This is going to be a post with strong words so be warned. And to the IDCians I know, I don’t mean any disrespect, this is my personal experience.
It all started with me wanting to become a product designer quite a while back. When I gave my CEED exam the year I was graduating (2008), I was not aware of the procedure of admission at IDC (Industrial Design Center) and presumed it would begin after the results were declared. To my shock, I find from the day the results are out, I have only a week to prepare my application and send it by post all while I was working at Cisco doing my internship. “What logic is that?” I said to myself and dismissed IDC as a bunch of people who didn’t know logic. I was ignorant, forgive me.
Cut to 2009, I am working at a design studio run by an ex-IDCian. I now know a lot more about it and I consider it to be one of the top design schools in India (or atleast my research told me so). I was more keen on applying abroad – but decided at the last minute to give it a shot. My CEED score from the previous year was valid this year too. So I fill in my application, complete the three “tasks” allotted and send it in. During this application process I discover that the CEED is merely a qualifying exam for IIT Bombay and a host of other colleges. The colleges then conduct their own tests to shortlist candidates for admission. No logic here either, the CEED is a good exam! According to me, it is a pretty good indicator of your aptitude for design. Anyway, I am noone to decide this, so I went along with the process.
One month later, the list comes up on the IDC website with my name on it along with 300 others. I am supposed to receive a call letter confirming my selection for the next round but I get none. A quick phone call to the IDC office and they say it’s ok, come along anyway. So me and my friend (who incidentally also got selected) book flight tickets for Bombay for all the three days of the selection process.
Cut to today – 18th June, 2009. Reached Bombay early in the morning and reached the IIT campus just in the nick of time. Had a tough time finding our way to the Convocation Hall (the venue of the test, considering IDC is part of IIT – they should do something about their wayfinding signage – it’s pretty pathetic!). The test entails designing a vegetable carrier to be mounted on a bicycle. According to me I had a pretty good solution and I had presented it well. I noticed that the table in front of me (bearing roll no IDC-067 – if you’re reading this, congrats you got selected!) was empty – ABSENT!. Results were to be announced at 5 PM.
Off Topic: One warning to people joining IIT Bombay – Hostel 6 is pretty sad. Manipal hostels rock!
Back to the topic: We decided to drop back into the main IDC building to check it out and look at our future department and the kind of work that’s going on. To be frank, I was very very impressed with the Visual Communication dept. Swarna – the design degree show was on all the work done by the grads this year were on show. Again VC was impressive. Most people designing mobile applications seem to be over inspired by the iphone icons though – no originality in that respect. Product design was not too impressive and I shall leave it at that. Outside there were posters of each department (there are 4 – product, visual, animation and interaction) with a one liner tag line for each. Anim said: We not only move lines, we move people. Interaction said: Let the two halves of your brain interact (or something to that effect). VC had a good line too. PD said “Aesthetics with practicality”. Hmmmm, now PD is not only aesthetics is it? and who does copy for things like this! Totally put me off. Back to the main topic, I seem to be straying a lot.
A First List was published with selected candidates and was immediately withdrawn since it contained gross errors – candidate’s name appeared twice etc etc. After another hour long wait, the next list came out and to be frank I was pretty confident that I would clear the test atleast. I didn’t. Neither did my buddy. I went through the list a couple of times, checking each name twice just to make I hadn’t missed out. Surprise! Surprise! Roll 067′s name is on the list! Wow!
Ok now here’s the deal. If the profs who conduct this selection process are reading, then listen up! You don’t call 300 people to Bombay from all over India just to give a test (300 in PD, I’m not sure about the numbers in the other depts). If you’re calling them to your city, atleast give them a chance to talk to you, give them an interview. You don’t send 210 people back on the basis of not clearing a test. This is the design field, you cannot judge somebody’s design capabilities by what they do in a 1.5 hr exam. You need to look through their portfolio, see their work and talk to them about their ideas. If you had to conduct a test to reduce numbers, do it in the major cities, or do it as a part of the application, or do it online!
I am quite relieved that I was not on that list. Because joining such a design school would be quite a waste of 2 years (You may think this is a case of sour grapes, it probably is). If you read my previous post it talked about design education in India and the problems with it. Now the confusion is gone – it is “to go”.
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Hey read your post man … that really sucks. I know a girl who did her M Des at IDC, but what’s funny is that she came to RIT to get her MFA after that. I guess that says something.
Last year, In the 8th semester, I looked at all the design colleges in India too, I emailed people at IDC with some basic question, they never bothered to reply back. I freakin paid 400 bucks or something like that to join this design community thing they had started, they cashed the check, but never even sent a postcard!
Apply to the US, Germany, Switzerland, UK … anywhere but there. The professors here (and everywhere else) are really passionate about teaching design and very professional. And the stuff all the students around here do, is truly inspiring.
