My passion for Science & Art; SOP MFA, Graphic Design

Hi, it's almost time to finally turn in the applications for graduate study and I'm still not sure if my SOP is up to the mark. I don't know many people who can review it, so posting it here. I am mainly trying to make the flow of thoughts... well. Fluid.

Any and all feedback would be much appreciated!

For Rhode Island School of Design, the word limit is 500-750 words - "Please use the below space to type/cut + paste a written statement (500-750 words) outlining your interest and goals in pursuing graduate study."

For Arizona State University, it is within 600 words - "Please submit a personal narrative (maximum 600 words or two pages typed) indicating your interests related to this field of study, previous academic and practical background, as well as personal and professional educational objectives. Please address why you selected this particular degree, in The Design School at Arizona State University."

The following essay is 595 words.

Communication. One of the very first problems man tried to solve, and after a 100,000 years, still imperfect.
The aim of communication is to convey a message to a person or a group of persons, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Expression on the other hand comes from the inner-self, and the interpretation is left open for the person being expressed to.
Design is communication. Art is expression.

I have always been fascinated by science and technology, and passionate about art. It was only natural for me to be enchanted by the digital art form. I love creating art that is based on mathematics in some way - fractals. Patterns. I have carried the same approach over to composing photographs, paintings, and designing interfaces using the rule of thirds, the chromatic scale, and the golden ratio to guide me.

Design is understanding a problem, arriving at a solution, and bridging the gap between them. The coursework undertaken to complete my undergraduate degree in production engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut, has enabled me to look at problems analytically, and find a practically viable solution. I have applied this knowledge to my work as a freelance graphic and web designer, in designing interfaces and products within constraints set by clients.

I have an aptitude for programming, and have a working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and javascript. This has enabled me to build designs based on ease of implementation on the development front. This approach enabled me to win Designathon 2013, a UI/UX design competition conducted by the Times group in New Delhi, India. There were over 100 participants from all over the country, including many experienced senior UI/UX designers.

While at college, I was a member of various clubs, and became the lead designer and managed the design front for these. I was also involved with designing promotional material and websites for our college's cultural and technical fests, which is the biggest in South India and one of the biggest in India.

Recently, I read "The Elements of Typographic Style" written by Robert Bringhurst, and it evoked a sense of awe and intrigue towards typography in me. During the course of my postgraduate studies, I would like to get to know the field of design more intimately; and branch out from UI/UX design that I have been focusing on till now. I want to explore the realm of design, and learn the art of typography. I would like to study how and why type form has evolved over time, and how it is influenced by evolving technologies. I would like to understand WHY certain typefaces 'feel' rigid, while others feel fluid. Why some feel warm and welcoming, while others feel cold and curt.

Attending art school is the next logical step in the pursuit of my goal to become a successful professional in the field of design. The three year graduate program in graphic design is well suited for my needs since it is designed for students without an academic background in design. (College name here) will allow me to interact and learn with like minded people from across the globe, and provide much needed exposure which I believe is crucial for any good designer. Being a part of the graduate program will help me evolve as a designer and hone my creative skills, leading to a successful professional career.

Communication. One of the very first problems man tried to solve, and after a 100,000 years, still imperfect. I want to nudge it a bit towards perfection with my work.

One of the very first problems man tried to solve, and after a 100,000 years, it is still imperfect.
I have applied this knowledge to my work as a freelance graphic and web designer, and in designing interfaces and products within constraints set by clients.

I would like to understand WHY certain typefaces 'feel' rigid, while others feel fluid. Likewise, I am interested to knowWwhy some feel warm and welcoming, while others feel cold and curt.

much needed exposure which I believe is crucial for any good designer
perfection withof my work..

Frankly, I like your writing style.


-- This one is actually a sort of writing style used to highlight something. You reiterated this sentence on your conclusion part, which is really great! It is another writing style used to achieve coherence. We have different strategies to achieve COHERENCE: overall pattern, transitional terms, and repetition.You usedrepetitionlogically!!

Hey niesaysi! Thanks a lot for the reply and feedback.

I'm glad you like my writing style. I've written it the way I have because this is the most direct way I would be conversing with the faculty. I wanted the tone to be conversational, hence the style I've adopted which doesnt adhere strictly to the rules of written communication.

See for instance your point about "Why some feel warm and welcoming, while others feel cold and curt". Starting it with a 'why' feels more conversational to me, like someone is talking to me. But of course what you suggested is the more correct way to write.

Any thoughts / suggestions on this, keeping in mind that the sop is probably the only personal statement they will get from an applicant before admitting him?

Also I'm glad you liked the repetition - that is my personal favourite about my sop. =D
Although your suggestion about changing "with my work" to "of my work" would change what I'm trying to say. I'm trying to say that communication is still imperfect, and as a visual communication designer, I will design work that will nudge communication, as a whole, a bit towards perfection. That is my ultimate goal. Hence it's the concluding line as well.

Thanks for your feedback, looking forward to your reply (and sorry for a late response from my side). =)

I think this is a pretty good SOP. I generally go by this guide line;

Except for the background and final summary, I feel you've done a good job with other section.
Good Luck!

Hi Dumi, thanks for your feedback!
My application deadlines are already gone, I pretty much rewrote the whole essay and think it is much better now. I don't really need feedback any more since it won't be any help, but can share it here if you want. =)