Issue #1: [Learning] Design at Berkeley
What is Design? What do designers major in? How do I learn design at UC Berkeley?
Hello 👋
Welcome to the first issue of [Navigating] Design at Berkeley, Design at Berkeley's blog about navigating design at UC Berkeley and newsletter!
This issue answers commonly asked questions about:
different types of design / what even is design?
popular majors of students that pursue design as a career
ways to learn design at UC Berkeley
But first, just a few announcements:
General Meeting #1: Design [Jam] at Berkeley 🥳 💃
We're hosting our first ever General Meeting this coming Thursday (3/4) from 6 to 7:30 PM PST. Join us (virtually) for a quick intro to design thinking and to collaborate on a quick hands-on design challenge with a small team! Designers and creatives of all skill levels and backgrounds are welcome!
🏃♂️ Zoom link for all GMs: designatberkeley.com/gm
🗓 Want a calendar invite? Add our Design [Events] calendar here
Environmental Design (CED) Career Fair
Sponsored by the Career Center, the CED Career Fair is also happening Thursday (3/4) from 12 to 4 PM PST! There is a two step student process: 1.) Register to attend on Handshake and 2.) Sign up for sessions with employers on Handshake.
DEI Resources
Last month was Black History Month, but as designers, it is always important that we are conscious of how our designs affect all users, systems, and communities and are aware of the impact we can have. Here is a wonderful list of resources provided by the HBSA DEI Committee to stay educated year-round: http://bit.ly/blackhistorymonth21
FAQ#1: What are the different types of design?
Design is multidisciplinary in nature. It is a factor in everything, everywhere you go. It touches far more different fields than we could possibly ever list on one page, but below are some design disciplines that have active communities and opportunities on campus.
While the disciplines may seem diverse and unrelated, what they all share is the mission to solve problems, improve the world around us, and create better experiences for people. If any of these catches your eye, we describe them in more detail on our other post here!
Human-centered Design
Product Design
Industrial Design
Environmental Design
Visual Design
User Experience (UX) Research
Animation and Computer Graphics
Game Design
FAQ#2: What should I major in if I want to pursue design?
It can feel discouraging pursuing something that you don't feel supported in and it's very easy to feel lost because you're really figuring it all out on your own. That being said, there's no "official" starting point, such as a major, for getting started in design here at UC Berkeley.
How do I learn design then? TLDR; of this issue: seek ways to find design both in your field and outside of it, or bring it in. Design can be applied to any field, and often is! It becomes easier to draw that connection when you're more familiar with design.
Popular Undergraduate Majors of Student Designers:
Social Sciences
Cognitive Science
Psychology
Sociology
Technical/Engineering
Data Science
EECS or Computer Science
Mechanical Engineering
Arts and Environmental Design
Art Practice
Architecture
City & Regional Planning
Landscape Architecture
Urban Design
Business
Economics
Business Administration
...That's a lot right? Just goes to show that you can really major in anything! We've met industry designers who majored in Biology, English, and many other subjects so if you love what you're learning, even if it doesn't seem to be design related, don't worry! By being an expert in another field, you can always offer more perspective.
FAQ#3: How do I learn design at UC Berkeley?
Okay so you're feeling like your major isn't giving you enough exposure and opportunity to practice design to build your portfolio, not a problem!
Take classes!
The nice thing about Berkeley is that we have a lot of design classes dispersed throughout all majors! They're really like hidden gems. We've compiled a list of some design classes 📚 many students take to get involved in projects that are definitely portfolio ready by the end of the class.
Join Clubs and Communities
Another great way to meet other students interested in design is through joining communities on or off campus!
Jacobs Hall 🛠 — Our on campus makerspace (they have laser cutters, 3D printers, and so much more)
Berkeley Arts + Design 🎨 — Berkeley Arts + Design features, fortifies, and mobilizes existing excellence in the arts and design at UC Berkeley. Check out their weekly events, programs, and resources!
Here are some **off campus communities** 🌎
Below is our database of student clubs and organizations for your reference:
We know some clubs are definitely a little hard to get in due to the limits on how many new members they can take, but don't let this discourage you from applying later semesters! You have D@B here for you already 🥰
Learn by doing!
The great thing about design is that you don't need internships, assigned projects or classes to start getting experience. Brainstorm some things you'd like to design and start! Could be fun to recruit some friends to join your team or even reach out to the D@B community to meet people who may be interested too~ The D@B community is also here to help answer any questions you might have along the way so feel free to reach out and connect with everyone via Slack!
Thanks for reading!
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