Best of luck
Well, atleast you know you’ve made the right choice now, right?
@sumit – yeah i will apply full on end this year
@deepak – yup totally! major confusion averted!
IDC, IIT BOMBAY, . . .. is definitely not the place to be
I happened to meet an interesting faculty on an executive program in premier institute, the faculty was from UK and is a significant man in his field of innovation. he’s working with the Indian government to set up a model IIT out of chandigarh. Well the govt has recognized that the IIT’s are a major suck story in edu today. the findings are that the teaching faculty are concerned more about the size of their quarters and dearness allowance, according to him – the finding says that the IIT’s began losing its quality from the third batch of its inception. i also work with few clients who are an alumnus from IITs – i can’t tell you about what they feel about it. so i’m not surprised about what has happened.
Contrary to your statements, the IITs in India are held quite high as the most prestigious institutions for engineering education in the country. The kind of craze for it among school kids graduating from high school is simply astonishing. IITians tend to have a better place in society as well. Sadly, the Design Center at IIT Bombay is run by a small set of people who have been given a free rein regarding admissions and administration. The lack of a governing body has lead to a drop in quality and back door entry has gained prominence.
Most important basic quality that is required for a designer is humility, which you are clearly lacking and I dont think you will atleast attain that in near future. Yours is just another outcry from an immatured mind which can’t clear IIT JEE or CEED and such exams.
Your over confidence is on full display when you feel that your design solution is pretty good enough for the selection. IDC does not select people with immatured mind, disrespect for elders and over confidence. I am pretty happy that you had lost the scope to be part of this family.
No where it seemed that you made a small effort to understand the research that students do as part of their projects. And your impression is always biased on what appears externally. Let me remind you that IDC is a not an art school, it is a design school where problem solving methods are taught but not exactly about how good it has to appear …. Mobile applications are designed to solve the problems of rural semiliterate women, people suffering with hearing problems and for unemployed labour etc., but definitely not to look like iphone or any equivalents. You did not take an iota of pain to read the stuff on the panels but passed on judgements just by looking at images.
IDC is very much part of IIT and enjoys the considerable freedom which is required for a creativity driven institute. Making allegations on most senior faculty about their functioning shows that you first need to go back to your school to correct your moral sense.
I reiterate my happiness for not having you as part of our family. All the best for your future endeavours.
@vijay – your comment probably represents the other end of the spectrum from me. I am on this side and you are on the other side. Not that I’m regretting not getting into IDC or anything, but it’s just that I was not given the chance to prove my credentials. It’s confidence and not over confidence in my abilities – and that is what is driving me to take all the unconventional decisions I have made in my life. I would’ve been a Cornell graduate by not getting a fat paycheck somewhere in the US but that’s not what I did, I chose to stay in my country and do whatever I can to make it a better place.
But seriously I could not get over that line under Industrial Design outside your graduate show. Show some creativity guys.
@saurabh – thanks for your comments – you were not as critical as your friend Vijay, but again, I regret the fact that I was not given a fair chance to prove myself.
Note: This is the blogosphere and I believe our country is a free one. If you have a lot of nice things to say about your institution I suggest you start a blog.
Hey Siddarth,
How are u now?
I am a VC student at IDC. And partially agree (remember not fully agree) with what you have posted here.
Abt CEED: Its a one day performance test to filter the bestest. So Rank never matters, provided that you are within top 300.
Abt the 1.5 hrs Studio Test: Its unfortunate that test eliminated 210 students this time. Last year (in my time) everyone was called for interview, as there were lesser no. of candidates.
Moreover, i think (subjective), the faculty has a plan for a batch. Lets say, a combination for a batch (in PD) which they would like to see as a batch. For example 4 architects, 3 Mechanical Engineers etc in a batch. etc. etc.
They are very experienced and trained people. They know what they are doing. You should understand they can only pick 15 out of thousands. They read your mind through your sketches. They are not bothered about your enthusiasm or desperation towards IDC or IIT.
Still, its impossible to trace a pattern in their selection process, but surely they have one.
Remember, you can always do things in life without IDC.
Still you are invited to visit IDC, attend lectures(anyone can), apply for RA etc.
With this, i still can not counter the emotional content of your argument, as i also consider myself deserving + Lucky:) to be in IDC.
You can still take the easy route to being a Designer by joining any institution in West, like one person mentioned in this thread. In India, you will always be in a trap of ‘Tyranny of Competativel Luck’.
Best of Luck
Saurabh
Note:
Please do not defame my institution in blogosphere. You can always use RTI, if you want to challenge the selection procedure.
Hi Siddarth,
I sincerely thank you for this post for vocalizing your experience. I assure you that this has not gone waste.
