Master of Industrial Design / Product Design申请总结

elevensharpUID: 206909

原帖由 howto 于 2006-8-2 19:55 发表


同意,申请前的调查研究很重要,我从一开始就把没有全奖的学校都排除了,所以申请的学校也不多,只有7所.还有,材料一定要早寄,第一轮的时候就有一个获得奖学金的名单,如果那些人不去,在waiting list里的人才有机会 ...

sigh
我真想重新申请一次。这次做什么都是匆匆忙忙的，作品集就做了3个星期，白天还要上班。
LS知不知道中国人申Stanford和CMU的情况啊？

vigilwangUID: 203758

原帖由 howto 于 2006-8-2 19:55 发表


同意,申请前的调查研究很重要,我从一开始就把没有全奖的学校都排除了,所以申请的学校也不多,只有7所.还有,材料一定要早寄,第一轮的时候就有一个获得奖学金的名单,如果那些人不去,在waiting list里的人才有机会 ...

Howto前辈，我有个问题，怎么确定申请的学校有没有全奖，不是申请之后才能定下来吗？

进一步期待Elevensharp的经验贴:lol

[ 本帖最后由 vigilwang 于 2006-8-3 18:56 编辑 ]

elevensharpUID: 206909

这个容我插个嘴
你可以看学校网站上关于奖学金的政策
有些学校比如CMU申明最多就4000$/semester就表明肯定是没全奖了
如果说我们提供奖学金但是什么什么有限之类的
这个是废话
就说明有全奖
但是你必须比较优秀
然后去争取
能不能拿到全奖当然是在申请结果出来以后才知道
但是最起码学校必须提供全奖你才能去争取
然后就像HOWTO兄台说的
一定要赶早
第一轮就把材料寄出去

elevensharpUID: 206909

先贴一篇core77上的portfolio tips大家慢慢看。自己的教训随后补上。

Portfolio Preparation Tips and Suggestions
by Stu Constantine


These days you need to go beyond the ordinary to make your portfolio stand out. Here is an overview of what to do and how to excel.

A strong portfolio opens doors, a weak portfolio closes them. Your portfolio is often the only thing a person sees before deciding whether or not to contact you, and in many cases you may not be present to explain it (particularly on-line portfolios). There are fundamental qualities that all outstanding portfolios share, and a variety of principals and techniques that can help take your portfolio from average to excellent. If at all possible, your portfolio should be appropriate to the situation and reviewer, and all portfolios should show creativity, skills, range, thought, and ambition. It is the overall combination of these, plus that "special something," that makes one designer stand above the others.

The Right Type
There is no single "right" way to prepare a portfolio. A different presentation is appropriate for each person, each situation and each interview. You need to understand what kind of portfolio you are creating. Is it to get into school, to get an internship, to get a first job, a second job? Each of these will require a different selection of projects. Also consider what type of presentation are you preparing. Is it an on-line portfolio, a leave-behind book, a one-on-one interview, a cold call, or something else? Each of these scenarios calls for a different type of media, so you should spend some time thinking about what you will show in each of these cases and prepare accordingly.

Skills
The level of presentation in your portfolio must be excellent. Indeed, if your book is full of beautiful photos, renderings, sketches, and finished projects, you have only met the minimum requirements for designers these days. The pages in your book must demonstrate that you can quickly and effectively communicate complex ideas in a professional manner. Excellent, interesting and varied compositions are expected. Dramatic use of scale, focus and color will make your work stand out. Make an effort to communicate your level of skill with a wide variety of tools typical for your chosen field. This may include any and/or all of the following: a plethora of software packages, drawing skills, color, composition, model making, production techniques, manufacturing/fabrication, CAD, 3D modeling, and an understanding of basic engineering.

