Throughout my time at uni I have become increasingly aware of my skill set and where my strengths lie. Being in a university design studio can be as disheartening as it is inspiring, those few people with the best sketching and rendering skills that you attempt to learn from and collaborate with, are the very students who you appear to be in fierce and direct competition with. In order to not lose heart I have found it helpful to widen my view of design skill from the purely visual and easily recognisable (sketching, rendering, 3D modelling, clay), to the less obvious but arguably more important skills such as design thinking, communication and the ability to solve problems. Through this approach I have discovered that my main skill- and the one that may set me apart from the competition- is my ability to think outside the box and provide innovative solutions to problems.
This discovery has led to another revelation regarding the way I work. Whereas some may be content with sticking to one mode of transport and focussing in on one particular area, I am not. I am a huge fan of variety and love the opportunity that studying provides to exercise my creative skills across a diverse range of projects. So how can I continue to enjoy this varied and holistic approach to design in a career? What kind of company provides a constant supply of unique projects that will allow me to continue to apply and develop my problem solving skills? Answer... The Design Consultancy. After a recent visiting lecture by Carsten Astheimer I became convinced that my method of working and way of thinking is best suited to the collaborative and close knit nature of the consultancy design studio. I have found work by companies such as Seymourpowell and Priestmangoode and their innovative solutions to problems- particularly in the transport sector- incredibly inspiring. I therefore intend to pursue a career in this sector and hopefully will be able to secure a placement at a leading design consultancy.