This has been brought to notice if the concerned and I have received feedback from the faculty that this matter will be discussed for sure and proper steps will be taken in terms of improving the process in future.
This is not a excuse but even though elite..IDC / IIT still remains a Indian Government enitity..I don’t think I need to elaborate about this matter further…
And the impression of the design school is a vary valid agreement. I was not aware about the design field in general..and I already had an admit for MBA at another IIT when I was trying for IDC. It was my impression about design as seen by the displays at Design Degree Show 06 that I decided that IDC is the place I want to be. It was a very very inspiring experience 3 days before my interview and life changing for me.
So addressing the emotional part that Saurabh did not..I would like to mention that all our achievements in life are not directly result of our talents/expertise…there is a lot of randomness built into this world..which makes it interesting…sometimes its good for us soemtimes its not. I think I was lucky that Interaction Design started the year I applied..I was sure I cannot pursue VC/PD as good. And all the people I had talked to before that had been trying for multiple years to get into IDC. I was in IDC after knowing about it a few days before the last date of application process.
And the time since then, I think it was a good decision to have taken up IDC instead of MBA and after visiting a few places around the world I have realised why IDC is considered amongst the top ones of the world. I learnt a lot during my 2 years in IDC..not just about design..about a lot of other things too..my perception, thought process & goals in life have completely changed post IDC…. and for good.
@ Vijay: Humility is not just quality of a designer..its a quality of a good human being…and I feel really sad that your message starts with it but in essence your message completely lacks it.
Cheers,
Parth
Interaction Design 08
IDC, IIT Bombay
@parth – thank you very much for your comment. and yes I do agree about the randomness, that’s what puts the spice into life
@kumar – sorry about your eyes tearing! but I shall look into the readability aspects of the colour scheme although I think it’s not a problem for most people! About foreign universities, they don’t do tests. They see your portfolio and judge by the work you have done to see what you are capable of. In IDC, portfolio is not even considered. About being aware of design, I think I am much more aware of design that’s going on around the world than the average IDCian. I work for an ex-IDCian, and he is happy that I did not get through IDC so that says something right?
@sumit – thanks for the support. I think we need to get a couple more people studying design outside India to comment about this matter.
@vijay – I am not interested in filing for RTI to question the selection process. I understand that the faculty are also designers and they have their own reasons as to why they chose who they chose. When I said I didn’t speak to the faculty it didn’t mean that I wanted to talk to them personally. I wanted a chance to show my work and show what I’m capable of – it’s that simple! And if you’re so fixated about research, process and all that you forget about creativity, then that’s not the way to design and I’m glad that I’ve not gotten into IDC.
@aniruddha – design-less? sorry buddy harsh words warrant harsh replies. You’re blog is pretty interesting and your poems are pretty decent, maybe you’re in the wrong field. Try journalism.
@sanjay – thanks for the comments. my intention was not to continue this thread at all, but so many IDCians commented today that I am actually feeling really good that they have said all the things that they have. And big comments warrant replies no?
@ravi – just by your comment I can make out that you have a really big head. good for you. just curious – you have your portfolio up somewhere that I can take a look?
@atish – thanks for your kind words and putting the faith in me. And yes I shall work on giving some more reasoning in my portfolio – it’s something a few people have told me about. But I’m usually around when I show my portfolio to people so I do the explaining verbally.
Read your entire post.
And while I was halfway, my eyes started tearing.
Oh, it wasn’t because of emotional shock. It was more that the contrast between foreground and background color was so high that it pained my eyes to read through. I think you considered the design and users for your blog.
So first lesson : eat your own cooking and see if you can digest it well.
Coming to the topic.
How many students apply to foreign Universities (let’s say MIT or to be specific RIT)? and How many of them get selected? Aren’t they called for interview abroad for interviews? I hope the institutes are rich enough to pay for their travel.
I think you would have applied to other design institutes to in India. Won’t you pen down your experience of them too?
It’s not about getting through the test and getting a chance to prove, it’s about judging the design aptitude. And this judgement is based on 3 hours of CEED (you considered it pretty sufficient as judgement criteria) + design exercise and portfolio + few hours of studio test and finally the interview. There is considerable amount of time between CEED score release and application to institutes and final interview/studio test. I think most of the applicants would start preparing for the test and portfolio meanwhile. So time is never an issue.
Coming to the pain point.
Not been given a chance to prove.
As I mentioned earlier, an applicant reaches the last step of selection (interview) after getting filtered through 3 stage tests (which I think is followed everywhere and is sufficient to judge a designer aptitude). And it not at all means that you are out of the race. You can develop that aptitude and attitude by working out design solutions. There are many people who have failed twice and got into IDC the third time and just to mention these people hold key positions in other design institutes and companies.
