Hey Robert, It sounds like you have a good start so far...watching this list and really thinking about applying to school before you actually apply. I wanted to go to grad school for many years now, but it never made complete sense to me until recently. And now I find myself in Malmo, Sweden, attending the Interaction Design Masters at Malmo University. So first step, make sure you are ready.
I wouldn't let your "un-design" background scare you off from applying. Currently in my 2-year masters program, we have a very diverse background of people in the class: business, management consulting, fine art, direct from bachelors for interaction design, usability, programming, web design, graphic design, and others I've forgotten. Some people are straight from a bachelors, and then others have been working in between. If you have the drive and interest in design and interaction, and you are honest about how you represent yourself and what you know, that is sure to come across in your admissions essay. So secondly, make sure you are ready to dedicate your time to design. Nothing can be more frustrating than working with someone on a project that isn't passionate about what they are doing/designing. For my admissions, I had an essay, portfolio, and design challenge. Luckily I have had the last 10 years of web design experience to draw on for my portfolio, but I also included items from my photography portfolio as well. Show things that you are passionate about (and that are hopefully somewhat "design" related). The beautiful thing about interaction design, is that it is all around us in various forms. I don't know about the schools that you listed, but my admissions included a design challenge. They gave me some background information on a fictitious person and then posed a challenge to design something that supported the person's needs. If your schools require this, it can be a really good way to show your understanding of process and creative problem solving. And of course, visit the schools and talk with professors and students to get a better idea of what the school is about! Show them what you have so far, and ask what would make you a better candidate for their school. Read up and research what the school has done, and what their professors have done. Good luck and have fun! Email me if you have any other questions. Rob :) ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
