Artists bloom in different ways, and I think we can appreciate that we all have our ways of finding who we are as artists. Graphic design is tricky because it takes the creative world and makes it corporate. If you are an artist who enjoys the free spirited side of art and does not want to be reigned in, you might want to give graphic design a second thought. There are rules and guidelines that need to be followed in order to be accepted into the industry. However, there is still plenty of room for creativity! But you need to learn to balance that creativity with functionality and advertising. If you think you can do that then graphic design is the job for you!
I fell into graphic design by snagging Photoshop from a friend of mine and messing around. While I was at University, I found myself photoshopping more than writing essays and eventually came to the conclusion that psychology was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and along came the Art Institute of Vancouver.
Entry Into The Program
As an American student, getting accepted was fairly easy. Just go to the website, request some info and someone will call to interview you. After that you will send in a portfolio of your work so that they can figure out how far along you are in your field. You have to be quite experienced to skip the first quarter of classes, so expect to start at the beginning.
They set you up with a few companies to find “student housing” that are overpriced and shared with people you have never met.
It’s finding housing that is the hard part. They set you up with a few companies to find “student housing” that are overpriced and shared with people you have never met, that don’t necessarily go to the same school as you. Now, this is just my experience. I never saw my roommates, and I felt as though I was living in a hotel. I signed a three month lease, got used to the city and moved into a better place after the first quarter of school. It wasn’t the best living experience, but on the same hand its really hard to find reliable housing when you live in another country. For you fellow Americans, I would suggest living in the western areas of Vancouver, and no further down than 30th ave. This area has a lot of students from UBC, its close to the ocean and there are lots of trees etc. Its much more mellow than East Van, which is cheaper but certainly feels more like an inner city and you won’t meet as many fellow students in the area.
Classes and The Building
The classes are thorough and intense. It truly takes class time and personal time spent on your own to fully get the benefits of what you are being taught. Some classes in the first quarter may seem repetitive (this is how you shade, this is composition balance, etc), but do your best to pay attention and perhaps learn some new things. Believe it or not, you will be using those simple techniques every day for the rest of your careers.
As far as the campus itself, it’s just large enough. In all honesty we need more space.
As far as the campus itself, it’s just large enough. In all honesty we need more space. It’s located directly downtown (Seymour and Dunsmuir, google map it). This part of town is right on the edge of trendy downtown and Hastings. Hastings is where a lot of crackheads and sketchy characters hang out. You will see them wandering around but they won’t bother you. Just try not to go into the 711 across the street past 9 if you don’t enjoy awkward confrontation with beggers. You will get used to people constantly asking you for change on that corner, and unfortunately you will need to learn to tune it out in order to keep the money you need for school!
Each classroom is stacked with computers and you will get your own. We have G5 Macs in two classrooms and they are fantastic. I’m not a huge PC fan but we have those too. You learn to work on both, which I feel is very helpful. Hopefully they have bought a new printer by now, because it was on its last legs when I graduated. The classes are fairly small so you should feel free to ask as many questions as you need. Trust me, if you are confused someone else is too, so ask a question every time it pops up. It’s easy to get lost fast, so take notes and ask questions constantly!
But really as much as I hate to admit it – the ones who worked me are the ones who helped me the most.
The Instructors
You are going to find all kinds of teachers here, some who are there because they love to teach and share, and some who are there because their design careers ended and this is all they have left. They are bitter and will work you to the bone. It sucks and you can hate them as much as you want while you are in class, but really as much as I hate to admit it – the ones who worked me are the ones who helped me the most. Listen to what they say, write all of their requirements down (they will have a lot) and follow their directions as close as possible. It’s all about deadlines, don’t be late for them and don’t forget the slightest detail, you will be punished for it. In the end, when you finally get that congratulations you did an amazing job you feel amazing. I can guarantee that you will have many ups and downs in your relationships with your teachers, but for me in the end I appreciate all of it. When you get out and get employed you will use all of those skills they hammered into you every single day.
The Tuition
The tuition is expensive, and if you need a loan, you will need to be a fulltime student. I can’t remember all of the requirements but we do have a financial planner that will walk you through the best way to pay for you personally. Everyone I knew in school had a different financial plan. One thing I wasn’t prepared for was how expensive Vancouver itself is. Tough stuff America, our dollar is down, so not only is Vancouver expensive for Canadians, it’s that much more expensive for us. Rent, food and transportation all cost more there than they do here, so keep that in mind. Try to do some research on craigslist, etc. to get an idea of how much life itself will cost outside of school.
Your hard work is rewarded and now that I’ve been out for a while, I really do feel prepared for what the industry demands of me.
The Verdict
I had a hard time with the fact that my school was essentially a large corporation. You will get a little lost in the mix as far as the head office is concerned. Your teachers however will not be that distant. They are very helpful as long as you make the initiative to get that help. Your hard work is rewarded and now that I’ve been out for a while, I really do feel prepared for what the industry demands of me.
In contrast to Emily Carr for instance, graduates of AI are totally prepared for the business side of design, which is massively helpful once you graduate. That and you will get intense training in all of the up-to-date programs that are required of our field. Emily Carr focuses more on design elements and less on how to actually create them digitally; AI has them beat in that respect. Emily Carr does have a better campus and a much better library. I would say that they are much better on the artistic side of things, but AI is better when it comes to industry know how. Its up to you which one you value more. As an American I was just happy to be in Vancouver. The art, food, culture and nature there is amazing. If you want to have a great out of country experience without learning a new language and feeling too out of place go to Vancouver. Regardless of what school you do choose, you won’t be disappointed! Good luck.
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Jason M.
Yes, I totally agree with it…You got what you put into!