Foundation Review

Students seeking to be declared Graphic Design majors and enroll in Year 2: Forms + Systems design courses must participate in the Foundation Review to be held at the end of their Spring semester.

For the Graphic Design Foundation Review, you need to prepare two items: a portfolio and a written statement. After the portfolio and written statement have been submitted, they will be reviewed by faculty. Finally, students will sign up for an interview with GD faculty.

THE PORTFOLIO
A portfolio should be representative of a student’s design ability and their interest in the Graphic Design program. It should consist of ALL the work completed in the School of Design Foundation Year studio classes (DES 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170), including process books and documentation of physical work. Work will be uploaded to BOX as a PDF. Photographs of dimensional/physical work should be combined into one PDF per class. Each foundation class will be represented by one PDF, for a total of 6 PDFs submitted to BOX on April 26th by 5pm.

ONE PAGE WRITTEN STATEMENT
This describes your motivation to study Graphic Design and why a career in this field is right for you. The written statement should be uploaded to BOX as a separate PDF on April 26th by 5pm. Please include your full name and UIN at the top of the page.

THE INTERVIEW
Sign-up for Graphic Design Foundation Review times occur between April 10th through April 21st. The Graphic Design Interview takes place in person; applicants should plan to arrive 15 minutes before their appointed time. You will not present work during the Interview but be prepared to answer questions about your work. Dress appropriately for a job interview.

CRITERIA
Admission to the Graphic Design program is competitive and many factors will be considered by the faculty reviewing the work. Review criteria includes the appropriateness and thoughtfulness of concepts/ideas relative to the given problem; and the quality of execution (craft) of final projects. Although a reflection of proficiency of completed courses, grades do not necessarily guarantee the outcome of the review.

NOTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION
Participants will be notified of Foundation Review results by email within two weeks after the review. Continuing advancement as a Graphic Design major and enrollment into next semester design courses are contingent upon passing the Foundation Review. Design courses require departmental approval and students will not be able to register through the computer enrollment system until approval paperwork is processed in the School of Design.

Students passing the Graphic Design Foundation Review will be notified by email when they are able to register for their design courses. You may, however, register for general education courses, including Art History, at your designated registration time.

Year 2: Forms + Systems Course Descriptions

Students seeking to be declared Industrial Design majors and enroll in Year 2: Skills design courses must participate in the Foundation Review to be held at the end of the semester.

For the Industrial Design Foundation Review, you need to prepare two items: a portfolio and a written statement. After the portfolio and written statement have been submitted, they will be reviewed by faculty. Finally, students will sign up for an interview with ID faculty.

THE PORTFOLIO
A portfolio should represent a student’s design ability and interest in the Industrial Design program. It must consist of ONLY the work completed in the School of Design Foundation Year studio classes (DES 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170), including process books and documentation of physical work. Students upload one PDF per class to BOX, which includes a provided cover sheet template updated by the student with their information. Each student will have a total of 6 portfolios (PDF) submitted to BOX on April 26th by 5pm.

ONE PAGE WRITTEN STATEMENT
Select something you interact with daily (e.g., toothbrush, tea kettle, bank app, etc.) and describe its design features, along with specific strengths and weaknesses. Please include a well-composed photo of your choice to help support your writing (250-word minimum) Students must upload their statement to BOX on April 26th by 5pm as a separate PDF, complete with their full name and UIN at the top of the page.

THE INTERVIEW
Between April 10th through April 21st, students will sign up for an available time slot to meet with the Industrial Design faculty during the review. The Interview takes place in person in the School of Design; applicants should plan to arrive 15 minutes before their appointed time to the School’s atrium to check in and receive the room assignment. Students will not formally present their work during the Interview but will field questions from the faculty about their work and
statement. Please dress appropriately for a job interview.

CRITERIA
Admission to the Industrial Design program is competitive, with many factors being considered by the Design faculty throughout your review, including: craftsmanship, curiosity, composition, and knowledge of the design field. These four areas should be illustrated clearly through your work and conversation with faculty during the review process. Although a reflection towards proficiency of completed courses, grades do not necessarily guarantee the outcome of the
review.

NOTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION
Participants will be notified of Foundation Review results by email within two weeks after the review. Continuing advancement as an Industrial Design major and enrollment into next semester design courses are contingent upon passing the Foundation Review. Design courses require departmental approval and students will not be able to register through the computer enrollment system until approval paperwork is processed in the School of Design. Students passing the Industrial Design Foundation Review will be notified by email when they are able to register for their design courses. You may, however, register for general education courses, including Art History, at your designated registration time.

Year 2: Skills Course Descriptions

Students seeking to pursue the Design Studies major and enroll in 200-level design
courses must participate in the Foundation Review to be held at the end of the semester.

