WHAT DOES THE REVIEW COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY LOOK FOR IN A PORTFOLIO WHEN IT IS ASSESSING APPLICATIONS FOR THE ID'S MASTER PROGRAM?
Your portfolio should describe both the depth and diversity of your creative experiences in the art and design fields. Illustrate your creative abilities, design process, 2D and 3D communication skills, and your understanding of materials and fabrication. Look at your portfolio as a visual resume. Either a CD or a printed book combining images of your projects with written descriptions and explanations is the preferred format for review in the ID Department.

I COME FROM A DESIGN BACKGROUND OTHER THAT INDUSTRIAL DESIGN. DO YOU ACCEPT CANDIDATES FROM OTHER DISCIPLINES, AND IF SO, WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN YOUR CANDIDATES?
Approximately half of the students in our graduate program come from a non-ID background, which helps provide diverse points of view about design issues. We have applicants with degrees in architecture, engineering, anthropology, graphic design, fine arts, marketing, etc. Our ideal candidates have the ability to think critically, the visual communication skills to operate in a graduate program, and life and work experiences that enable them to have personal perspectives about design in our culture.

I HOPE TO APPLY TO THE ID GRADUATE PROGRAM NEXT YEAR. BECAUSE MY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IS NOT IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, WHAT COURSES SHOULD I TAKE IN THE INTERIM TO SUPPLEMENT MY BACKGROUND AND THEREFORE ENABLE ME TO ENHANCE MY PORTFOLIO?
Taking a general product design course will give you insight into the design process of the industrial designer. Visual communication skills are imperative in order to operate effectively in the graduate program. Therefore, learning CAD, drawing and model making can be beneficial. Courses that supplement your making skills are also of value and may include taking a materials-based course in a medium such as metal, glass, textiles, ceramics or wood. Please note that within the two-year graduate program electives can be taken in any of the above-mentioned areas.