I can only advice you to visit different Design schools or atleast their website and see the kind of work being done and then personally go and visit and have chat with professors. They are humble enough to guide you. And yes students will also be equally helpful. I think to pursue your dream you can atleast do that.
I am sad that you lost a chance this time. But tomorrow never dies and you got to excel.
Let me know if you want any guidance or put out more wrath.
kumar.ahir[at]gmail.com
@ Saurabh Tewari … lol who told you it’s easy to get into design colleges in the west? I agree they don’t have exams like the CEED as part of their selection procedure, but its really pointless if you ask me. How can you ever judge the design problem solving ability of a student in a 2 hour test? That’s what the portfolio is for.
@ Vijay Pavan … you seriously have some magical powers! Just by reading this blog post, you came to the conclusion that the author is over-confident, immature, and has no respect for elders?
I understand everybody loves their own school/college and that probably is why your comment has such a rude tone to it. But trust me, anyone who has taken Design Critique classes can tell you that the student work that comes out of the IDC is nothing compared to most of the work that we see here.
I know the effort that goes into research projects and thesis work is phenomenal, but from what you’ve written it seems that you’ve got the definition of Design wrong. When somebody says an object is well-designed, it does mean it solves usability problems, but it also means that it is not an eyesore. There is enough ugliness in this world! Create something worth looking at, something worth holding in your hand and admiring. Problem solving is important, but a good designer also has the ability to take smart and efficient design decisions. Not that you would know anything about that? By the way it’s really funny that you couldn’t problem solve your way out of your own resume! Look at the inefficient use of space, the widows and the use of hyphens instead of em-dashes.
Saurabh clearly gave a clever idea of RTI to question the selection process, but you are suggesting us to write a blog …. hence I believe you are doing a great disservice to the country by not going to Cornell university and gain fat checks. That is the best fit for you. Please go there and that’s the best way to prove your confidence than bashing at an Indian institute.
IDC or any such institution does not require a blog to state about it’s reputation. I am replying to your blogs only to help you to to correct your mindset but not to hoist the flag of my institution. No such institute’s reputation will be degraded by outcrying souls like yours.
And IDC professors are always available to talk to anyone. It is just that you have to send a prior request for appointment and stick to the timing with a bit of moral ethics of respecting the elders. I dont think you atleast made an effort to discuss with any Industrial Design student about their concept, research, method etc., before questioning their creativity.
Dear Siddharth, this country is a free democratic country but that does not mean that you throw mud at all directions because you could not get out of a pond. Learn to build the bridge in a creative way and prove your designer skills
@Siddharth Vanchinathan
I totally understand you ranting your frustration onto a public forum and as India being a democratic country, you have every right to express your displeasure.
I wont go on and on and put in how IDC is a great place to be in and how you should have the tenacity and humility in you, which are a designer’s prime weapons.
IDC does not lose anything at all by words of detractors like you.
I will sum up the whole thing is a single quote by Sir. Winston Churchill himself,
“If you are going through hell, keep going”
If you are smart enough, you’d get the message. Best luck for your ‘design-less’ future.
hi sid,
I’m an IDCian, and a frog in the well. In the sense that I don’t know much about the design programs in other institutes. Its perfectly alright to feel bad about what has happened to you. I mean, even I would have felt the same way. You have every right to write about it too.
Move on I would say! There are better things in life 
Well, some the things that you said is true about this place. Selection process defies logic here. When you see the final mix of candidates nobody is sure why they got selected. At least that was the case with me I would say. But that’s the way it is here.
Backdoor entrance- I’m afraid you are completely wrong. Lack of governing body- you are right to some extent. That’s what gives this place the freedom it needs. That’s why this place is different from rest of the IIT and fun
About the projects lacking creativity and all, that’s something debatable.
This place gives you all the facilities and hones your existing skills, but I have my doubts how much one can teach you to become creative. That’s something individual.
You don’t need an IDC to prove yourself in terms of creativity, design whatever. Write your story when you become successful someday and thank IDC for rejecting you
I don’t mean to to discourage you. It’s a good thing that you made your point, but I’m not sure how much it will help you continuing the thread beyond this point. Unless you want to start a campaign!
And the pain you have suffered during selection process, hopefully it will be addressed in faculty-student meetings.
Cheers
Siddharth,
The way you are crying about not getting into IDC, just shows how immature and over confident you are. I think you need to grow up and start analyzing yourself first and then put forth a comment against institutions like this.
I would like to ask you just one question. Have you thought of applying to NID? If yes, did you get selected? If no, why not? Just because you think you are a great designer, doesnt prove so. And if you really want to prove yourself, then stand up and fight… Not by cribbing about the selection process, but by getting yourself enrolled in a better institute than IDC and scoring over IDCians.
