“The advanced degree offers two virtues. First, for the academic, it is another level of credibility. And secondly, for the achiever, it is a measure of much more intense study or research and time invested.” —Steven Heller
There are many reasons to pursue an advanced degree. But many working designers face the same question: Can I afford to invest the time and money to go back to school? Do I have the drive and desire? And what will ultimately be the return on such an investment?
While Mark Snyder, Brian Miller and Bjorn Akselsen each had their own individual reasons for pursuing an advanced degree, they all agree it was a valuable experience that impacted both their professional and personal lives.
We talked with Mark, Brian and Bjorn about their experiences, hoping to gain some insight into this difficult and personal decision.
Mark Snyder is an Associate Professor at the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford. He is also the principal of object|resonance, a Hartford-based design studio working exclusively with non- and not-for-profit organizations in the fine & performing arts and educational markets. Snyder has won international, national, and regional recognition for his work and the work of his studio. He has served on the boards of AIGA Boston and The Connecticut Art Directors Club.
What made you decide to go back for your Masters?
I knew after my first year of undergraduate study that I wanted to become a professor. One of my first year mentors was an amazing foundations/design professor and I talked to him about how I should pursue this as a career. His suggestion was to graduate with a strong portfolio, get a great job (or jobs) and then get into the best MFA program possible. I listened to him — and now 22 years after working with him, I find myself entering my thirteenth year as a tenured professor of design. I absolutely love it.
Where were you working before you got your Masters?
After getting my undergraduate degree, I took a position with Shaw Industries — a Fortune 500 company and the world’s largest producer of textiles. I started in R&D as a designer/stylist for two years, then moved into the Corporate Communications department, where I served as an Art
Director and Creative Director. My efforts were focused on the corporate branding as well as developing and advancing our Commercial and Modular Carpet divisions. I spent 5 years in this area before I left for graduate school. I was interviewed at RISD, Yale and Cranbrook, and felt that RISD was the best fit and the strongest program for me.
Did you continue working while going for your Masters?
I was fortunate that I did not have to work during the two years of graduate study. (That is, other that serving as a TA, and actually teaching during 3 of the 4 semesters and winter/summer terms.) I actually lived on my 401K plan from my years at Shaw during the two years in Providence.
How has the degree helped you professionally and personally?
The degree and the institution from which I earned it are crucially important. After accepting my teaching position at the Hartford Art School, I found out the the search committee wanted the new faculty member to be from a “name” school — and they were focusing on RISD, Yale or Cranbrook. I know I competed with a couple of people from Yale but for some reason they went with me! In order to obtain a tenure track position at any reputable art school, you need to have an MFA — which is considered the terminal degree for artists and designers. (Although there are now some programs both nationally and internationally offering PhDs in design.) Some schools will accept a BFA and substantial “real world” experience — but this is becoming less of an option, I feel largely due to pressures from the organizations which accredit art and design programs.
Besides obviously being a requirement for the level of educator you wished to be, how has the degree helped you as an educator?
Going back to Graduate School after time in the field allows you to slow down and think more critically about the things you do. The first semester of my graduate studies pointed out to me that I was not well-enough read — about my field, and about related subject areas such as semiotics, postmodern theory and cognitive psychology, to name just a few. All of these assist us in designing better objects, products and experiences. It also opened my eyes to different perspectives on the field. Finally, studying at RISD allowed me to work as a TA and have as mentors, some of the most brilliant and respected design thinkers and practitioners in the field. Being able to observe their teaching styles, see how they structure projects and listen to their critiques of student work certainly impacts the way I operate in the classroom everyday.
What advice would you give a working designer considering a Masters degree?
Think about why you want to obtain a mater’s degree. I am certainly an advocate for life-long learning, so I view any advanced education as a good thing. If you want to go into full-time tenure-track teaching, it is critical. If you simply want to better yourself as a designer, make sure you have enough real world experience first. I have had some students who have rushed into a Masters program too early, only to graduate and find that getting a position back in the design field is
difficult. Many employers feel they need to pay those with an MFA higher salaries, and if your pre-MFA work experience is not deep enough, then you might find difficulty landing your first post-MFA position. You should also note that the “name” MFA programs will put applicants with less than two years work experience in the “out” pile automatically — as much of grad studies in design is based on reflection of practices within the field(s) of design.
Would you have gone back to get your Masters if you didn’t desire to get into teaching?
I am sure I might have gone back just to reinvigorate my work. It is easy to get comfortable in the field with comfy salaries, etc. But the opportunity to invest in theory and criticism, to be immersed in an environment with a group of like minded classmates, does one good in their future making and thinking about the design work they create.
Brian Miller is an accomplished thought leader in the areas of design, branding, web development and design management. Brian’s experience spans from being the in-house creative director of Gartner Inc. — a $1 billion consulting firm — to principal design director of the Brian Miller Design Group LLC. Brian serves on the board of directors for the Type Directors Club and is an adjunct professor of design at the University of Bridgeport. He recently co-founded the MillerWhite School of Design, which prepares high school students for professional art school.
