On April 12th, Pratt held the 20th annual Interior Design Career Night at the Herman Miller Showroom in New York City. Students were able to present their portfolios to architects and designers at leading firms, once again gathering in-person to connect and celebrate their work. “This is the second year that we are all here again, and it is really exciting,” said David Foley, chairperson, department of interior design.
After hosting the event via Zoom for the past few years, the energy at this year’s edition was palpable, as leaders from Gensler, Goodrich, HOK, IA Interior Architects, Mancini Duffy, Perkins&Will, Rockwell Group, STUDIOS Architecture, Switzer Group, TPG Architecture, and ZGF met with students to review their portfolios.
The class of 2023 was the first group of truly hybrid learners, with many individuals starting their graduate education virtually and ending up back in the classroom for much needed collaboration. “The studio culture is irreplaceable, because you are there with your classmates and bouncing ideas off of each other. That’s where the learning happens,” Foley noted.
Claudia Oertli started in the fall 2020 as a remote student in Texas, and for her second and third years she was in New York, where her greatest challenge was figuring out how to hone presentations. “I would work on projects at night, and then could sit anywhere on Zoom. It was difficult to transition to being in the studio and working on sketches. I had to figure out how to balance this in-person experience.
Miranda Fallon was able to adjust but has found the in-person experience more rewarding, Those first few months of my foundation year were incredibly challenging. I started as a hybrid student, and all of our slideshow presentations were on Zoom. I didn’t even print anything until my second year at Pratt because everything was online,” she explained.
Whether in class or at events like Career Night, Fallon noted that engaging with others has created added confidence to showcase her designs as she prepares to move from learner to professional. “It has been so much better to stand up in front of my classmates and have a physical model there,” she said. “It feels good to be able to sit down with somebody and share my paper resume or portfolio tonight. And to have these stimulating conversations with people I might encounter in the professional world.”
There were even more bound portfolios this year, with candidates discussing their desire to have something tangible and more personal to share. Boyan Wu had a canvas-covered book with several projects, from healthcare environments to hospitality settings, that prioritized sensory experiences. Presenting a physical piece is an extension of his philosophy of design, which revolves around creating tactile spaces that serve to inspire. “A lot of people say retail is dead, but I don’t think so. People want to have an experience when they shop, and I try to incorporate different lighting, textures, or the art of a certain culture.”
Pratt is noted for their rigorous design program, and even during the pandemic, the students were still driven to think outside the box. “Our instructors never let us settle on a weak concept. It was important to keep pushing and questioning. It really opened up new possibilities and forced me to be even more creative,” said Michelle Mina Son.
Professors encouraged the scholars to look beyond interiors and consider opportunities in furniture design or the arts, which is plentiful in Manhattan, a top cultural destination. “I would like to do exhibits, or even sets for film or the opera. When it comes to design, there are lots of things that you can do,” noted Nathalie Elzayn.
Keynote speaker and Pratt alumna Dani Arps, co-founder and head of design at Artisan, was happy to be in the Pratt orbit again. “It feels like a lifetime ago,” she said. “It was completely unexpected, but wonderful to be asked to speak.” She also noted that she sees much of the same entrepreneurial spirit among the students that Pratt helped to also nurture in her.
Arps is optimistic about what’s to come for the next generation of designers, and offered some sage advice as they embark on this next phase of the journey. “Now that you are back and begin to do all of the things that you missed out on because of the pandemic, really savor every part of it.”
