Nara Kasbergen (A1)

After our discussion in class last week, I realized that the type of work environment that would suit me best is independent. I've always worked best in smaller, tight-knit groups, but the boutique environments do not appeal to me as much because I do not want to end up at a company that practices only one kind of design. I love multidisciplinary projects and working with people who come from completely different backgrounds, and one of the reasons I chose to go into design is because I hoped it would give me the opportunity to do just that. At first I was worried that there is no work environment like the one I am looking for (small but multidisciplinary), but the descriptions that were presented last week made it clear that going independent doesn't mean working alone; you can have a couple of people (likely ones in a different discipline) who collaborate and work on various projects with you. This concept appeals to me.

Another reason why I see myself going independent is because I really hope to work with brand new technology or even technology that hasn't been invented yet, and figuring out how that changes the way we can use technology to communicate information and what new opportunities for creativity that creates (think MIT Media Lab). I'd say this is heading more in the direction of research rather than design for consumption. While I realize that there are plenty of companies that try to stay on the cutting edge, I'm hesitant about winding up in a job that solely consists of doing work for clients because most of the work I would be doing for them would likely be design for consumption and I want time for more experimentation for experimentation's sake. I'm hoping that working for myself will give me more opportunities to do that (although staying financially afloat is a concern). And yes, I do admit that this ideal is largely inspired by Ben Fry, who is my role model as a designer.

However, I don't think I will work independently for the first few years of my career. I still feel very inexperienced, and I think I need the experience of working in a much more structured environment in order to gain the confidence I need to go independent, even if I dislike bureaucracy and the idea of being assigned to a specific role in a company. But I think it is quite likely that I will end up spending my first few years as a designer at a larger, multinational firm -- also because I would like the opportunity to possibly transfer and work overseas.