Range
Your portfolio should celebrate your ability to work on different types of projects. This lets the reviewer know that you are flexible and can work in a variety of situations. If possible, use examples from different product categories, demonstrate your familiarity with a variety of media, or indicate experience with a range of technologies. Integration of varied disciplines is always interesting and shows a willingness to collaborate with a variety of people, another important skill. Make an effort to show your contributions to a project from concept through production. This demonstrates a holistic design sense that is invaluable to most employers. Also, make sure to show a full range of abilities, including sketching, rendering, model making, finished products, photography, 3D modeling, etc.

Ambition
A designer who can take initiative, resolve a wide range of problems, and manage projects from beginning-to-end is a valuable addition to every team. Your portfolio, combined with a written résumé, should illustrate these traits. Self-driven projects are great examples of this. If possible, show measurable contributions conceived and implemented by you, repeatedly, on a wide variety of projects. Indicate that you can work with limited supervision. Show that you can generate ideas—no one is looking for a designer that needs someone else to think for them. Make an effort to fill gaps in your employment history with an interesting variety of projects and activities.

That Special Something
If your portfolio has excellent examples of everything listed above, congratulations—you are free to compete with thousands of other hungry designers. To rise above the rest and truly stand out in an extremely competitive field, your work needs to go the extra mile. Your projects should show insightful, conceptual foundations, indicating that you think about your work on many levels. Layers of meaning in your work allow people to explore and enjoy your projects repeatedly. Beautiful compositions that show a variety of techniques, colors and scale make your work stand out. If you are particularly strong in one area—typography for example—make sure every entry in your book celebrates this fact, but without throwing it in the reader's face. The quality of your work and your presentations is much more important than a fancy, unique, or tricky presentation. Keep it simple, and let the work speak for itself.

This may sound like a daunting task, but it is the reality in today's design world. If you take the time to review and select your work, and put together a well thought out book, you'll be rewarded many times over throughout your career.
________________________________________

Stu Constantine is a partner of Core77. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, three kids, and a collection of guitars.

peteryouUID: 2116800

工业设计和产品设计方向
是艺术类的吧>?

想我们这种对艺术不太感冒的人也可以申请吗?>有什么特别要求没有呢>?

另外,这个专业有奖学金吗?

howtoUID: 2136824

原帖由 elevensharp 于 2006-8-3 09:26 发表

sigh
我真想重新申请一次。这次做什么都是匆匆忙忙的，作品集就做了3个星期，白天还要上班。
LS知不知道中国人申Stanford和CMU的情况啊？

这就不太清楚了,你有兴趣上这两个学校? Stanford的费用可是相当的贵啊,而且以前看过一篇文章是谈Stanford的design course,该校的想法是给每个专业的学生都开这个课,感觉是办成个创新教育的课程. 好象对专设学位不是很感兴趣的. CMU是绝对的电脑牛, 所以其设计课程是以多媒体,界面,互动设计为强. 我认为两个学校是镀金的地方,等有了经济实力后再去申请. 我是这么想的.呵呵

[ 本帖最后由 howto 于 2006-8-3 19:12 编辑 ]

