Carnegie Mellon ID Students Visit Beyond Design
Last Friday, six students from the Carnegie Mellon Industrial Design program visited our studio for a tour of our building and to check out what we do at Beyond Design. The class makes a trip to different cities throughout the year to check out design firms – typically visiting west coast cities in the spring and cities closer to Pittsburgh in the fall/winter.
As with many people who choose a career in ID, nearly all of the students mentioned that they happened upon ID by chance – they were never taught about it in elementary school, middle school or high school. There are so few middle schools and high schools that offer NPD (New Product Development) programs in the U.S. and it seems to be the norm that many students go to college without ever knowing the field exists.
One of the things that we reiterated to the students is the importance of participating in an internship while in school to gain more experience in the real-world of design. While Carnegie Mellon does not require internships, they did say that the majority of students will partake in at least one before they graduate. Not only are internships a chance for students to learn more about NPD from professionals in the field and improve their skills, but it also gives them a chance to network with others in the industry.
The students seemed to have a positive outlook on the field of design and the many opportunities it offers. We hope we were able to teach them a little more about NPD and what is most important when first entering the field. Thanks to the students from Carnegie Mellon for visiting our studio and for the delicious chocolate (very nice wrapper)!
If you’re interested in setting up a studio tour for your school, please contact Jessie.
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