Hello, my name is Lincoln Lam. I graduated with a Bachelor in Communication Design at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in May of 2009. I work mostly in web and print. My design career has consisted of working for TELUS Taiwanfest 2008 as an Assistant Creative Designer, Eastman Kodak as an Intern, some freelancing, and currently I am finishing up my contract with Coca-Cola for the 2010 Olympics. I will be heading to another major company to work full time in mid-August as a Graphic/Web Designer. Here’s my personal story and some advice for those of you thinking about attending Emily Carr.
Pre-Carr
I chose to attend Emily Carr University (ECU) formally known as Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design straight out of high school because of three reasons:
a) ECU offered Degrees.
b) I didn’t have to fork out thousands of dollars for a short program in a short period of time.
c) My friends and family still lived in Vancouver.
In high school I did a lot of web design and art related stuff, which probably paved the way in the decision.
The Carr
ECU is awesome. The “prestige” the school’s name holds with the public is quite remarkable. The school was really cool looking when I first arrived since I came from a small town. As the years go by, you do find the cons of the campus, probably like buying a house, a car, or something along those lines. It’s on Granville Island so that could be a good or bad thing. Ex: Great atmosphere but traffic sucks because it’s a very touristy spot with basically two lanes.
The teachers at ECU are pretty professional, with the core teachers having many years/decades of experience and a bunch of new ones to keep things fresh. Class sizes are usually 24:1. At the end of the degree it dwindles down to about 15:1. The communication design program accepts 72 students a year, each student has a different talent or style that separates them from the others. Many have transferred from different degrees or different universities. You’ll find a large diversity of students which in return will widen your influence. Most students have their own laptops in Design; it saves a ton of time instead of traveling back and forth from home to school.
In the first year (Foundation) you’ll do a lot of artsy, experimental stuff, which made me wonder how I could possibly get a job out of my education.
In the first year (Foundation) you’ll do a lot of artsy, experimental stuff, which made me wonder how I could possibly get a job out of my education. So I left for half a year to try out becoming an electronic technician at BCIT, didn’t enjoy it at all. I returned back to take a year of General Fine Arts, I found all my projects had some aspect of design or target towards an audience. A year later, I transferred to Communication Design. Design was probably what I wanted to do all along and it took me two years to figure that out.
At the end of the degree you will have a grad project that is pretty open to whatever topic you want and you will probably spend more time on it than sleeping. It then goes on display to the public at industry night and grad show. I would say that ECU design teaches you theory, rather than the technology, which makes sense if you want to be a designer for the rest of your life instead of (insert date of next creative suite). You’ll probably be doing a lot of lessons with design programs on your own time. The cost of the program varies from how many credits taken or if you’re an international student, check out the ECU view book or website for latest info.
I graduated May 2009 during the recession of course. It sucks but it’ll get better! If I could redo my degree, I would have probably gone on exchange to some other countries. I will probably return back to school in a couple years to either do my Masters or something in marketing.
In a four-year program, you are able to make those precious mistakes and experiment with your work.
Post-Carr
I would recommend the program because in a four-year program, you are able to make those precious mistakes and experiment with your work. Basically push out all the crap that you will be making before you hit the real world. There are not many other options that offer you a design degree in Vancouver.
Don’t go to art school and worry about grades. It takes a while to shake that high school mentality out. Yes, it’s a consideration in getting your degree, but design isn’t about grades; it’s all about your portfolio when you come out. Well…25% is your portfolio, 25% is you’re past work experience, and 50% is really how you fit in with the company. Portfolios have changed a lot as well, but that’s a whole other discussion. Keep up to date with current news, media, trends, design, etc. Begin networking early on and take creative criticism with an open heart.
If you can, try to work while you go to school. You’ll thank yourself when you graduate and not 30-40k in debt. Take out student loans even if you don’t need them, and put it in the bank and get the interest. The Canadian government also gives grants for those who are in need and have taken out student loans. ECU also offers grants at the end of each year. Free money is always good! Also go to the co-op office, they’ll hook you up with a job. Get some experience before you finish and you’ll have a head start on others.
Check out my website at http://www.thenewprojects.com send me an email at hellolincoln@gmail.com. I would also be willing to give tours of the school if you buy my dinner at The Keg afterwards… no joke.
(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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