I'm looking for input on grad programs. I've found this site to be a good resource and I am finally taking the plunge of sharing personal details with the hopes of getting some solid advice. Have a lot to cover so let's get started:
I have a bachelors in Manufacturing and Design Engineering from Northwestern (specifically, the Segal Design Institute), where some pretty storied industrial designers head up the product development program. I colored this interdisciplinary education, co-taught between the engineering school and Segal, with various interesting endeavors beyond the curriculum. Here's an example. Another is a data viz project with an SAIC student (see photos). I really enjoyed the studio format of that class, co-taught with SAIC, compared to the rigors of engineering.
After graduating, worked at an electric car startup in SF for 3 months in craftsmanship engineering, which is all about perceptual quality, materiality, haptics, etc, before moving to Chicago to work at a nonprofit digital manufacturing research accelerator. I was a PM and oversaw projects related to metal additive manufacturing and digital product lifecycle management. Some nice images and renderings from that which I will definitely use in the portfolio.
I left after a year to find roles where I could be closer to design and fabrication, instead of just managing it remotely. I landed a role freelancing at a really high-end architectural model-making studio, where I've been helping finish and assemble (and getting some pretty great portfolio shots).
I've grown interested in applying my human-scale design and fabrication experience to construction-scale applications, which led me to visit a bunch of open houses last fall including GSD, Yale, Penn and Michigan. Just visited MIT a few weeks ago. I'm seeking programs with strong digital fabrication / computational design components, so it was helpful to see how those schools varied in those regards. Also important to me, which I feel is actually worth stating, is that I truly want to learn how to design. I want to develop and execute a multitude of design projects with novel, visually stunning and practically-relevant outcomes, so I'm perhaps less interested in theory and criticism.
Other info about me.. I'm teaching a class for middle school aged kids in a few weeks with a collaborator who hails from the new media scene about an introduction to 3D design. We've put together a pretty cool workflow involving drawing patterns by hand, generating surface maps in Fusion and giving the kids basic CAD knowledge to manipulate the output and build a 3D part. we're printing the parts then teaching them orthographic drawings and digital renderings. It's all about introducing 3D tools for non-objective form and representation, instead of, say, how to design your dream kitchen appliance. Hoping that I can find a visually compelling way to represent the development of this curriculum as a design project that I can include in the portfolio, along with the student outcomes. I'm interested in continuing to teach in the future.
I'm starting a personal project where I'm hoping to use Grasshopper to analyze photos of, shall we say, political importance, generate data and algorithmically drive design of a few small objects, which I should definitely have done by the fall.
GRE: 164 v, 161 q | GPA: 2.9 (not great, but engineering average wasn't much higher)
So here are some actual questions, now that you know a little bit about me:
Can I even get in to one of these highly-competitive programs as a non-background? My understanding is that they evaluate the backgrounds/non separately, so my thinking is that if I can have a stellar body of work to show, I could be in better shape than somebody with a B.Arch because of my non-traditional background.
I've narrowed my focus in the US to GSD, MIT, Michigan, Georgia Tech, and maybe Berkeley. Are there any other M.Arch programs I should be checking out based on my interests?
Should I even be pursuing an M.Arch based on my interests? I don't think that I want to become an architect - I've spoken to a lot of people and it seems, simply put, like a bad time. I like design and robots but I'm not a masochist, I'm not going to spend a quarter million dollars on grad school for a starting salary of $35k. What other career paths might I consider with the M.Arch training that I seek to attain?
Beyond the US, what about EmTech, ITech and DFAB? Does anybody know what kinds of professional opportunities those programs lead to? I'm increasingly considering these MS programs as perhaps a better fit than an M.Arch (and the price is right).
Anybody familiar with the SMBT program at MIT or DMT program at Michigan? After visiting MIT, my sense is SMBT is not hands-on enough for what I'm looking for, but the Digital Material Technology program at Michigan is kind of seeming like my top choice at this point, as a dual degree with an M.Arch.
Okay, that's it for now. Looking forward to seeing what people have to say. Appreciate any and all comments! Don't be mean!
AlinaF
Jun 2, 19 5:58 pm
I think you have a lot of potential if you put in your best effort and the deciding factor would be using your weakness as your strength.
Hello Archinect,
I'm looking for input on grad programs. I've found this site to be a good resource and I am finally taking the plunge of sharing personal details with the hopes of getting some solid advice. Have a lot to cover so let's get started:
I have a bachelors in Manufacturing and Design Engineering from Northwestern (specifically, the Segal Design Institute), where some pretty storied industrial designers head up the product development program. I colored this interdisciplinary education, co-taught between the engineering school and Segal, with various interesting endeavors beyond the curriculum. Here's an example. Another is a data viz project with an SAIC student (see photos). I really enjoyed the studio format of that class, co-taught with SAIC, compared to the rigors of engineering.
After graduating, worked at an electric car startup in SF for 3 months in craftsmanship engineering, which is all about perceptual quality, materiality, haptics, etc, before moving to Chicago to work at a nonprofit digital manufacturing research accelerator. I was a PM and oversaw projects related to metal additive manufacturing and digital product lifecycle management. Some nice images and renderings from that which I will definitely use in the portfolio.
I left after a year to find roles where I could be closer to design and fabrication, instead of just managing it remotely. I landed a role freelancing at a really high-end architectural model-making studio, where I've been helping finish and assemble (and getting some pretty great portfolio shots).
I've grown interested in applying my human-scale design and fabrication experience to construction-scale applications, which led me to visit a bunch of open houses last fall including GSD, Yale, Penn and Michigan. Just visited MIT a few weeks ago. I'm seeking programs with strong digital fabrication / computational design components, so it was helpful to see how those schools varied in those regards. Also important to me, which I feel is actually worth stating, is that I truly want to learn how to design. I want to develop and execute a multitude of design projects with novel, visually stunning and practically-relevant outcomes, so I'm perhaps less interested in theory and criticism.
Other info about me.. I'm teaching a class for middle school aged kids in a few weeks with a collaborator who hails from the new media scene about an introduction to 3D design. We've put together a pretty cool workflow involving drawing patterns by hand, generating surface maps in Fusion and giving the kids basic CAD knowledge to manipulate the output and build a 3D part. we're printing the parts then teaching them orthographic drawings and digital renderings. It's all about introducing 3D tools for non-objective form and representation, instead of, say, how to design your dream kitchen appliance. Hoping that I can find a visually compelling way to represent the development of this curriculum as a design project that I can include in the portfolio, along with the student outcomes. I'm interested in continuing to teach in the future.
I'm starting a personal project where I'm hoping to use Grasshopper to analyze photos of, shall we say, political importance, generate data and algorithmically drive design of a few small objects, which I should definitely have done by the fall.
GRE: 164 v, 161 q | GPA: 2.9 (not great, but engineering average wasn't much higher)
So here are some actual questions, now that you know a little bit about me:
Okay, that's it for now. Looking forward to seeing what people have to say. Appreciate any and all comments! Don't be mean!
I think you have a lot of potential if you put in your best effort and the deciding factor would be using your weakness as your strength.