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Andrew Sun

How did you get started in your career?  

I was an international student and had to find a job within 3 months of graduating. I sent out a lot of resumes. I was lucky that John David Edison (an OCAD U alumni) interviewed me for a position in his company. I started my role as Junior Interior Designer a week after the interview. As a student I didn’t do any internships and instead opted to go home to visit my family, however, I would encourage students to do internships.  

 

What skills or relationships developed at OCAD U helped you participate in your field? Is there anything you would have done differently? 

I maintain contact with past classmates. OCAD U helped me find my passion. Some of my professors were so passionate, it rubbed off on me. Because of them, I was willing to study and be better. One of those that had a big impact on me was Stuart Reid. I believe that to have your own practice or to be a top Designer, you need passion to drive you.  

What is important for the field when getting a job are your technical skills. OCAD U provides a lot of design thinking, which makes OCAD U students stand out from students at other universities. 

 

Anna Keenleyside

What skills or relationships developed at OCAD U helped you participate in your field? Is there anything you would have done differently?

I developed friendships with a small group of friends from school. We all have found careers in different fields of the industry - Floral Design, Architecture, Interiors, etc. We were a very driven group of people and I think that surrounding yourself with like-minded people makes you push yourself to be better. I find that because the Environmental Design program had such a large focus on concept building, it makes me stand out in comparison to other programs that are more technically focused. Now, I really appreciate the tools I learned for concept building to create meaningful designs.

 

What are the key responsibilities you maintain for your practice?

I think that staying inspired is what keeps me passionate about my career. I am constantly finding inspiration through my creative friends, colleagues at work, and other designers. This is what makes me excited to go to work and bring new ideas to the table.

Yaw Tony

Why did you choose to attend OCAD U?

A place to nurture my creative and natural abilities.

 

Please briefly describe your current job / practice.

I am currently working as a designer and running my personal design studio.

 

How did you get started in your career? 

THARANKETHA KIRUPANESHAN

Beyond Hearing aims to make visible the invisible movement of sound. It looks at how humans can benefit from the earth’s underground resources, specifically, its natural soil structure and sound barriers. To elaborate, when one is faced with extreme noise conditions, the body’s natural response is to put more reliance on all other senses. More often than not, the main focus would be the sense of vision. The user is initially encouraged to visually analyze the space before the sound can be heard or touched. The physical presence of sound is meant to break barriers of what hearing is.

Mardela Salim

Look at the person beside you and take a look around the room. 1 in every 5 of us has suffered or suffers mental health problem, sadly, only half of us get adequate help. Driven by this issue: NOWHERE, NOW HERE is proposed as a thesis concept.

Yanyao Aria Zheng

Mika Zheng

Charlotte Zhao

Jiahui Yao

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