And if you are thinking of Western Institutes, any Tom, Dick and Harry can pay a fortune and get into them…
I am sorry if you find my words harsh… but its time someone knocks sense in you tiny little head…
Hi Siddhartha,
I saw your portfolio, its really gr8 especially PD work. Just try to give some reasoning in it and make people understand why you did that.
There must be something better waiting for you friend, don’t worry keep up the good hard work. One day it will pay back, be cool and easy going life will provide you opportunities. Some are born lucky and some become lucky by their hard work and dedication.
Trust me something better is waiting for you.
All the Best friend.
Atish.
After I read some of the replies to Sid’s post and saw Churchill’s quote, I felt the need to quote a famous designer for a change. Massimo Vignelli says -
“Creativity needs the support of knowledge to be able to perform at its best.”
And im sorry to say that some of the creatives who have commented here have very limited knowledge of design and design education in general. Or at least it seems like so. If you’ve studied at IDC, i understand the cause of your rage, but stop saying non-sense about colleges in the west when you know nothing about them. By the way, it was really funny when someone in the comments thought that colleges in the west fly you abroad to appear for interviews … lol … I really hope you were just being sarcastic or something.
Also, I’d like to mention here that design and creativity are not an inborn talent. All the skills of a designer can be learned. Pay attention to the minutest of details, understand what the user wants, research the job at hand thoroughly, communicate things to the audience clearly and you’re halfway there.
I was shocked that Mr. Ravi Kumar thinks it is easy for any Tom, Dick and Harry to get into a design school at the MFA level abroad. Seriously! … do you have any idea of what’s happening around you in this world? You think someone will let you into any of the reputed schools in the west just because your parents have money? … You need a strong portfolio, and an ability to express your ideas in writing and in speech. Its not like a GRE or a GMAT exam where you can practice a few tests on a CD, write a few essays and cram 4000 words and get through. And oh by the way, most MFA programs here don’t admit more than 15-20 students per batch, so if you’re a numb-skull, no matter how much money your daddy has it will not get you into a good design school.
There are enough international students studying design in the US/Europe who work 3 jobs a week, live on scholarships and stipends and even pay loan installments at the same time. These people have confidence in their abilities to apply for loans and come here to study. These students want to get their design education at the best possible place they can and that is why they go through so much. I am one of these people too. Perhaps, IDC is as far as some of you can go for financial reasons and I understand that, but thinking it is one of the best design schools in the world is a very wrong thing to think.
Sid — I read your blog post and wanted to reply immediately but life came in the way. (I say that so I am not making any excuses!) Now I have read all the comments and there is so much more to say — I just don’t want to go adding @X or @Y at this. So while I address some of the issues that came up in the thread, I hope the people who are really interested have the patience to read on.
I’ll start with my personal experience first. It was after my Architecture internship (where I did a lot of furniture design) that I decided to get into product design as a career. And like most logical people, I went into a thorough research of which schools to go to, visiting NID, IIT Mumbai and Delhi in the process. Someone from IDC above spoke about humility, and that is what I think the biggest difference between NID and IIT was. While none of the schools tried to SELL me their education, NID emphasized on me having to be “good enough” to be at the institution, and what I got out from there was that the place was bigger than the people. I (personally) disagreed with their attitude because I think it is the students that make up the place, and without us, there is no institution. On the other hand, IDC showed so much humility, that I was advised that if I had the opportunity to go to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, I should not think twice. Even if I had to borrow all the money in the world, the experience and the education was worth every penny in the world. And while I recommended both the places to my classmate who was looking for a premier design education in India (and ultimately went to IIT Delhi), I decided not to give the CEED exams at all. If I want to spend two years of my life getting an education, I want it to be at an institution that has the right balance between believing in itself and believing in me.
Addressing Sid’s post and his “outcry” (some say like an insolent child) about not getting into IIT — when I read it, it’s not a cry against not getting into the school. It’s a cry against injustice. How does a person who was not even present at the examination get into next round? That itself invalidates all the reasons of faculty decisions and his work not being the best solution or any other excuse that might come out of IDC. No matter how stupid his solution was (and knowing Sid there is not a chance in the world that it wasn’t well thought out), it was better than NOTHING! I don’t get how many of you have failed to see that!
There was a mention about the research process at IDC, and that Sid did not take the time to read the posters that were up. I have a background in research, and you do not do it to write it on a poster. You do it to inform design. And if someone fails to get the “aha” moment while looking at your solution, there was something wrong with the research. When I present my work at conferences, by the time I build up to my solution, people can already imagine what it is going to look like. We are all visual people here – and pictures are worth a 1000 words!
Freedom and creativity — that has been a debate for years. There is a mention that IDC is not an art institute but a design school. Well, when a person has all the freedom in the world to work on a blank canvas, that is art. Design is about constraints — and design schools are about constraints! We have to work within these to come up with the best solutions. And not excuses for not doing it right!
