As creative communities go, the architecture and designA&D community in New York is pretty unique. Resiliency is part and parcel of living in a dense urban environment; most of us are professional, welcoming, full of good cheer – – and there’s a fair amount of gossip. We tend to celebrate and cultivate our creativity more than scrutinize or cannibalize it, at least when the economy is doing well, and it is certainly doing well these days.
One of the more uplifting annual events in the A&D community that encourages opportunities for young designers just entering the workforce is the Pratt Career Night. Hosted by Jon Otis, owner of Object Agency and pProfessor of the Exhibition Design Intensive Program at Pratt Institute, and joined by Stone Source Direct Senior Vice President Diane Barnes at the New York Stone Source showroom, this introduction to the business of networking between students and senior design professionals is now in its 12th twelfth year.
, Diane Barnes (Stone Source), Myonggi Sul (Pratt), Karin Tehve (Pratt), T. Camille Martin (Pratt).jpg)
“We are pleased to have had the opportunity to host Pratt Career Night,” said Joe MacIsaac, President and CEO of Stone Source. “We view our showrooms as a good resource for events like this.”
Impromptu meeting spaces were scattered throughout the Gensler-designed showroom that allowed students to visit and share their portfolios with senior professionals from such firms as Wilson Associates, Mancini Duffy, Rockwell Group, Ted Moudis Associates, Gensler, Studios, Ralph Applebaum Associates, SHoP Architects, Perkins + Will and Callison. Ms. Barnes further encouraged the students to take advantage of this rare chance of face-to-face communication with leaders of the cream of A&D interiors firms in the area.
“You may have forwarded your resume to some of these firms electronically by now,” she said, “but nothing beats a real-life interaction like this.”
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Indeed, the well-catered and well-attended event was brimming with hopeful graduates that seemed optimistic about fresh job prospects in their chosen profession.
“I was told many architects here are looking for full-time employees,” said Natalie Minott, Pratt class of 2015. “Today I feel like I have a better chance of getting a full-time position, as opposed to other career fairs I have attended recently. ,” she said. “I found most design firms were looking mostly for interns at other events.”
For Steven South, sSenior aAssociate at Perkins + Will, came to the event to find applicants for internships. “we have more senior level positions that we would like to fill, but I’m here today just for internships,” he said.
“TheEach student’s portfolio is important, but for summer internships we are taking a different perspective. One of the things we’re focusinged on this year is looking at a more diverse population of interns, and exposure for our internship program. In the past, the people we selected were based primarilymostly on their portfolios.
“We’ have since found that approach may have held back some great people from having an opportunity at our firm. Now, we are reaching out to different types of schools. and Wwe realize we are not hiring the next big design director position here, but our summer internship program is not all about what we can provide them. We also need to look at what they can provide us and how we provide those opportunities..”
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At Pratt, the vast majority of Interior Design graduate students come through the three-year program; the final year is called the qualifying year. “In our school,” said Mr. Otis, “it is very common for our graduate students not to have an undergraduate degree in design.”
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“My undergraduate degree is in art history, and I also did some work in the art studio in college,” said Pamela Ortega, Pratt Class of 2015., and I also did some work in the art studio in college,” she said. Working with a consulting firm on art placement at One Bryant Park shortly after construction, Ms. Ortega noted, “That was my first exposure to architecture and interior design. After that, placing artwork just didn’t do it for me.; I got interested in the many other details that make up each space. I think an art background is an excellent jumping off point to design; there’s so much interplay between the two fields.”
Like many of the students at the event, For Ms. Ortega has a lot of ideas about what her, her future in design might look like looks bright.
“My career goal right now is to work with a firm that makes people’s lives better.,” she said. “I’m most interested in discovering who the end -user is in the space and enhancing their day-to-day experience.”
After completing a yearlong thesis project, she is ready for collaboration with other creative people.
“It hasis been a really great project, but it’s has been primarily solitary research. The idea of being part of a team, working on a project together – , I find that to be very exciting right now.”
Looking back on her early experiences at Pratt, Ms. Minott remarked, “I was worried at first if I was creative enough for this school. John [Otis] and others reassured me, that was not the case, and then I came to I realize that interior design is a process.”
Coming to Pratt with an undergraduate degree in environmental engineering, heMs. Minott’sr early impressions of design and creativity wasconsidered that it was primarily a visual talent, and a precious gift.
“I have now come to realize that it is not.; I have immersed myself in the process of conceptual development through design schematics,” she said. . “What I have studied is really more of a science then just creative inspiration that pops into somebody’s head.”
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A graduate of Pratt in 2013, Rebecca Milne received a position as an interior designer at Perkins Eastman thanks to the Career Fair two years ago. “I ran out of portfolio print-outs when I first met Diane Goldsmith at the Perkins Eastman table,” she said. “She just saw my resume and we spoke.” It turns out, that was enough for Ms. Goldsmith. “She e-mailed me the next day, asking to see more of my work, and the rest is history.” With an undergraduate degree in neuropsychology and art history, Ms. Milne is now working in the healthcare studio at Perkins Eastman. with Ms. Goldsmith.
“I have always been interested in healthcare design, as it really allows you to design a lot of different types of spaces:; restaurants, corporate areas, lobby spaces, patient rooms, and so on. I have found that what people think of as traditional healthcare design is not really the way healthcare design is practiced today.”
Ms. Milne spends one day per week conducting research at Perkins Eastman.
“I’m currently working on a review of K-12 education trends; I also focused on that subject for my Masters thesis at Pratt.” For Ms. Milne, her work at Pratt informed the way she sees the business of interiors today. “I think healthcare is really transitioning now, and what most people consider as distinct typologies are really merging together now,” she said. “Healthy environments are trending a lot right now; we’re using research on what goes into a healthy project right now with the Winthrop Research Institute in Long Island.”
As dreams of a career in design turn into reality for a host of talented young designers at Pratt Institute, the exchange of personalities, ideas and respect was in full force atwithin the Stone Source showroom that night. I am sure this is only the beginning of a season of promising opportunities and good cheer for design students and design professionals alike. There is plenty of work out there for all of us; let’s give these kids a shot. I am sure we will not be disappointed.
