Tiffany Zhong (IDEA Grad 2024) came into IDEA knowing that she was going to take the third-year diploma exit
From the first interview I did, the third-year diploma exit was something I asked about since I had read about this pathway from some previous IDEA School of Design blog posts about students doing this. Even with that in mind, this decision was a very tough one and I had to weigh the pros and cons a lot as the time got closer.
“I signed on with a local brand and digital agency called The West Harbour! I’m a Graphic & UI Designer there. Day 2 today and I’ve been illustrating, designing, and animating a few projects already.”
As someone with a previous degree and a few years of work experience, I was determined to make the most out of my three years at IDEA School of Design so I could get back onto the career path I wanted to be on, as soon as possible. Not going to lie, but age was also a factor. As one of the two oldest in our year, it felt strange at first to be in a class of much younger students. Luckily, that feeling went away as we got to know each other and found many ways to connect over our love of art and design. Age really doesn’t matter and I felt like my extra life experience only helped me in the program. Plus, I also learned so much from my younger classmates.
Kina Modern Cantonese Eatery—Branding Project
The main difference for me leaving at the end of third-year is that it takes extra effort, especially, at the latter part of third-year putting together a portfolio good enough to take around to studios. It took a lot of time to put together something that could be shown to AD/CDs that was at the level of what the fourth-years were showing in their grad showreels. All this portfolio work had to go separately on top of the third-year workload, which was quite demanding. The good thing was that all the instructors and alumni were very gracious and helpful in reviewing and giving feedback on my portfolio and connecting me to people in the industry. My classmates were also very supportive during this time as some of them were also in the same boat gearing up to get internships for the summer. I can say that it’s been a lot of hard work but it all paid off! After my fair share of rejections these past two months, I’m happy to say that I’ve landed a design position at a local firm that I’m excited about!
MAIZE Sustainable Workwear—with Emma Heckman and Lucy Benson
I got a lot of what I wanted out of the three years—more tactical design experience, a clearer idea of what I wanted to pursue, a bunch of amazing friends, and connections to instructors and alumni. I also got to experience so many cool opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise if I hadn’t chosen IDEA School of Design at Capilano Univesity three years ago. Going on our Reading Week class trip to New York and getting to paint a mural in the Student Affairs office at Cap U are just some highlights. These three years have flown by and it’s hard to imagine that I won’t be seeing these classmates practically every day during the school year. While it would’ve been great to get to graduate with my fellow class of 2024 I know this is the end of my journey at IDEA. I’ll be there at their grad show to see them showcase their hard work over these past few years!
