Revisit our Zoom session with DID Alumni and Tutor, Donn Koh, alongside Year 4 Undergraduate Kwa Liying. Donn is a co-founder of Industrial Design firm STUCK, and inventor of the bend-and-snap mechanism of the Microsoft Arc Mouse. Hear what he and Liying has to say about studying and growing as a designer with DID.
--- Q&A ---
[00:02:41] Is a mathematics related certificate necessary if I have a background in Poly?
[00:04:12] What kind of projects do you work on in ID?
[00:15:52] Donn’s journey as an ID student and more
[00:25:32] How does the merger with Engineering impact the Industrial Design course?
[00:28:29] What do you look for in a portfolio?
[00:32:34] Do you consider applicants without an art background?
[00:33:28] What is the minimum/average IB scores of applicants?
[00:34:27] What is Design Platform 1 & 2 in the DID course curriculum?
[00:38:28] Is there a lot of self-studying if you’re lacking in a certain skill?
[01:20:30] How does the specialisation route work in the final year of DID?
[00:44:03] How involved is NUS DID in Social Design and Human Centred Design? A sneak peek into the speakers’ platform and thesis projects!
[00:52:20] Do the speakers have art backgrounds?
[00:54:16] Do Engineering and Industrial Design have the same core modules, and can I choose between the two after the first year?
[01:02:37] Do you have any advice on how to gain experience/get a design-related internship for someone with very little experience?
[01:06:09] Taking a gap year before DID?
[01:07:03] Having too many ideas in design? How do you choose your ideas?
--- LIGHTNING ROUND ---
[01:11:39] Double majors with Industrial Design?
[01:12:27] How many people apply to DID?
[01:13:11] Better in design or better value for society?
[01:14:00] Work-Life balance in DID?
[01:19:30] How do you cope with artist’s block?
[01:22:32] Has Covid affected lessons in DID?
[01:25:15] How are the lecturers in DID and do they guide you often, or is it mostly self-learning?
[01:25:15] Does thinking about solving ‘trivial’ things keep me from coming up with big, innovative ideas?
[01:36:36] What was Donn like as a student?