After deciding she wanted to return to education to study Service Design, Trisha knew UAL was the right university for her after talking to UAL alumni at her alma mater, MIT Institute of Design in India. We speak to her about her experience of applying to UAL through Envision, our representatives in India, and how she's navigated online and in-person learning with her team on MA Service Design.
Find out more about studying at UAL as an Indian student.
Can you tell us a bit about what the MA Service Design course entails and your experience so far as a student?
Well, Service Design is about designing services in the public and private sector, a human-centred discipline with a holistic approach. This course fosters collaboration, not only between classmates but also with various stakeholders and considering wider systems at play. I've enjoyed this journey of morphing into a Service Designer thoroughly.
The course has not only taught me how to practice service design but encouraged me to reflect at each stage, learn from my peers with continuous teamwork and also helped me feel comfortable presenting my ideas.
Why did you want to study in London and at UAL specifically?
Well, the most generic answer here would be that London is the epitome of cultural diversity and opportunities in every field, but that is something we all know.
For me, it was about living and studying in the country that pioneered service design. I wanted to learn from the people who explored it themselves, who built an entire industry around it and made it so evident that even the Government here recognises it and respects its importance.
While researching all the different colleges, I realised that a lot of my seniors from MIT studied at UAL. I reached out to them and they had nothing but praises for the tutors, the experience and the course. I also went online and noticed that most of the successful designers in my field are from UAL, so it naturally became my top pick!
What did you study for your undergraduate degree?
I completed my undergraduate studies in Product Design at MIT Institute of Design in India. I spent over four years learning the basics of research, ideation, sketching, prototyping, testing and, most importantly, critical thinking. We were exposed to various fields within Product Design, such as form studies, ergonomics, the basics of engineering, and system design. This knowledge helped me build a strong foundation before enrolling for my masters, especially the collaborative work ethic which Service Design inherently requires.
You then worked at a design firm for three years before joining MA Service Design. Can you tell us a little more about your role?
After my undergraduate degree, I worked as an Industrial designer at DesignLIFE, a design firm in Mumbai. My role involved design research, sketching, CAD modelling, rendering, prototyping, designing for manufacturing and working with the engineers in the team to deliver the designs. I also helped my employer conduct sessions regarding Materials and Manufacturing for Business Design students at a university in Mumbai.
During the pandemic, I was also exposed to business development, where we helped restructure the business from an industrial design firm to a multi-disciplinary design company.
Why did you decide to take a break from working and study for an MA?
As much as I loved designing products, I've always had an inclination towards the system around the product. It took me a while to narrow it down, but when I researched different MA courses, I resonated the most with service design. I understood its potential as a design discipline of the future. Having work experience of over three years, I realised that it was time for me to upgrade my qualifications and upskill myself along the way. I do miss working but taking up this course has helped me see a different perspective towards design altogether.
Have you had any work experience or taken on any jobs alongside your MA studies at UAL?
Yes, I was selected to be a Student Ambassador for UAL. My job entitles me to speak to the prospective students about everything that UAL has to offer and answer their doubts if any. Taking up this job has helped me learn new skills in conversing and also to network across the six colleges of UAL.
And what are your career aspirations once you graduate?
I would like to work as a service designer at a design firm, preferably in the UK. I’ve enrolled on the LCC Mentoring Scheme and it has helped me prepare for the industry. I’ve been researching the places that I would like to work at and primarily the designers I would want to work for.
Can you tell us a bit about your application process?
I applied through Envision Overseas Education Consultants for my admission. It was an extremely smooth process, especially because of my counsellor. She highly motivated me to apply for UAL and helped me prepare through a series of mock interviews and portfolio reviews.
I attended a Portfolio Review session hosted by Envision to gain a sense of the level of expectation for UAL applicants. Then, with the help of my counsellor, I set up the admissions portal and attended an interview.
After receiving a conditional offer, I attended several webinars hosted by UAL regarding the admissions process, social life and wellbeing, academic life and the Student Visa as well. Most of the webinars were conducted by the students so it helped gain an honest perspective of the process.
The study proposal is an important part of the application for graduate study. Do you have any tips for prospective students on putting together their study proposal?
The study proposal, as we have been told time and again, is something we need to be very passionate about. It's something that we will be exploring for a duration of over 6 months and there will be times when we feel like we aren't sure about a lot of things around it, but that’s why every tutor advises us to choose a topic of our liking. The study proposal needs to articulate your area of interest, provide a methodology for the approach and talk about how it lines up with your future plans as a graduate.
Has your proposal evolved during your course so far?
My proposal has taken its twists and turns and is still underway. As we progressed with the course, we came across new opportunities with partners or stakeholders from previous projects and, at the same time, new skills came to light. So it is natural to shift course as we are all learning here, but I intend to trust the design process and embrace the challenges as they arrive.
After studying in India, what are the main differences you’ve noticed studying in the UK?
While I do miss the feeling of being in my home country, I appreciate all the support I have received from my tutors here in the UK.
One of the great benefits of doing an MA in the UK is that you get to interact with people from all over the world, learn from their cultures and share yours in return.
I would say that accessing different services for the purpose of research in India was simpler since we were the local residents then. But in the UK, people are very kind and helpful to students seeking advice. There is a sense of respect here around the idea of doing a masters which is extremely rewarding, even if it's in a pandemic!
Speaking of the pandemic, you’ve experienced a different way of online learning during the MA. How did you find the move to purely online learning after the new government regulations came in?
It was certainly difficult at first since we couldn't meet our teammates in person and most of our research shifted online. However, as we progressed, we as a team showed a great level of understanding and carried out the project without any discrepancies. We created our own schedule and started the day with meetings, just as a way to check up on each other, then divided the tasks to make sure everyone felt included. Our tutors and course leader also supported us unconditionally. We had regular tutorials, access to stakeholders and flexibility with deadlines for students struggling to cope with the lockdown.
We've been able to resume some of our units offline now, especially on Thursdays and Saturdays. It feels great to be back in the studio, working with all my peers. Communication is a lot easier while working in person - especially since most of us struggle with internet connection issues. We also feel more productive since the timeframe in the studio is defined.
What would your advice be to other students in India considering studying at UAL?
I would say go for it! Don’t even think twice!
UAL needs to be your priority. It is an absolute goldmine, with open access to resources, learnings from tutors who are working in the industry, opportunities to work for live projects, multi-disciplinary collaborations and more.
And make sure as new students, you behave like a sponge, absorb all that you can, participate in all the design sprints and social events, make the most of your time here!