Why did you decide to go back for your Masters?
I decided to get a masters to prepare myself for starting a business. The way I saw it — if I wanted to start a successful, long-term business, my ability to plan, manage and delegate would become more important than my ability to design.
Did you ever consider an MFA in graphic design?
No. It’s not that I don’t think that I can improve as a designer, but I believe in mentorships for that sort of creative growth. I’ve always sought out working relationships with creative professionals that I admire. I think you can get more out of being mentored — and it’s a lot less expensive.
Tell us about the Design Management program at Pratt, and your experiences with the program.
At the risk of sounding cliché, the program at Pratt is like anything else in life: The more you put in, the more you’ll get out, and grow. Classes are every other Saturday and Sunday for two years, with no Winter or Summer breaks. Needless to day, it’s very intense, especially if you’re maintaining a full-time job at the same time. However, it’s that intensity that draws the usually small group of students together as a tight-knit group.
The topics covered in the program range from accounting and law, to writing and presenting, to the management of people, organizational change and technology. Each class had a group assignment which would consist of a 15 - 20 page research paper and a 20-minute presentation of your paper. So not only was I learning about key business principles, I was simultaneously learning how to work with, manage and at times lead a group.
Aside from the schedule and the wide variety of business topics covered, the other thing about the experience that stands out is the extreme diversity of the students in class. I believe, with the exception of Antarctica, each continent was represented in class. In my experience, this variety of backgrounds and viewpoints is uncommon. That, however, is probably more a result of being in NYC rather than something specific to the Pratt program.
How has the degree helped you professionally and personally?
It’s very difficult to point to anything specific in either my professional or personal life and say, “that’s my degree talking.” It’s more of a collective confidence that I gained from having gone through the process of the program. If you’re confident about something, people tend to listen to you.
How has the degree helped you as an educator?
Having a Masters of any sort definitely opened some doors for me as an educator. And the confidence that I mentioned definitely helps me stand up in front of 15 students and speak about design for 3 hours, two days a week. I’m also in the process of developing a class in Design Management for Parsons.
What advice would you give a working designer considering an Masters degree?
Don’t expect the mere fact that you have a Masters degree to open doors for you. If you’re strictly looking to grow, you might do just as well challenging yourself professionally — change jobs, find a mentor, join a board of directors, etc.
Bjorn Akselsen moved to the U.S. from Norway to continue a lifelong intellectual search, and shelter himself from reality in the halls of academia. This pursuit took him to places such as Atlanta, Boston, New York City, and finally, Yale University. Since finishing his MFA in graphic design at Yale, Bjorn continues to lead Icehouse Design, based in New Haven and specializing in education, arts, and the humanities. His work has been published in books such as Typographics 2, New Logo & Trademark Design and the Illustrator Wow Book; in magazines such as Visuelt and Print; and has been exhibited in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg, Germany, and ArtSpace in New Haven. His work was recently in Outside In, and international poster exhibit.
What made you decide to go back for your Masters?
I always felt that while art school gave me the technical skills to perform a variety of design roles, it never prepared me for the rigorous thinking that I felt I needed in my craft. Moreover, I lacked a real sense of historical perspective and thus felt a distance between myself and the other practitioners in the field. An MFA was my attempt to gain control of what I was doing, a way to understand the processes better.
What made you select the MFA program at Yale, and what would you say about the program?
I had followed some of the Yale faculty for years and felt a close alignment with their work. I also knew that Yale combined a rigorous immersion in the field — along with access to fantastic resources that would be hard to find elsewhere — and the school did not disappoint. Yale taught me to be critical and analytical, which ultimately led me to question my own role in the profession. While I really like the path my life and career have taken, the deep self examination of the MFA process resulted in some very difficult realizations, which at times almost led me to leave the profession!
How has the degree helped you professionally and personally?
Yale was a very challenging experience, but one that helped me look at my role in a more holistic way. Though I miss the raw, unencumbered energy I experienced before my graduate work, I feel much more comfortable about the work I now produce. While I always feel that most projects can have multiple solutions, I have a much more organized and collected work process now. For lack of a better word, I feel more self-confident now.
How has the degree helped you as an educator?
An MFA is essentially a lonely undertaking, as much emphasis is put on your ability to structure your own education. That motivation is often lacking in undergraduates and I think this perspective helps focus on what is most relevant for the age group of most undergrads.
What advice would you give a working designer considering a Masters degree?
As with any educational experience, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up in a different place than you anticipated when going back to school. If you envision a life of change, one that is not necessarily easy, an MFA may be the right thing. However, you may not be prepared for the results! Thus the question of whether to pursue an MFA is similar to any educational quest: Do I want to grow as a practitioner in my field, or am I happy with the present?
