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Mar 14, 2013
Undergraduate / I had no idea what "design" really was! ;Industrial Design Prog-California C of A [3]
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I need proof-reading, and please let me know if I addressed the prompt correctly. Thanks again! :)
A one to two-page essay must accompany your application. Your essay should address the major influences on your decision to pursue art, architecture, design, or writing. It should also address how you see yourself contributing to the CCA community, specifically with respect to the college's values, summarized below:
CCA understands the import role of artists, designers, architects, and writes in solving social, cultural, environmental, and economic problems. The educational experience we provide supports the following values:
Cultivating intellectual curiosity, risk taking, collaboration, innovation, compassion, and integrity
Fostering social justice and community engagement
Promoting diversity on our campus
As a child, both my parents worked late hours, which often left me home alone. As a result, in attempts to keep me occupied, my parents would often buy me toys to keep me entertained. I constantly kept myself busy by playing with cars, imaginary weapons, or anything else you could possibly think of. In my youth, I also discovered tools. By rummaging through my father's tools at an early age, I learned to make things work much more efficiently than they were originally. One of my hobbies was to take toys apart and put them back together- and when I broke the toy, I often would become curious as to why it no longer functioned. I tried my best to fix and address the weak points so in the future they would not break again. At this age, I had little to no idea that what I really was doing was designing. I had no idea what "design" really was, I just knew that I enjoyed it.
With such an abstract skillset, it was difficult to find a profession that actively engaged me. I was completely oblivious to Industrial Design throughout high school and college and consequently, I tried applying myself to several different majors. I gained valuable skills from courses in both sciences and business, but it wasn't until I took an engineering class that I finally found my interest in design. In this class, my teammates and I had to develop assistive technology that would help the disabled. I took the device, Life Alert, and researched the product- addressing the weak points of the device and working to improve the aesthetics and usability. It was this project that made me realize that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My curiosity and desire to always improve things had finally found a home, and it was at this point that I knew I wanted to become a designer.
These past few months I have dedicated myself to constant research and development in order to improve my design skills. Whether it be taking courses in drawing and furniture design, learning to vector on illustrator, or tirelessly sketching in my sketchbook, I have done everything In my power to prepare myself for the road ahead. There is not a day that goes by where I am not practicing and sketching to hone my skills. And I am doing these things because I have discovered that this is what I was meant to do. To me, Industrial Design is not only a job, but rather a part of who I am as a person. Grueling work and sleepless nights await me at California College of Arts, but I await them with open arms, ready for any challenge - knowing that I will only benefit from it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I need proof-reading, and please let me know if I addressed the prompt correctly. Thanks again! :)
A one to two-page essay must accompany your application. Your essay should address the major influences on your decision to pursue art, architecture, design, or writing. It should also address how you see yourself contributing to the CCA community, specifically with respect to the college's values, summarized below:
CCA understands the import role of artists, designers, architects, and writes in solving social, cultural, environmental, and economic problems. The educational experience we provide supports the following values:
Cultivating intellectual curiosity, risk taking, collaboration, innovation, compassion, and integrity
Fostering social justice and community engagement
Promoting diversity on our campus
As a child, both my parents worked late hours, which often left me home alone. As a result, in attempts to keep me occupied, my parents would often buy me toys to keep me entertained. I constantly kept myself busy by playing with cars, imaginary weapons, or anything else you could possibly think of. In my youth, I also discovered tools. By rummaging through my father's tools at an early age, I learned to make things work much more efficiently than they were originally. One of my hobbies was to take toys apart and put them back together- and when I broke the toy, I often would become curious as to why it no longer functioned. I tried my best to fix and address the weak points so in the future they would not break again. At this age, I had little to no idea that what I really was doing was designing. I had no idea what "design" really was, I just knew that I enjoyed it.
With such an abstract skillset, it was difficult to find a profession that actively engaged me. I was completely oblivious to Industrial Design throughout high school and college and consequently, I tried applying myself to several different majors. I gained valuable skills from courses in both sciences and business, but it wasn't until I took an engineering class that I finally found my interest in design. In this class, my teammates and I had to develop assistive technology that would help the disabled. I took the device, Life Alert, and researched the product- addressing the weak points of the device and working to improve the aesthetics and usability. It was this project that made me realize that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My curiosity and desire to always improve things had finally found a home, and it was at this point that I knew I wanted to become a designer.
These past few months I have dedicated myself to constant research and development in order to improve my design skills. Whether it be taking courses in drawing and furniture design, learning to vector on illustrator, or tirelessly sketching in my sketchbook, I have done everything In my power to prepare myself for the road ahead. There is not a day that goes by where I am not practicing and sketching to hone my skills. And I am doing these things because I have discovered that this is what I was meant to do. To me, Industrial Design is not only a job, but rather a part of who I am as a person. Grueling work and sleepless nights await me at California College of Arts, but I await them with open arms, ready for any challenge - knowing that I will only benefit from it.