Studying in the West is not an easy route, and nor is it only for the people who can afford the education here. The application process is extremely different and more logical. It is based on your portfolio, you statement of interest, and your research goals. And by the way, they do have interviews. One doesn’t need to fly out to the end of the world — a phone call is enough to hear the passion and enthusiasm in your voice. And all institutions have their “ideal” mix of candidates. At Art Center — half the people have a product design back ground, quarter are architects, and quarter are engineers/physicists/ sociologists. They try to maintain a 1:1 ratio of males to females, as well as get a good mix of people with various levels of work experience and nationalities. It is this unique mix that creates the challenging atmosphere in the studio that an institute in India cannot replicate. And learning to design for a totally new culture where you did not grow up and do not have preconceived notions of how things should be has been more helpful in learning about people and really listening to them (which ties back to the research process!) And yes, if you are interested in designing for India, you can, and the holistic view certainly helps you come up with solutions that are breakthrough results.
Time and moral ethics, now that’s a question for all Indians. I met a person at an Art Center lecture who had spent his summer teaching at IIT. He was amazed at how disrespectful the students were towards time, and how they would not show up at class on time EVER, or not show up at all. Time and moral ethics need to be instilled at a human being level, and no institution at India can teach you that. But certainly coming to a school where everybody is on time and no one takes a day off without reason can make you change yourself!
Sid, you do not have a “design-less future”. I have had the opportunity to know you and know your work, and all I have to say is that you will be an asset to whichever institution you choose to attend. It was IDC’s loss — not yours. So make sure you apply to Art Center in December, and I’ll see you here next Fall!
@Siddharth Vanchinathan
Thanks, but am already done with my fair bit of journalism experience. And design does attract and need domain knowledge from all fields and trades – from medicine, to journalism and from psychology to musicians.
Thanks again. I saw your work and it is pretty interesting. Best of Luck for your future.
Dear Siddharth,
Here I just want to share my experience. There is no claim to prove anything. Your post reminded me all the enthusiasm, tension and pain I have gone through while attempting for the admission at NID, IDC-IITB, CPDM-IISc, DP-IITK. But it is worth to mention that I really enjoyed the exams and interviews. After engineering background it was a thrilling experience to go through such kind of aptitude tests.
Like you, I was shocked by the result of IDC. With CEED rank 9, I got admitted to all other institutes except IDC. But then I met a girl who didn’t get through either with AIR 5.
I joined another institute and started my design career and came know there is a lot to learn in design and this is the career I want to pursue.
Next year I again applied for IDC and got through. Funny thing is after previous failure I only remembered all bad things and when I got selected I only noticed good things. But I am sure the process didn’t changed in a year and it is very same even now. I had a classmate that time who got through in the fifth attempt. This is the seventh admission process I am seeing in IDC. (about ID-067: Are you sure that this student was absent? because there were few students who came little late and allowed to sit backside so that they would not disturb other students.)
I know the admission approach of IDC is quite a capitalist and need to be little humanistic. From admission procedure to design education IDC and all other institutes have their positive and negative points. But after some time it doesn’t matter much. You are on your own in this wonderful field. So just explore it.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope if read by any authority it will lead to some administrative improvements. Best of luck.
Hi Siddharth,
In your post, all you did was bash two things:
1. Selection process of IDC
2. Product Design work at IDC
You applied to IDC(1) for product design(2) and got turned down. Big surprise that you bash those two things so much? No.
I saw your portfolio. I have seen a lot of portfolios of people who have passed out, gotten through and even failed to get through to IDC. Here’s a news flash:
You are not special. Your work is alright, it is not extraordinary.
So, here is what I think: You are a bitter, bitter person. There is nothing more to what you have said than that.
In your bitterness, you have not only tried to smear my institute, you have also laid your unworthy finger on the work of my batchmates. All you have done through this post is to blame a procedure for your failure. You criticized the work of post graduate level students of IDC. You criticized the judgement of IDC professors, who are known all over the country and the world for their excellence.
So, Siddharth, here is what I would hope for you: I hope that you dont go through all your life being such a bitter person. It would be a waste of a life.
Well, I read your post and subsequent replies… And have to admit that they were all interesting in varied proportions. I am too going through this weird feeling of not seeing my kid brother’s name on the final admit list after the grueling screening process at the IITB (something akin to “Darn! How the hell could they reject my ‘one of the most talented designers in the world’ brother!” etc.
). But that’s the way life goes…
However, no matter how bad I feel about the end-result, the respect for these institutions would never mellow down in my view, as these are only few of the places here which give you (if you may) more than a half-chance to take a shot at a truly global career; it’s an individual story afterwards though.
