Hearing “Design in Tech 2017” after being accepted into an M.F.A. Design program
The other week I accepted into an MFA program to study Design. I’m overjoyed. The program has a great reputation and is located in the center of a creative hub. It yields amazing opportunities in both skill-building and networking. But, I’m not taking the decision lightly.
Any MFA Design program takes a considerable amount of time and money. If my goal is to make an impact through design but to do so while still living a comfortable lifestyle, is this really the right choice right now? I looked to John Maeda and his “Design in Tech Report 2017” for answers.
Before you read this you should 1) listen/read the report yourself and 2) consider the lens I’m looking at it from (someone who just got an offer from an M.F.A. Design program).
John— You seem to be alluding that business schools are bringing design (thinking) into the curriculum and that engineering schools are bringing (computational) design into the curriculum. If that’s the case then where should a design school exist? Is there still room, or a need, for a “classical design” education?
I know you were at RISD and the MIT Media Lab for a while John, so if you had that position today, how would it be different considering your Design in Tech reports?
I think why I find the report so relevant is because my future is uncertain right now, but it’s not totally uncertain. Can the Design in Tech Report advise me on what my future profession will look like? And how can I leverage my time now to be best suited for the future?
I’m fairly certain I want to work as a designer, I want to make an impact on the world through my creativity. I’m also certain that I want to do a lot more studying and learning to become a much better designer. And I’m certain that I want to make sure I can live a comfortable lifestyle while doing so. You could say, I know the “why.” The parts that are uncertain are the “how” and using “what” and “where.” But, I currently have this opportunity that I believe could help me get “there.”
Here is what resonated with me in the report as I consider graduate school as an option for getting “there.”
Classic Design vs. Design Thinking vs. Computational Design
Ideally, I’d like to be a nice melange of all three of these, but I know that’s not possible. So that being said, which of these can I leverage to be most successful? If I am to have “T-shaped skillsets”, where should the center of the “T” be? And the question that I’m trying to figure out now is — how would getting an MFA influence that T?
“At top business schools, design thinking is moving into the curriculum — driven by market demand.”
John alludes to how computational design is becoming more and more what the industry is calling for, but also seems to allude to how design thinking (business-thinking) will become more valuable. What I hope to gain from my MFA program is both how to be an incredible asset to the design industry, but (more importantly) also how to stand out. How can I leverage my education and learning to just that — making myself stand out?
One of my favorite insights from John was the role of the Bauhaus in German Economy. Maybe as this new industry continues to bloom we will need a modern version of the Bauhaus? Maybe that is NYU’s ITP program? Or MIT Media Lab?
“Design is blending with Engineering talent”
Engineering Talent is — very admittedly — something that I somewhat lack. I come from a photography background, and coding was never necessary to taking pictures. But it makes me think of what I can expect to be in demand when I try to enter the job market after graduate school.
“Code is not the only Unicorn Skill”
This was possibly my favorite slide! Not only because it’s something that I’ve often encountered while working as a designer, but also because it’s a mindset I will continue to take on as I grow as a designer. Some designers set themselves apart because they are excellent coders, some designers set themselves apart because they are great writers, should I learn to code or write at an excellent level or should I try to set myself apart with another unicorn skill?
“Acquiring Data, Business, and Leadership skills beyond the classroom.”
When I think about the skills that I will learn getting my MFA (how to speak about my designs, how to make design decisions, how to lead a creative practice), I must also think about the skills that I will likely not learn (how to invest against risk). And according to John, “most students surveyed say they learned their digital skills from resources outside their coursework.” How to learn these skills is a challenge, though. John mentioned Lynda in his talk, but is online learning really the best way to learn how to lead? And if it is — why don’t I just do my whole degree online? These are some of the questions I’m grappling with.
“Moving with the world is what Designers do.”
What will my designs be about? Can my creativity be used to push the digital fields into a better world of tomorrow? And can getting that M.F.A. help me do just do that? I think so, for me, there was two big takeaways from this report.
- Designers have been in demand, are in demand, and will continue to be in demand. Creativity and creative thinking will always be necessary in any economic climate.
- The industry is changing and will continue to change. Innovation is design, and design is innovating.
As the design industry moves at Moore’s law, designers must keep ensuring that all that speed goes in the right direction. As someone yet to carve a space for myself in the industry, I think it’s vital I take advantage of every tool, resource, and opportunity I can find to not only keep up but also to stand out. It’s my hopes that getting an M.F.A. will help me do just that.