howtoUID: 2136824

对于学校介绍,我来补充一下.
1 Art center  现在最火的学校,课程受到一致的好评,有机会很想去听听. 所以很羡慕楼主能去. :)
2 Pratt Institute 纽约的艺术类学校,费用高,狂发ad的那种,我认识的两个兄弟都拿到过ad,都没打算去.
3 Cranbrook Academy of Art 相当老牌的艺术类名校,"匡溪学派"大家听说过的吧, Harvard的师兄建议我申,可惜自己没胆,放弃了. 访问它的网站,发现学生的作品都很有趣,应该是个提高的好地方.
4 Illinois Institute of Technology  印象不错的,该校ID学院是密斯凡德罗所创,绝对的老资格. 这次申请也拿了它的AD,但是还是放弃了. 自己觉得以后去读个design management 也许更好些. 虽然该校已经走向没落,但是还是拥有许多出色的老师. 另外,地处chicago绝对是要加分的.
5 Stanford University 上面说过了,该校的设计教育理念很独特.要2年的工作经验,这条我不符合,所以放弃.
6 Rhode Island School of Design 美国人也是趋之若骛,艺术类名校
7 Ohio State University 申请了,被拒了. 呵呵,感觉要求挺高的,有1年的MA,和2年的MFA可以选择.
8 University of Illinois 实际上是两个学校, UIUC和UIC, UIUC工科的超级牛,设计也不错. 系主任是圣母大学毕业的牛人。 UIC在chicago,设计也是很不错,专业声誉似乎还强于UIUC.
9 Syracuse University  雪城大学, 在NY. 地点不错.综合类的学校.
10 Arizona State University  申请了,拿了AD. 偏理论,学制为3年. 出来拿MSD(Master of Science in Design)学位, 这个挺特别. 申请时就要确定研究方向,有三个可供选择:1Design Methodology, Theory and Criticism; 2Facility Planning and Management; 3Human Factors in Design. 很学术的,该校室内设计的排名很高. 缺点是地方太热了. 不过据说该校美女很多,呵呵.
11 Georgia Institute of Technology ID在建筑学院下面, Gatech的建筑是没话说的. 今年新系主任上任,是个印度裔大伯,为人很好,申请后期为我千方百计的找钱,真是非常感谢. 值得一提的是,他是universal design 7项原则的提出人之一, 学术上的地位应该是了得的.
12 North Carolina State University 可惜没报, 该校是有奖学金的. 在人机工程方面是不错的,有重点实验室.
13 University of Cincinnati 专业牛校,早就听说它要求高. 有工作经验方面的要求.所以我申请时放弃了.
14 Purdue University 工科的牛校. 中国人很多.该校的工业设计应该说是不错的,最近两年在国际竞赛总获大奖,其中包括businessweek的那个bicycle. 系里老师都很有经验,有一个在GE干过15年,还有一个从学生时代起就是获奖专业户.
15 RIT,大家可能对该校不是很熟悉,罗切斯特理工. 该校的艺术排名不错,设计专业也可以.
在NY州. 会给些奖学金,1年5000的标准
16 Savannah College of Art and Design 很大的艺术类学校,每年找不少人. 今年我知道有个MM就是去这里. 该校是有奖学金的
17 Auburn University 上海的JJ拿到过AD,好象没奖.

elevensharpUID: 206909

原帖由 howto 于 2006-8-3 20:02 发表
对于学校介绍,我来补充一下.
1 Art center  现在最火的学校,课程受到一致的好评,有机会很想去听听. 所以很羡慕楼主能去. :)
2 Pratt Institute 纽约的艺术类学校,费用高,狂发ad的那种,我认识的两个兄弟都拿到过 ...