The selection process is a prerogative of the institute, and your not making through it doesn’t in any way declare you unfit or lacking in aptitude (this shows splendidly from your confident writing). I’m sure you’ve got a lot of support and talent to make it big out there. I read an ArtCenter grad student’s comments as well and she ranks you pretty high. If that’s one of the better places then you sure are in good company.
I could hear a lot of things regarding the quota related pruning of pre-final/final tally etc. and may be you missed out on that by a whisker.
Current and past students from IITB would definitely feel enraged by your comments (and they are entitled to it too), but I hope the faculty reads the bigger message between the lines. Hopefully next year would see a more streamlined and well-defined process which doesn’t go by a linear equation say X engineers, Y architects and Z CS-grads equals total seats, and rather starts truly evaluating individual capabilities with greater insight irrespective of plain mathematics.
Never could one wish for more complexity in life than this place eh!
Wish they solve the p-Laplacian difference equation next year.
All the best to you and all the designer folks out there trying to get into IITB.
By the way, I’m not a designer and hereby do not expect any retort to any inadvertently made educated guesses and illiterate comments pertaining to your trade, but nevertheless would take the stray ones in my stride.
To life!
~
@vijayant thanks for ur comment. p-Laplacian? I thought Laplace transforms involved only an ‘s’ variable, there’s a ‘p’ also? ahhh brings back memories of 4th sem maths!!
Man, is this crybaby bitter complaining chain still on? I guess, or rather am pretty much sure, if you had put the same effort in your portfolio, you would have been in IDC now.
As an reply to your question, yes, i do have a strong portfolio, but unlike some, i keep it low profile and present it (verbal or actual) only when it is required. Maybe it helps in avoiding to blow your own trumpet and shamelessly cribbing when people dont hear you.
Now back to my question, how did your NID tests go? Did they just kick you out in one go (which i doubt, otherwise we would all be reading a My Tryst with NID too), or did you think you are not worthy enough to appear for their tests?
Anyways dude… one small advice… Go get a life. And by life i mean something more than going on the internet, creating a website and putting your thoughts in it. Nothing bad in that, but trust me, there is more to life than the internet… Try it… Go out for a walk on a nice rainy day… have some hot tea.. some hot snacks… get wet… get drenched… wash away your bitter feelings… and start afresh…
@ravi sorry but the comments thread will not be closed. And if ur really outraged by my blog why do you keep coming back!? I’m not blowing any trumpet, I’ve just put my portfolio online so that it is easy and convenient to show it someone who is not sitting next to me. If anyone’s blowing any template it’s you guys – circulating a mail and all internally about this post. Yeah?
And about my portfolio, if IDC gave me the chance to show my portfolio, then I might have had a better chance. Anyways no complaining as I said earlier I am glad this happened – helped me make up my mind.
Good question… I keep coming back to this post again and again, coz it sort of refreshes my childhood memories… It reminds me of this boy in the next building, who would always want the best things for him… So many a times, while playing cricket, he would just bat and run off home, without fielding or bowling… and then when we decided to take him off the team, man… wat a tantrum.. wat a fuss… he cried and cried and howled and howled and got his mom and dad on the ground, and asked them to scold us for not letting him to play (or rather just bat)…
Anyways, those days are long gone… but i can see that same streak in the post… crying and shouting and howling and complaining and… so on…
By the way, a point which now i cannot ignore, why is there no reply from you about NID? Not something in your league is it?
I say to hell with IDC and to hell with NID…. Lets start a Siddharth Vanchinathan Institute of Designed for the Intellectually Challenged… The best insitute in the industry, which not only looks at the portfolio of every student, (even if the portfolio is just below average and even if the IQ is below minus 50…) but also gives you free classes on how to crib and complain and start posts to defame anyone and everyone who they think are worthless piece of junk…
@ravi – YOU apparently! Atleast according to Sumit. LOL Really man, you crack me up! Let’s have this discussion over coffee sometime? Maybe if you come down to bangalore sometime? Or will you be at the Design Yatra this year? Or have you never heard of such a thing? Bitter feelings? Check your comments man, I think you are way more bitter than I am. Someone out there gave you a reality check in life and you didn’t like it.
Also, as per your suggestion I can’t really get drenched here in Bangalore, it’s not raining too much, maybe I should come to Bombay sometime – I hear it’s raining pretty well there. Yeah well, NID I never tried. Maybe I should give it a shot now that you have encouraged me so much.
Yeah and I like the idea of starting a design school that does look at portfolios. It’s not a new concept btw, all design schools apart from yours truly do that.
Sid thanks for not closing the comments thread!
Some of the comments are really hilarious … I’m pretty sure somebody’s getting paid to keep coming back and write non-sense that resembles something out of … i don’t know … perhaps a Yahoo Chatroom? ;p
So who are you paying Sid? Some sort of a cheap publicity stunt is it?
