A Journey from Sports Science to Digital Design
My Experience at The New Digital School
Hello, I’m João, and I’m 23 years old. 6 months ago, I’d finished my degree in Sports Science, and I was waiting for the applications for the master in High-Performance Sports to open and trying to find a job in that area at the same time.
It all changed with a phone call
One day, I received a phone call from a friend of mine talking about The New Digital School (TNDS). I knew I’ve always had a “thing” for design, but never had the chance to pursue that passion. I grew up in a small village in the interior of Portugal, and my high school didn’t have the arts or design courses I needed to attend to apply for a university degree.
“My friend knew I’ve always had a “thing” for design.”
To be honest, I was a little bit afraid after that phone call. I’ve just spent three years studying sports and, even though I couldn’t find any job, it was a complete change of direction in my life. I had to think about it a lot. How could a guy with a background in sports, who only had a little experience making posters for parties using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop enter the digital design world? It wasn’t an easy decision, but in the description of the school, there were several things that made me go for it.
“How could a guy with a background in sports, who only had a little experience making posters for parties using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop enter the digital design world?”
The first was the “no design background needed”! Here, I didn’t need the path that traditional academia forced me to follow, I could join as a blank sheet.
The second thing was the entirely new approach that the school had to education. At the time I was another example of the typical and traditional academic path. And another failure! So this new point of view was what I was looking for. Without exams, or a strict plan, I could learn at my speed, determine what I wanted to learn and what I felt I should be learning; I wouldn’t waste time with something that I would never apply in the real world. I would also experience a lot that wasn’t directly related to the digital design area but would make me a complete person, who can talk and understand a little bit about this and that, and that would for sure complement my profile as a designer and as a person.
These reasons combined with the chance to learn with some of the best during the masterclasses and with the always present and untiring Tiago and Sara won me over!
After all my life pointing towards one path, suddenly, I was learning design at this new digital school.
“After all my life pointing towards one path, suddenly, I was learning design at this new digital school.”
Dirt roads, magnificent landscapes and diverse backgrounds
Here the days are never the same, today you could be working on a project, tomorrow you could be learning something that you’ll need for that project, or something that isn’t directly relevant to it but that for sure will be an excellent complement for your future. Most importantly, you’ll be having a say in what to learn next, learning at your speed, and taking the direction you want. In my opinion, this makes perfect sense, since it prepares you for the fact that you will never finish your education — what you can learn inside this digital design world in almost endless. At TNDS you will make your learning journey through highways, railroads, dirt roads, you will catch several planes and boats, and you will never know when you’ve reached your destination, and you will be very aware of that. One thing is guaranteed, though. You will see some magnificent landscapes, and you will be much more prepared for what is about to come, than if you only went through the highways academia sends you on.
“Most importantly, you’ll be having a say in what to learn next, learning at your speed, and taking the direction you want.”
Even after you’ve been working in design for a long time, you will still have more subjects into which you could go deeper and understand better. There will always be a different point of view that might spark in you a different vision that can add to what makes you a better professional. This different point of view most of the times come from people with diverse backgrounds. In TNDS1 (the 2017 class) we have a graphic designer, a sports teacher, an architect, a trading Instructor, a UX designer, a DJ, a 3D expert, a football player and coach, party planner, etc (I’m listing more than one role per person). All of this combined provided us with completely different points of view and new ways to approach a problem. These distinct personalities make TNDS and the days at the school a truly stimulating experience.
“When I stop and look back, I understand how much we’ve accomplished.”
Is it a match?
To be honest, sometimes I wasn’t that aware of how much I was learning. But when I stop and look back, I understand how much we’ve accomplished with all the projects, all the design sprints, all the masterclasses and presentations, all the discussions, all the work that we’ve been through, and I’m happy I’ve decided to study at TNDS. It was a complete change of career, but I’m loving it so far: the people, the design field, the school’s method, and the combination of the school projects with your projects.
It was a perfect match; I’m glad I swiped right.
João Andrade,
Proudly, UX/UI Design Student at TNDS
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Considering joining TNDS in 2018? Grab a virtual coffee ☕️ and have a chat with Sara! We’d be more than happy to clarify all your questions.
Have you made up your mind already? Apply until Oct 30th!
