter how i slice it... i just don't feel comfortable about the school "system".
i've talked to countless professionals over the last couple of months, asking them their path, what they consider important, etc.... and surprisingly, many of them never even had the traditional education package.
so far, here's what i've discovered are the most important TECHNICAL factors that need to be addressed for my area of interest:
1. sketching
2. 3d renders
3. CAD
so the big question is, what do you guys think if I were to develop all of those, through night classes at art center / books / and whatever else that needs to be done?
dzuy - I have a B.Des in Industrial Design, done the new-fashioned way (through school). It's true that a lot of the established product designers (furniture is a product) don't have formal design education, but in most cases now, to succeed, you'll need it. Or at least it'll help you in establishing a career. The reason a lot of now-established Ind. Designers don't have the formal education is because it simply didn't exist until fairly recently (at least in North America). Some came from fine arts, others from engineering.
Do you NEED a formal education? Not really, if your portfolio is better than your competition. How you get there is up to you. One way is to jump through the hoops of university and hopefully pick up a thing or two along the way.
And that's the other thing... no matter how well you can draw/render/CAD, none of those make you a good designer. Those are just tools used to express one or more components of a particular design. Technical skills are useful (and some would say 'required') but if all your ideas simply suck and you don't understand WHY you're doing something, then, well, you're not going to get very far. Same with architecture or any design field.
I'm a first year architecture major and I would say that before I got here I considered myself "creative" but the tools education has instilled in me have only furthered my creativity. Education is an amazing tool and regardless of actual schooling designers should always be learning. It's a competitive world and the only things that are going to make you better than the next person is creativity and knowledge.
The two work skill sets are supposed to work in harmony. Everybody thinks they're creative these days. I've never understood what that meant, exactly. I've never called myself creative because how do you explain that?
I think where creativity comes in is when you need to take a design from paper (and computer) into the real world. Anybody can make a chair in Rhino, but how does that translate into the real world? There are limits to injection moulding, for example, but there are ways around those limitations, and I believe that THAT is where creativity begins. Otherwise, it's just fancy drawings on paper.
dzuy - firstly I must say that you work is sexy...albeit somewhat linear. You seem to have the technical skill on how things are put together. The beauty of traditional educational systems is that you get an audience you wouldn't normally have had to review your work - and that for one is priceless. I suspect however with an extensive search you might what you are looking for....keep us posted on your discovery
thanks for the comment very linear because thats all i know how to do and time is limited in the shop i use.
i use the woodshop during a nightclass at OTIS ART COLLEGE and i was more focused on getting something done than learn how to do bent ply and other advanced techniques......
tailoring one's own design "education"
hello all...
i've been on a search for many months as to how i will fit into the design world.
the niche for me is anything related to: (in order of importance)
furniture design / commercial interiors / product
now, i've thought long and hard about going back for a BS in product design, and no matter how i slice it... i just don't feel comfortable about the school "system".
i've talked to countless professionals over the last couple of months, asking them their path, what they consider important, etc.... and surprisingly, many of them never even had the traditional education package.
so far, here's what i've discovered are the most important TECHNICAL factors that need to be addressed for my area of interest:
1. sketching
2. 3d renders
3. CAD
so the big question is, what do you guys think if I were to develop all of those, through night classes at art center / books / and whatever else that needs to be done?
would love to hear what you guys think.
thanks!
"many of them never even had the traditional education package"
egggxactly--be a vangaurd. let your freak flagg fly..
i'd say that
1. sketching
2. 3d renders
3. CAD
are not at all technical-- just 'technical" tools.
actually there are some interior design/ "interior architecture" programs that would probably suit you well- KState for one.
my brother is a tailor...he will make you a suit
haha, yah i need a suit as well.
dzuy - I have a B.Des in Industrial Design, done the new-fashioned way (through school). It's true that a lot of the established product designers (furniture is a product) don't have formal design education, but in most cases now, to succeed, you'll need it. Or at least it'll help you in establishing a career. The reason a lot of now-established Ind. Designers don't have the formal education is because it simply didn't exist until fairly recently (at least in North America). Some came from fine arts, others from engineering.
Do you NEED a formal education? Not really, if your portfolio is better than your competition. How you get there is up to you. One way is to jump through the hoops of university and hopefully pick up a thing or two along the way.
And that's the other thing... no matter how well you can draw/render/CAD, none of those make you a good designer. Those are just tools used to express one or more components of a particular design. Technical skills are useful (and some would say 'required') but if all your ideas simply suck and you don't understand WHY you're doing something, then, well, you're not going to get very far. Same with architecture or any design field.
yah,
technical stuff is worthless without the creativity. that goes without saying.
thats why i question school, because i am confident in my creative skills. its the technical stuff i need to get up to speed.
thanks!
I'm a first year architecture major and I would say that before I got here I considered myself "creative" but the tools education has instilled in me have only furthered my creativity. Education is an amazing tool and regardless of actual schooling designers should always be learning. It's a competitive world and the only things that are going to make you better than the next person is creativity and knowledge.
The two work skill sets are supposed to work in harmony. Everybody thinks they're creative these days. I've never understood what that meant, exactly. I've never called myself creative because how do you explain that?
I think where creativity comes in is when you need to take a design from paper (and computer) into the real world. Anybody can make a chair in Rhino, but how does that translate into the real world? There are limits to injection moulding, for example, but there are ways around those limitations, and I believe that THAT is where creativity begins. Otherwise, it's just fancy drawings on paper.
yes....
funny enough, the idea of designing on paper is something i totally overlooked and never considered.
my first "real" encounter with design was when i went straight into the deep end by going to the lumber yard and saying i was gonna build something.
much of the design happened during the process.
here are some examples.
http://www.geocities.com/dzjunction/lcd1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/dzjunction/bs1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/dzjunction/kofie.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/dzjunction/vinyl.jpg
now, it looks like i have to work backwards.......
dzuy - firstly I must say that you work is sexy...albeit somewhat linear. You seem to have the technical skill on how things are put together. The beauty of traditional educational systems is that you get an audience you wouldn't normally have had to review your work - and that for one is priceless. I suspect however with an extensive search you might what you are looking for....keep us posted on your discovery
btw is this vado?
architechnophilia,
thanks for the comment very linear because thats all i know how to do and time is limited in the shop i use.
i use the woodshop during a nightclass at OTIS ART COLLEGE and i was more focused on getting something done than learn how to do bent ply and other advanced techniques......
who / what is vado?
nevermind re: the vado comment
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.