Oh.. So are you really paying me SId? Well… thats good news for side incomes..
Yeah sure, lets meet over a coffee… would love to meet the high and mighty crybaby in person… Sure lets meet at Design Yatra… Good to hear that you would be joinin us thr…
Well, if its not raining in B’lore, hard luck for you. Maybe you can apply to some western uni’s and hope it rains there…
So, finally the answer about NID… May I ask why our Hero didnt apply to NID? Not enough courage? or is NID a too big a name for you? Or was it the stamp of IIT Bombay that pulled you to IDC? Thought you could make some easy money with the IIT B stamp huh?
Dude, and about the reality check, yup, we all get our reality checks.. but some stand up and fight and some write blogs and defame institutes… and trust me, currently heading four design teams, i really dont think life could have been better than this.
Good for you man, seriously. Let’s call it a truce, we’ve fought enough!
No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please don’t stop…. It’s been fun… Continue, please do, and give jobless people like me something entertaining to do….
Commenting on blogs without leaving a link to your own blog/website does have its advantages ….. look at this guy … he’s heading four design teams it seems!! ;p … for all we know he might actually be heading 7 or 8 … but chooses to lie about it … lol
well yup.. it helps from useless people going to my websites and commenting about it… and then dissecting and defaming it in public forums…
and exactly my point Mr Paul… I dont need to brag or show off my work unlime certain losers and failures i know. I keep my work out of the limelight. People who need to know about me they do, and people who dont, they are free to assume i head 8 teams or 28 or may be none…
Hi Sid,
I like that you have been honest about your experience. I have come across some brilliant guys from IDC and some not – so brilliant folks as well. My take is that you don’t really need a masters. You are good enough and you have it in you.
Just continue building the momentum and you’ll reach where you ought to. Yes a part of this comes from my experience of not having studied design at all and yet running a design studio. I realized to make it to IDC / NID etc it’s not only CREED and other exams but SUPER LUCK that needs to be with you. And of course money for 2 years!!
If you are good in 2 years you will make some money, set up your own small design house and yet be content.
I agree though that a good design school will surely hone you up but alas for a nation of a billion, only 150 seats in premier institutes is just mockery!!
I believe you either have it in you or you don’t.
From what I’ve known you I can vouch that you have it in you. Just don’t give up!
May Design Win!
@others – Internet has gives us all the freedom to rant and rave. Now that we are connected by one common thing (design) lets do something better than this? Setup an online design school for india? A design wiki? A showcase for all indian designers? c’mon!
Hi Siddharth,
I am an ex IDCian and I happened to come across your blog.
I am not really the kind who would bother to post comments but a particular comment that refers to me, so I thought of clarifying some points.
I understand how you feel and question the selection process at IDC. Aspects of it are questionable, but you have to understand that IDC is a part of IIT Bombay which is a government entity. Even though it is a design school, IDC is obliged to follow IIT protocol in terms of selecting students. I am sure you would have said nicer things about IDC if you got selected…
@ Sumit Why I decided to to an MFA after an MDes from IDC was my personal decision. I believe it should not be used as a scapegoat to question what is taught or the work that comes out of IDC.
I attained a great deal from my education both at IDC as well as RIT.
Hi….
I am a mechanical engineer with work experience of two years. A car designing freak at mind. I was doing my M.Des. at IIITDM, Jabalpur, but i got admission in IDC Mobility and vehicle Design this year. I left my M.Des. studies midway to join same course in IDC. It means one year lost without work ex. and salary. Still i am a happy man with no complaints. As i have the opportunity to design cars.
So dont complain that things are bad around you…. just keep following your passion and one day success will be there……any design institute with holistic approach to design is good. not just IDC but other schools are good if they are able to provide platform to satiate thrust of design in budding minds.
Hi Siddharth,
I came across your blog just by chance and would like to know if you’ve already joined some design college. I am sure you have, if still in India and still applying, try MIT ID Pune also, i am a student there and presently on with an internship in bangalore.
I hold IDC high in my list of top colleges for their resources and exposure and not to mention a strong faculty base. I personally feel that IDCians follow a strong, grounded practical approach of problem solving, especially in the Industrial Design department and I think their quote “Aesthetics with praticality” only highlights their approach of leaning a bit toward “function” followed by looks.
True PD is not only about aesthetics but it is as much about it as its about function. For instance it can be a nightmare for a Prod.Designer to generalize the visual or “formal” cues that make a “good looking” product for masses.
Don’t worry about not getting through IDC, I did not too and trust me am not a bad design student either. I am happy with what i have learned and what i learn every single day….and ain’t that the purpose entirely
good cheer
@Satyam – I am currently doing my graduate studies in Industrial Design at Art Center College of Design
– http://gradid.net