Ananya has dreamed since childhood of chasing a creative career and moved from India to London to join University of the Arts London (UAL). She chose to study BA (Hons) Interior Design at Chelsea College of Arts to learn how to create unique and emotive spatial experiences like those that inspired her as a child. We speak to her about where her dreams of pursuing a creative career came from, her love of London, and the skills she's developed studying a hands-on degree during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Find out more about studying at UAL as an Indian student.
Why did you choose to join BA Interior Design, and why at UAL?
Art and Design have always been a big part of my life as my mother is an art collector. I was exposed to the world of creative arts at a very young age and I believe that’s when the seed to pursue a career in design was sown.
My interest in interior design was kindled during my travels around the world where I witnessed a wide variety of different spaces and saw how each of them had something unique to offer. The spatial experiences presented evoked a wide range of emotions in the visitor and it is this feeling that got me interested in taking up interior and spatial design. I wanted to learn how I could create unique spatial experiences through my designs and contribute to the range of emotions one goes through when visiting or living in such spaces.
University of the Arts London (UAL) seemed like the perfect place because of its promising diversity among the student body giving you the opportunity to learn from so many different parts of the world at the same time. The reputation it has as one of the best design schools in the world, as well as the career prospects upon graduation, were also two things I considered before choosing UAL as my first preference. The freedom offered to students to explore their creative thinking sealed the deal for me.
And why did you want to study in London?
To me, London is a good representation of the world in more ways than one. You can find people from almost every country, bringing and sharing their cultures. Studying in a city that is a melting pot of different cultural identities is an enriching experience and gives you the opportunity to learn beyond the academic curriculum. The city has always been considered as one of the premier design destinations, with numerous artists and designers redefining the definitions of the creative world, and I wanted to be part of this design movement that has so much to offer to everyone.
What impact has London had on your creativity and inspiration?
London has definitely contributed to my creativity and been a great source of inspiration in my work. The many different exhibitions have allowed me to look into the process of other designers and take from them certain practices and techniques that I have applied to my work.
The city has left me spoilt for choice because creativity exists at every nook and corner, filling my photo album with more pictures of spaces, objects and works of art than people.
Can you tell us a bit about your work on BA Interior Design?
The course has helped me to learn my strengths and the areas that need further improvement. Model making, curating exhibition spaces and visual renders have been the three things that have shone through in my work. I think through making so, for my concept and ideation stage, I always build small sketch models to understand the spatial programming before I go on to make the technical drawings and final structure. A lot of sketching, researching and conversing with people, form my design process. Each of the three stages are crucial for the design development of my final idea.
I enjoy working with people to curate exhibitions that have an element of spatial experience and I've been part of two exhibitions during the three years of my course. Visual Renders is a skill that I have recently taken up. The idea behind it is to show what the space would look like upon completion. This allows the client to visualise the space before it is built, making it easier for them to contribute to the design proposed.
And what has been your favourite part of the course so far?
I've thoroughly enjoyed the creative freedom to interpret the briefs as per our own understanding and put forth a proposal that matches that vision.
The tutors on the course have encouraged us to think beyond the conventional and test and experiment with our creative thinking. This has definitely contributed to my growth as a designer and creative thinker.
I also enjoyed hearing from our alumni as part of a lecture series about their experiences on the course and the opportunities presented to them upon graduation. Hearing their experiences gives me the confidence to keep going and never stop experimenting with my craft.
Due to the current pandemic, you’ve experienced a different way of online learning. How did you find the move to purely online learning after the new government regulations came in?
The move to online learning was a huge adjustment in terms of tutorials and presenting work online as my course was very hands-on and had a lot of drawing and making as part of our process. The workload increased as everything we did had to be photographed and scanned so we could discuss it during class. But our tutors were extremely supportive and made sure we were okay at various checkpoints within the session.
While it was certainly a challenge it also pushed us in terms of design thinking and reinventing our approach to the brief in the given circumstances.
I've now been able to go back to the campus and attend a few in-person tutorials which have been great. The studios and libraries have also been open, making working on my final major project a lot easier. I'm very happy to be back on campus and have some sense of normalcy to university life. It’s made a huge difference to my work, accessibility of resources and mental wellbeing as well.
As a student from India, what do you find the most different about studying in the UK?
The shift from the Indian education system to the UK system was profound and took some time for me to get used to. Independent learning is widely encouraged in the UK and the emphasis given to take responsibility for your own learning was a lot. As this system was not widely followed in India, it took me some time to understand how to undertake my own research and find tools I could use to support myself on days allotted for independent learning.
I can now confidently say that while it was a new concept I am grateful for it as it pushed me out of my comfort zone, and allowed me to explore my approach to work and gain an understanding of what works best for me. My design process was defined through my days of independent learning and has made me a more confident designer.
Can you tell us a bit about your application process?
I used UAL’s in-country representative when I applied. I first went to them to discuss my interest in pursuing interior and spatial design and to learn about the requirements of the course, the expectations of a portfolio and what my statement of purpose should convey.
I attended a portfolio review session with a UAL representative where she briefed us about portfolios and what the college looks for. She gave us tips on how we can curate a portfolio, the power of documenting, editing work that isn’t relevant and how to mix and match work to create a stronger narrative. This meeting was definitely useful as it gave me a good insight into portfolio making, it almost felt like a crash course. I also got in touch with a few students studying at UAL to learn more about the academic and social life as well as what would be expected of me at interview and in my portfolio.
While I was working on my portfolio I simultaneously started writing my statement of purpose at least two and a half months before the application deadline so I had the time to go through changes and make the necessary edits. I had about 3-4 drafts written before submitting my final one. I then had an interview with an academic from UAL where I talked her through my portfolio and statement of purpose.
I would definitely recommend the service to others as it makes the application a lot easier - much more streamlined and less stressful. You can always approach them for advice on your work or any other part of the application process, including visas.
Do you have any advice for students putting together a portfolio for their application?
Categorise your work if you are showcasing a range of skills and art pieces and always put the strongest project at the beginning to set the pace of the portfolio. You don’t have to include everything you’ve made so choose 4-5 projects that you are most confident about. Annotate your work and images, follow a clean layout and maintain equal spacing. Lastly, don’t include too much text, your work should speak for itself and follow a strong visual narrative, though do choose a font that is easy to read and ties in with your work and layout style.
Anything else you wish to add that you think could be useful for prospective students to know?
Have faith in your work and skills, see the growth from when you started to how far you have come instead of comparing your work with others and overwhelming yourself. Be kind to yourself and take breaks so you don’t exhaust yourself.
And take advantage of living in London. It is a fantastic opportunity to explore yourself as an artist and an individual. Soak yourself in the things this city has to offer and never fear to put yourself out there.