LS补充的极是。
Stanford的program貌似是和IDEO合作的。因为IDEO的老板David Kelley就是该校毕业的，所以么近水楼台了。 我对Stanford的非理性崇拜纯属个人喜好，呵呵，实在太牛了，搪也搪不牢啊。。。
CMU确实是偏人机互动方面的。因为我工作是做汽车内饰设计的，所以开始想如果申CMU的话就自己先定个方向，汽车内饰人机互动啥啥的。乱想乱想。。。结果因为要求GRE成绩两年之内有效，而我的已经3年了，所以只好作罢。
OSU。我知道我同学以前公司的设计总监去年去的OSU全奖。那牛人好像experience非凡，所以也不好比较。
ASU。呵呵，LS的果然打听的比较清楚。美女真的很多，美国美女大学TOP2的学校。吐血。。。在Phoenix，沙漠啊沙漠。。。
NCSU。这个倒是没有好好关注。主要我是申请完了才看到这份排名的。如果像LS所说的有重点实验室的话，的确是另眼相看了。
Purdue。偶们学校的传统友好学校。可惜我实力不济，再说申请的也实在是太晚。Purdue近年来出了很多设计比赛大奖。包括去年Microsoft和IDSA合办的Next Generation电脑设计比赛的三个大奖之一。
GALTECH。也是偶门学校的传统友好学校。core77论坛里头老美说是属于accelerating上升势头真旺的学校。值得期待。
最后再补充一个瑞典的Umea Institute of Design（a上面有个句号），上次忘记一起说了。欧洲ID牛校。MID分Transportation Design， Advanced Produc Design和另外一个什么方向我忘了不好意思。学生获奖无数，去年Braun学生大奖就他们那里出来的。一部分学生免学费的。去看看学校的网站就知道瑞典人做事情的严谨态度了，课程规划写得清清楚楚，我觉得比任何一所我申请的美国学校的网页都要详尽。Umea的很多老师都是各大车厂、设计公司的资深设计师，教学非常认真。课程里头要做很多实际program。瑞典这个地方除了比较冷以外，本身也是学设计的好地方。Volvo, Saab, IKEA, LEGO都是那里出来的。上次看到一个中国大陆的JJ从Transportation Design毕业以后就留在Volvo做interior designer了。崇拜一下。有兴趣的也可以看看，不要在美国一棵树上吊死么。

elevensharpUID: 206909

哦哦。。再补充一下
Savannah College of Art and Design
我们学校今年有人拿到5000$/semester的奖学金的，不过是Graphic Design。听说费用也不是太贵的那种，在39000$以下。以上消息有待查实，仅供参考。

wudanyueUID: 171510

实在是太感谢两位前辈了!!!!   那么多详尽信息呢^-^   咱们工设总算也有那么具体的总结了，激动ing！！！
高人请继续,期待中……

lyhcynthiaUID: 2178647

wow~~~~
thanks for your sharing~
terrific~

howtoUID: 2136824

原帖由 elevensharp 于 2006-8-3 21:49 发表

LS补充的极是。
Stanford的program貌似是和IDEO合作的。因为IDEO的老板David Kelley就是该校毕业的，所以么近水楼台了。 我对Stanford的非理性崇拜纯属个人喜好，呵呵，实在太牛了，搪也搪不牢啊。。。
CMU确 ...

haha,比我知道的多多了.赞一个. 我对欧洲的,澳洲的和亚洲的学校也有些研究,晚上再来做个总结.呵呵

howtoUID: 2136824

Assembling a Competitive Application for Graduate Studies
by Niti Bahn


Pulling together an application for graduate study can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you are applying to a number of schools or are applying from outside the United States. Each school has a checklist of requirements, and while there are key differences from school to school, with a little bit of planning you can ensure you have submitted a competitive application for your chosen program.

Here is an overview of the standard parts of an application with tips to help you. We have added extra notes and sections for international applicants.

The Application Form
While not the most important part of the application for admissions considerations, the application form is vital for proper identification and tracking of the rest of your application. Here you supply contact information, birth data, citizenship and visa status, as well as a summary of your qualifications. Taking the time to ensure that the application form is correctly and clearly completed smoothes the administrative aspects of your candidacy and enrollment at the university.

Application fee
Most schools require an application fee. Some specify amounts for international and domestic students separately. Ensure that you have filled out the correct amount and that the name of the school has been written as per the application guidelines. No school will process your application until the fee has been received. International students paying by banker's check or demand draft should write their name on the document. Never address the check to an individual; when in doubt use the name of the university to which you are applying.

Undergraduate transcripts and Grades
Most graduate design programs specify a minimum GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate coursework before considering your application. If you feel the need to strengthen your candidacy to an extremely competitive program, consider additional qualifications. This can include asking the Admissions Coordinator whether the school would consider scores from a standardized test such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to demonstrate your readiness for graduate study, or additional recommendations from professors familiar with your ability to do research, among other things.

