Deciding Your D-School Major - Part 2

If you have been able to guide a child through some – if not all – of the things mentioned in Part I, then in all likelihood, you have been able to narrow down choices to 1-2 disciplines within the gamut of creative careers. More often than not, when you are able to narrow it down to that level, the next step that comes into play is choosing relevant courses. Now each discipline has a range of courses available to study at an undergrad level. So how do you choose which course might be the best? Well, for starters, it is advisable to choose a generic course at an undergrad level that may allow a child to venture through multiple areas within that discipline.

For instance, if you have been able to narrow down a child's interest areas to fashion communication or graphic design, then consider courses in graphic design or visual communication (viz-com). A viz-com course will cover things like branding, marketing, motion design, UI / UX etc. which may equip a child with skills that may be transferrable to various industries let alone fashion. It may allow more room for experimentation and exploration. Within the viz-com course, the child may choose to work on fashion-oriented projects should the course be able to accommodate it. Generally, courses in universities abroad offer that kind of flexibility.

At this particular stage, you can also consider involving a mentor from the art / design background to help you out with a student's case. Practicing artists or designers who are connected to academia may be able to offer insights into programs that may help you as a consultant to advise your students. So, reach out to academies or institutes, connect with people on LinkedIn or even your friends / families when necessary.

Let the students dig

Once you've recommended a few courses (keep the selection broad), let the students dig into these courses by themselves. Suggest a few colleges with these courses and ask the students to begin by reading up on the curriculum. Most colleges publish a detailed curriculum and going through it will enlighten one on what s/he may be studying for the next 3-4 years should s/he choose that course.

Furthermore, encourage students to attend any events that a college might do wherein theycan learn more about the course or the studying experience at that college. Help them find ways to connect with current students from their universities of choice and let them engage in conversation about the course, the college life, the city and more. A decision to study at a college is influenced by several factors apart from just the course and its curriculum.

Collate all the information

When you put together the information and knowledge that you have gathered along with that of a student's, you'll realize that choosing a course or a college becomes much simpler. A process that you may perhaps be following for several other disciplines too. Nevertheless, there are instances where none of this works. Where you have perhaps not had enough time to filter out courses or even allow the child the time to do his/her own research into colleges. In such cases, keep it open. Let the student walk into a college undecided and enroll into a foundation course. But follow the college-choosing process even for foundation programs for not all are broad in terms of subject exploration.

Consider the new

Design education now also offers a choice between theory and practice. Occasionally, you may find that a student is inclined towards the creative careers but does not perhaps enjoy the practical side of it. Not all are keen on working with hands, with materials or with tools to design something from scratch. Some are perhaps more oriented towards thinking like a designer and operating in a process that is akin to designers. In such cases, courses like Design Management, Service Design, Experience Design etc. may be options to consider.

Some other alternative courses

1. Creative Computing (science x design)
2. Creative Robotics (science x design)
3. Culture, Criticism and Curation (humanities x art)
4. Fashion Imaging and Illustration (2D design x fashion)
5. Fashion Styling and Production (3D design x fashion)
6. Interaction Design Arts (science x design)
7. Art Direction (humanities x art)
8. Business, Design and Technology (science x business x design)
9. Psychology of Fashion (humanities x fashion)
10. Design for Climate Justice (humanities x design)
11. Immersive Media and Mixed Reality (science x design x art)
12. Design History and Practice (humanities x design)
13. Integrated Design (humanities x design x art)

Additional suggestions

The suggestions I make below are very broad, but they are based on what we have experienced in the past with our students at the academy. It is advisable that you consult a professional mentor from the art and design fields to validate some of your observations and matching course suggestions.

Note: This table is not definitive and not backed by any science. It is subjective and purely based on observations made about some of the students I have worked with in the past at Uno Lona Academy. The suggested directions are merely broad starting points. Steps mentioned in Part I would then help narrow these directions down further.

As education consultants or counsellors, you perhaps deal with hundreds of students and hundreds of different colleges and courses. It is nearly impossible to know about every discipline or subjects thoroughly, regardless of how often you may have dealt with some of them. Education is continuously evolving and the career landscape is constantly changing. What I have mentioned above will change sooner or later. But the fundamentals may remain the same. And through these two parts on guiding a student towards a creative career, I hope you are able to add value to your students as well as your practice.