My experience at OCAD was a mostly positive one. The same cannot be said for a lot of my peers. One of the favorite past-times of OCAD students is complaining about being an OCAD student. The complaints are numerous, and not without reason, but I feel that they are easily overcome with a little work. To get all you can out of OCAD, you really need to give all you’ve got. This may sound daunting but after four years your portfolio will be hard to match.
The Shift
The school is going through a lot of changes at the moment. Just seven years ago OCAD began granting undergraduate degrees and it is now beginning to offer Masters degrees. Unfortunately the students are often caught up in the politics that surround such a large shift in focus. OCAD’s president seems to be more interested in pushing her own agenda than making the school a better place for the students. Though the politics can be quite frustrating, it is an exciting place to be and is full of new ideas.
I’ve found that OCAD students are known for great ideas but lousy execution.
As the school shifts towards a more academic direction, it’s also drifting away from the physical studio where it began over a hundred years ago. The result I think is a mixed education and is my biggest complaint with the school. From my experience at the school and from within the industry, I’ve found that OCAD students are known for great ideas but lousy execution. The school does not prepare students to enter the industry. The fact is that most entry jobs are as production designers. You’ll curse the school for your crappy InDesign skills when you’re entering the industry and all of the studios are looking for production designers.
That being said, once you get into the industry and have a little bit of experience, what you learn at OCAD will help you rapidly advance in the industry.
Graphic Design Program
The Graphic Design program is four years. The ?rst year is a general foundation year that students from all disciplines are required to take. Each year after that is split into two semesters. Each semester consists of a core Graphic Design class, a Typography class, and a couple Liberal Studies and studio based classes. The Liberal Studies classes are academic lecture based classes where you’ll learn art and design history and other more academic subjects. The studio classes are the fun part, and OCAD has a pretty great selection of subjects to choose from. You can take everything from Editorial Design to Motion Graphics to Typeface design.
Having a year to focus on something you are interested in is an incredible privilege and it can result in a great portfolio piece.
The ?nal year is dubbed your “Thesis” year. You are required to choose a subject and explore it for an entire year. It’s a great experience if you use your time wisely. Having a year to focus on something you are interested in is an incredible privilege and it can result in a great portfolio piece. The Thesis class really is dependent on which teacher you get for the class. One of OCAD’s good teachers will make the year, while one of the not-so-good teachers will break it.
OCAD is full of some truly excellent teachers. A lot of them have worked for some great firms and clients. They are full of great resources; including knowledge, experience, and contacts. A number of them work for the top studios in Toronto, which helps when it comes time to make contacts within the industry. It is really important to make sure you find the good teachers and take their classes regularly. It’s these great teachers that will make your years at OCAD worth while. If you settle for the lack-luster teachers, you will have a lack-luster portfolio.
You will also learn a lot from your fellow students. A good Graphic Designer is able to soak up inspiration from all around them. It’s great to have students practicing a wide variety of disciplines so close. From Sculpture to Printmaking and everything in between, it’s hard not to be motivated by your fellow students.
It’s also hard not to be motivated by the city of Toronto. OCAD has quite possibly the best campus of any school in the city, and for art and design students, the best campus in Canada. The school is right downtown in the middle of everything. galleries, museums, library’s, restaurants, and most of the city’s landmarks are within a short walk of the school. Possibly the best perk to being an OCAD student is having free admission to the newly renovated AGO whenever you want.
That said it takes a lot of work and dedication to seek out the good teachers and gain as much knowledge from them as possible.
The Verdict
To summarize, I would recommend OCAD’s Graphic Design program only if you’re committed and willing to work for your degree. The school offers lots of valuable resources; whether it be through teachers, the environment around the school, or other students. That said it takes a lot of work and dedication to seek out the good teachers and gain as much knowledge from them as possible. If you do so, you will have a portfolio that is hard to beat, and harder to ignore.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Thank you. I found this review helpful.