Reviewers also scan your transcripts to evaluate the number of relevant courses you have taken for a particular program or area of study. If you feel your transcripts do not sufficiently reflect your area of expertise, this is where planning your portfolio properly can help you to demonstrate your skills.

If you are applying to multiple schools, it is often helpful to note which departments require transcripts to be sent directly to the program and which schools require the transcripts to be sent to the Graduate College at the university. Listing all the different addresses on one sheet will make transcript requests easier to fulfill and ensure your documents reach the correct departments on time.

The Portfolio
The portfolio is the most important part of your application for graduate study in design. At the graduate level, a professional portfolio is one that speaks for itself. For tips on creating a strong design portfolio, visit http://www.core77.com/design.edu/portfolio_tips.asp

Digital or Hard Copy?
Each school has requirements for what should be included in your portfolio submission. Some specify maximum and minimum sizes, some specify the exact size and some leave it up to you. If you are considering applying to a number of schools, take a look at all the specifications. Often, it may be easier for you to take the most rigorous specification as the criteria for creating your portfolio unless you wish to use different formats for different schools.

Do keep in mind:

A CD that requires special software to run, or will work on only one platform will not be evaluated as rigorously as one that is user-friendly and easily accessible to all reviewers. Test it on different machines to see if it runs. Have a friend check it out for you to see if the navigation features are easily understood. Keep it simple and, unless absolutely required, keep music to a minimum. If in doubt, see if you can upload your work to a URL as well. Write your name on the CD and the program to which you are applying. A little bit of common sense and planning goes a long way in making the admissions process easier.

Some programs recommend that a CD only be supplied as an addition to the hard copy portfolio. Not only do CDs run into compatibility problems, but a computer may not be available at a critical moment in the review process.

If a school does not specify a size for your portfolio, do get creative but keep in mind that the more parts a portfolio has—sample packaging, 3D models, slides—the more difficult it gets to keep it all together during the review process. Often the easiest and most convenient method is to take photographs of all your 3D samples and bind them together. Try not to get carried away with size. Oversize portfolios, while dramatic and outstanding, can be difficult to process and keep from damage.

The portfolio is a design opportunity in itself. Content that is concise and well presented will always make a better impression then covering your portfolio with fur. A colleague reported receiving a bowling ball sawn in half with a CD imbedded in it. It made a good door stop but didn't get the applicant into the program.

Ultimately, apply some basic common sense when creating your portfolio. It will be handled many many times during the entire application process, not just by faculty members and the Admissions Review Committee, but also by admissions personnel, temporary staff members and the US Postal Service. A simple sturdy binder or slide pockets will survive and reflect your creativity far better than beautiful-yet-fragile pieces that are partially damaged or lost during the process.

Essay/Personal Statement/Letter of Intent/Statement of Interest/Autobiographical Statement
What is usually being requested is: 1) a statement of your interests in design and how you came to have those interests, 2) what your goals and ambitions in the field of design are, and 3) how the program to which you are applying can help you to achieve those goals.

In describing your interests in an area of study and how you came to have them, try to focus on particular educational and occupational experiences you have had that could account for your interests, rather than just personal experiences. Try to share experiences that reflect on that part of your reasons for seeking graduate level training. If you cannot find such reasons, perhaps now is a good time to think about whether advanced design education is for you.

As for your goals and ambitions, you should try to be as specific as possible. When candidates are asked: why do you want to go to graduate school or what are you interested in doing in this program? A common reply is "I just want to learn—I'm open minded—I want to study a bit of everything—and then I'll decide on my career." This can be taken to mean that you don't know why you want to go to graduate school, and that you have no idea what you are interested in studying. You should try to be more specific, while at the same time showing openness to learning new things.

It is wise to apply to schools that fit with your own interests. Do your homework. Decide whether this is the kind of specialization you want to do. Some schools are heavily research oriented, requiring a master's thesis in order to graduate. Others focus on individual creative expression and the arts. Still others are business oriented with a focus on design research and methodology. It is at this point that you should have a clear idea of the reasons why you are choosing graduate study in design. In this case, the goodness of fit between your interests and the schools you apply to is crucial.

