Student Outlook, Part 1
This article is the first in a three-part series profiling nine Class of 2013 design students
Interior Design
spoke to about their post-graduation outlook. See below for the main article and related content. See
Student Outlook, Part 2.
Eli Sidman, age 28, Master of Design in Designed Objects, SAIC
Eli Sidman said he is motivated by an increased awareness of the role design plays in all aspects of lifestyle and culture – and by the breadth of talent it encompasses. “What gets me the most excited about design today is the number of people from varied backgrounds that it attracts,” he notes.
Sidman’s undergraduate background combined physics and visual arts and his post-graduation goal is to “explore ways to combine science and art that could impact people’s lives” via industrial design. He also believes the challenging economy has been a good source of discipline.
“It has encouraged me to build a design process that can be applied to many different situations,” he said, noting that he interned this past summer with
Samsung Design America
in San Francisco, were he learned about business models, and he will exhibit at the
Milan Furniture Fair
in the spring.
Adele Cuartelon, age 31, Master of Architecture, SAIC
Adele Cuartelon, while focused on architecture, discovered she enjoys the hands-on rewards of furniture making – and hopes for employment that allows both.
“My dream job would be to work for an office that designs both interior architecture and furniture – one where I can spend some time at a desk, but have access to a wood shop or a place where prototyping is available,” she notes.
Cuartelon also counts a chair she designed and made as her most important accomplishment. “There’s something about creating your own designs and then physically building from that drawing; that tactile response is important,” she says.
Alumni Q&A: Bill Hilgendorf and Jason Horvath
