inds

Michael Madjus

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

I wouldn’t have done anything differently in terms of coming to OCAD U. There were a variety of skills that I got from my time at OCAD U that have helped in various jobs/career stops. As a student, we were taught to observe the space around us, which for me also includes the people. I also learned to question and challenge and think differently. I don’t think we would have proposed a four-person thesis team, and in turn, got to work w/ our client (Children’s Own Museum) had we not pushed the boundaries a bit. One of the biggest things I learned and have helped in my various professional lives was how to work collaboratively with people. My year felt special (something I feel everyone says about their class) and were pretty adamant about working together and bouncing ideas off of each other. There wasn’t the feel super guarded and protective of our work. We understood that collectively we could create better work than if we were off working on our projects in secret. It was in working with my peers that we were able to build relationships and connections. I am a big believer in embracing your network and not burning bridges. I’m also open to telling people when I’m looking for opportunities – my network has made sure I am supported. I’ve gotten a lot of jobs through my network.

Anne Gorgy

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

The most valuable skill I developed at OCAD U would be conceptual and futures thinking. It pushes you to understand the past and the present and the social, technological, political, economic, and environmental factors at play to create future opportunities. It encourages you to be open-minded, analytical, comfortable in ambiguity, and cultivate the ability for complex problem-solving.

The relationships I have developed at or through OCAD U has tremendously influenced and shaped my experience. I take pride in the network I have found or created. I have many mentors who are OCAD U professors or Alumni who I continuously learn from, seek their guidance, and work with.

What are the key responsibilities you maintain for your practice?

I always try to foster two key values; approaching my work with humility and an open mindset to create a space for learning, collaboration, and growth. I also maintain connecting with people in the field and learning from their perspectives and experience. Lastly, I try to keep my fingers on the pulse for emerging trends and evolving behaviours, while seeking inspiration through different mediums and disciplines.

Jessye Grundlingh

Please briefly describe your current job/practice.

My practice is very much informed by my time at OCAD U and specifically my thesis project. After a course in Sustainability & Systems Thinking, I first developed the idea for a DIY skincare brand that meshed my love of making cute products with my desire to help people live more sustainably. Design is a very powerful way to impact human behaviour, and we can harness it to change habits which ultimately change the planet!

 

How did you get started in your career? 

I had the opportunity straight out of school to start my own business. My first business was with another student I went to OCAD U with. We designed fixtures, furniture and did larger installation work including build-outs for restaurants and offices. I really learned how to design for clients in that business, and how to sell my designs to them! One thing you learn very quickly once you start working is that it’s not about you or your aesthetic or ideas- it’s very much about the brief, the customer and the price point.

I sold that business in 2018 to start my new business- Make This Universe. MTU is very much based on the lessons learned the first time around. It’s hard to scale a service-based business when you can’t multiply yourself, and its always going to be hard to find people who are willing to work as hard as you are. So, this time around, I wanted a business I could scale so I decided to go the product route instead, which has its own challenges!

Mahmood Popal

Is there anything you would have done differently?

I’m pretty happy with the way my education at OCAD played out but, if I was to do anything differently, I would have chosen to apply for the Mobility Exchange Program. The opportunity to live and learn in different environments isn't something that presents itself too often as a practicing professional so it would have been a great learning experience. It also would have been useful to push for internship opportunities within the program I graduated from. Internships are a great way to learn from observing while creating designs and being a part of a professional work environment. 
 

 

What are the key responsibilities you maintain for your practice? 

To be honest, to be kind and to take time to care for yourself, your staff and your collaborators. To take time to mentor and share your knowledge with up and coming artist and designers. The steps you take today to give and share, will come back and provide you with new opportunities for learning and experiences that you had never imagined.

Becky Zhang

What do you enjoy most about your work? What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

Like any other new tech startup, my job is a very fast paced one but that also means every day is exciting. I’m aware of how lucky I am to be taking on great responsibilities and doing the things that I love in an industry that I have a passion for. Every week I remind my team of how grateful I am, to have a team that respects and supports each other.

I am the only designer so I always need to be prepared to explain my rationale for my design processes. I also have to be strategic and flexible with my design process to make sure we are hitting all the business, content and development requirements. I find that being in constant communication with my team is vital for success.

Liz Durden

Public spaces are not safe and welcoming to all people - routine street harassment creates a hostile environment for many individuals.

Don't Tell Me To Smile is a system of design interventions to create public awareness about street harassment, and encourage collective responsibility in its eradication.

Becky Zhang

Artur Wrona

Sinead Wickham

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