Many schools look at their graduate programs as a collaborative experience. The students come in with a wide variety of expertise. It is important for the school to know what it is that the applicant will have to offer their peers and the program itself.

Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are extremely important. They can help you and they can hurt you. The most helpful letters come from teachers who have had considerable contact with you, especially in non-classroom settings such as Design Studio or Design workshop.

If you have been out of school for some time and worked professionally, letters from employers attesting to your professional design skills are some of the best letters you can send. This demonstrates your ability to solve complex problems in real world settings for actual clients. It is better to send letters from employers, clients and coworkers who have observed your creative problem solving skills, team work and communication skills, than professors who may not remember you from more than six years ago. Also, don't include letters from public officials or professionals with whom your contacts have not been of a professional sort.

Some schools provide a pre-printed recommendation form to be filled in. It is good idea to supply an additional letter that gives the writer a chance to reveal more about the applicant. It's a pretty good bet that they will check off only excellent and outstanding on the form.

Presenting Your Materials Appropriately
All of your communications should be typed. Don't send anything hand written. You should be certain that your letters are grammatically correct and that they contain no misspelled words and no colloquialisms. Have someone else read your letters to proof them. Most correspondence is by email these days. Do use proper English as far as possible; while we understand that English is not the first language for many international applicants, neither is "netspeak."

International Applicants
Since mailing parts of your application to the United States can be expensive and/or time consuming from many parts of the world, you may consider placing your entire application in one large envelope for each of the schools you wish to apply to. To ensure validity, you can request your professors or employers to place their letters of recommendation in a separate envelope, sealing it, and signing across the back. The same can be done for your transcripts. A checklist of all the items enclosed will assist Admissions staff with processing your application quickly and accurately. If you pay the application fees online by credit card, enclose a printout of the receipt email or make a note of the date of the payment and enclose with the rest of your application. This will cut down on valuable time spent contacting each applicant to ensure his or her application materials are complete.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and other Admission Tests
Most graduate admissions committees require the TOEFL for international applicants, and a few require the GRE. Every school specifies the TOEFL cut off score—check to see which has the highest and obtain the best scores you possibly can.

Take the test early so that your scores are available by the admission deadline. Incomplete applications are not usually considered, and when they are, the fact that they are incomplete reflects poorly on the candidate. If you can, take the tests in October. If you take the December test you could be cutting it close. If you have to take the December test, follow up with the graduate schools right before their deadline and make they have received it. Many countries offer the TOEFL or the GRE only in specific months. Planning can thus be very important. Ensure that original scores from ETS are sent directly to the program. You can also insert a photocopy of your student score with your application to ease the application processing.

What do you do if after all of this, no one admits you? If you are committed to further training, it makes sense to try again. Examine the reasons why you were not competitive. Was it a bad letter? Poor grades? Lack of experience? Did you apply to too few programs? Try to correct these problems. Many schools are willing to discuss with unsuccessful candidates how they can strengthen their application for another try.

Good Luck!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Niti Bhan is a global nomad, neither fully immersed in the West nor entirely at home in the East. With background spanning engineering, business and design, Niti is most adept doing what no one does best. Her present incarnation is as Director of Admissions at the Institute of Design, IIT.

howtoUID: 2136824

core77上的一篇文章,很好的申请指南.

vigilwangUID: 203758

RIT那所学校在USNews上怎么没有排名？实力如何？
瑞典那所设计学院学生都是免学费的，那位女设计师的文章我也看了，说课程都是大厂（捷豹，沃尔沃，雷诺·····）的设计师来上，羡慕········
生活费写的要6300瑞士法朗一个月，月和人民币5700多，好像挺不错啊：），值得考虑