For the Design Studies Foundation Review, you need to prepare two items: a portfolio and a written statement. After the portfolio and written statement have been submitted, they will be reviewed by faculty. Finally, students will sign up for an interview with Design Studies faculty.

THE PORTFOLIO
A portfolio should present your developing abilities as a designer and a thinker as well as your interest in the Design Studies program. It should consist primarily of work completed in the School of Design Foundation Program (DES 140, 150, 160, and 170), though you may include other work you think relevant in a separate PDF. Students must upload one PDF per class to BOX, which includes a provided cover sheet template updated by the student with their information. Each student will have a minimum of 5 PDFs (four from each class, one of optional additional work, and one of the written statement, see next section) submitted to BOX on April
26th by 5pm.

WRITTEN STATEMENT
In addition to your portfolio, please prepare a written statement, 500-750 words in length, that addresses the following prompt: What do designers do? Please refer to at least one work of design of your choice to support your assertions and include your full name and UIN at the top of the page. The written statement should be uploaded to BOX as a separate PDF on April 26th by 5pm.

THE INTERVIEW
Sign-up for Design Studies Foundation Review times occur between April 10th through April 21st. The Design Studies Interview takes place in person; applicants should plan to arrive 15 minutes before their appointed time. You will not present work during the Interview but be prepared to answer questions about your work. Dress appropriately for a job interview.

CRITERIA
Admission to the Design Studies program is competitive and many factors will be considered by the faculty reviewing the work. Review criteria includes curiosity and thoughtfulness about the place of design in the world, and excitement for formal modes/processes of working and the craftsmanship that they entail. Students should ensure these areas are illustrated clearly through their work and conversation with faculty. Although a reflection of proficiency of completed courses, grades do not necessarily guarantee the outcome of the review. Grades from all internal and external School of Design classes are considered, including transfer grades.

NOTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION
Participants will be notified of the results of the Review by email within two weeks. Continuing advancement as a Design Studies major and enrollment in next semester design courses is contingent upon passing the Review. Design courses require departmental approval, and students will not be able to register through the enrollment system until approval is processed in the School of Design. Students passing the Design Studies Review will be notified by email when they are able to
register for their design courses. You may, however, register for other classes at your designated registration time, which you can at my.uic.edu.

BA Design Studies Year 2 Course Descriptions

Note: This is only applicable for students already enrolled in the BS Computer Science + Design major.

Students seeking to continue to pursue the Computer Science + Design major and
enroll in 200-level design courses for the Fall 2023 semester must participate in the
Foundation Review to be held at the end of the semester.

For the CS + Design Foundation Review, you need to prepare two items: a portfolio and a written statement. After the portfolio and written statement have been submitted, they will be reviewed by faculty. Finally, students will sign up for an interview with CS + Design faculty.

THE PORTFOLIO
Your portfolio should present your developing abilities as a designer and engineer as well as your interest in the CS + Design program. It should consist primarily of work completed in the School of Design Foundation Program; specifically, from at least two of the following courses: DES 150, 160, 170. Students should also submit a supplemental portfolio of no more than 5 pages of documentation from projects completed in first-year CS courses completed at UIC. Work will be uploaded to BOX in PDF format. Photographs of dimensional/physical work should be combined into one PDF per class. Each foundation class will be represented by one PDF, for a minimum of 3 PDFs submitted to BOX on April 26th by 5pm.

WRITTEN STATEMENT
In addition to your portfolio, please prepare a written statement, 300-400 words in length, that reflects on your specific interests within the intersection between computer science and design—what you feel enthusiastic about, would like to explore, achieve or research. Please refer to at least one work of your choice to support your assertions and include your full name and UIN at the top of the page. The written statement should be uploaded to BOX as a separate PDF on April 26th by 5pm.

THE INTERVIEW
Sign-up for the CS + Design Foundation Review times occur between April 10th through April 21st. The Design Studies Interview takes place via Zoom; applicants should plan to arrive 15 minutes before their appointed time. You will not present work during the Interview but be prepared to answer questions about your work. Dress appropriately for a job interview.

CRITERIA
The faculty reviewers will consider many factors in assessing your fitness for the CS + Design program; these include: curiosity, thoughtfulness, and excitement for formal and material modes of working and the craftsmanship that they entail. Although a reflection of proficiency in completed courses, grades do not guarantee the outcome of the review.

NOTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION
Participants will be notified of the results of the Review by email within two weeks. Continuing advancement as a CS + Design major and enrollment in next semester design courses is contingent upon passing the Review. Design courses require departmental approval, and students will not be able to register through the enrollment system until approval is processed in the School of Design.
Students passing the CS + Design Review will be notified by email when they are able to register for their design courses. You may, however, register for other classes at your designated registration time, which you can at my.uic.edu.