Writing Feedback / Statement of Purpose for Savannah College of Art & Design; R.E.A.C.H. Art. [3]

When I was twelve my mother enrolled me in after-school art program called R.E.A.C.H. Art. during the time period that I was enrolled, the handle on one of my mother's beloved coffee mugs broke. So, I made a new coffee mug with a thicker handle for my mother when the instructor taught the clay sculpture part of the curriculum. Of course I swelled with joy when my mother thanked me for making her the mug, but strangely enough, I experienced more satisfaction in knowing that I created something for her that she could actually use everyday for years to come. That experience sowed the seed in my mind that I could create something that could prove to be useful in someone's everyday life.

It is my goal to pursue an undergraduate degree in industrial design at the Savannah College of Art & Design. The most appealing aspect of the Savannah College of Art & Design is the harmonious balance between the school's rich academic environment and the historic culture of the city of Savannah.

My first introduction to the field of industrial design came my junior and senior year in high school; it was then that I took a mechanical engineering course in which we had to design floor plans for homes we would eventually build out of balsa wood. Midway through the course, in my senior year, we began using Auto-CAD to design machine parts, which was a new approach to designing than the customary T-squares, templates and compasses we had been using before. The most valuable lesson that I learned from the class was the fact that I could use my passion for perfection to create something that I could look back on in adoration of my design. The course also taught me the importance of taking pride in my work so that the final drawing exemplified my skills and solving.

Design, simply put, is a form of problem-solving, with the exception that there is never one correct solution. The key to any great design is for the end-product to be as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional and practical. This is what intrigues me about industrial design the most. When I am faced with a process or item that seems ineffective my internal response is 'There has to be a better way.' From that point on I take on the challenge of improving upon or inventing a better, more efficient method or model than what I had originally started with. Whenever I'm faced with a situation in which I am lacking the necessary tools or instruments needed to complete a task I figure out the basic function of that instrument and use my resourcefulness to create what I need from the objects that surround me.

The role of an industrial designer is to diagnose the problem, or ailment, that exists and then to concoct an artistic, but practical, antidote as a remedy for that ailment. Although, this process may require extensive research and multiple attempts, I truly believe that this approach to problem-solving is also applicable to some of the difficulties that we may face on a daily basis. I am thoroughly convinced that studying at the Savannah College of Art & Design would give me the academic foundation that I need in order to excel in this profession.