On April 14th, the Pratt 19th Interior Design Career Night was held at the Herman Miller showroom in Manhattan. Undergraduate and graduate students were able to present their portfolios to industry leaders for review, a much-welcome change from the virtual format of recent iterations, a necessity due to the pandemic.
Keynote speaker Mavis Wiggins, managing executive at TPG Architecture and Pratt alumna, encouraged students to “challenge us with new ideas and unconventional thinking.” They eagerly did just that as they presented their work to the architects and designers from AvroKO, Gensler, HOK, IA Interior Architects, Perkins&Will, Rockwell Group, Rottet Studio, Snøhetta, STUDIOS, Switzer Group, and TPG Architecture.
Indeed, for all of the learners in attendance the event provided an opportunity to showcase their original designs in person, something they have recently missed at school and out in the field as they consider any number of paths. “It’s an awesome occasion for our students to meet and speak with some of the top firms in the world, to practice presenting themselves and their work with the hope of gaining employment when they graduate in May. The opportunity is valuable,” noted Jon Otis, Pratt professor and Career Night co-founder.
MFA candidate Dylan Roberts explained that education changed almost immediately, and students banded together to ensure that they would continue to develop their skills even during lockdown. “We lost all of the activities that are a part of student life overnight.” In response, he co-founded Students Teaching Students, an online event series where students provide live software tutorials. All of the sessions are recorded, archived, and available to current and future students. Roberts said to date that the group has hosted 14 events and engaged more than 300 participants.
Although Roberts and many of his fellow classmates are already working in the industry, student-led projects and teams outside of the set curriculum were key to concentrating on post-graduation development. “I learned how to prepare my portfolio and hone my interview skills, not just focus on my coursework,” he added.
Graduate student Lily Dzis said that learning via Zoom was enriching but not the same as the one-on-one interaction of pre-COVID days, and that displaying and explaining work on a screen was particularly challenging for her. “It was hard to fully present or collaborate. It was a different way of sharing information, and it wasn’t always easy to make adjustments.”
Students were praised for their inventive output, especially during a time of such disruption and uncertainty. “I could see firm principals delight in the students’ work and their forward-thinking ideas. It seems the two-year shutdown actually increased the students’ creative skills as they were limited with outside distractions,” said A&D consultant and Pratt Career Night co-founder Diane Barnes.
Patricia Duval, a design director in the IA Interior Architects’ New York office, noted that this year’s group boasted a surprising agility in balancing personal and college commitments, while making significant professional strides. “It was illuminating to see the entrepreneurial spirit of the student designers, and learn more about their design skills through detailed presentations. What captivated me the most was to learn that many of the students are joining the interior design field as a second career, transitioning from other adjacent disciplines such as sculpture and textile design.”
With the caliber of its students and academic programs, it is no surprise that Pratt has been ranked number seven out of 230 U.S. and international art and design colleges in the recently released QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022. Published annually, the rankings assess the world’s top universities in 51 individual subjects based on academic reputation, employer reputation, and research.
Such accolades highlight Pratt’s success as an institution, while Career Night is a celebration of the students and their vision for the future. “This was a formative night of ‘next steps’ for the evolving design generation. A job offer was made and accepted. This encouragement shows promise for the Class of 2022,” Barnes said.
