Don’t ask yourself what the studio means to you, but rather what you mean to the studio! Your effort and participation is necessary to turn this term into a success. The studio is not a place to sit around and wait for things to happen.
Maintain an active attitude and partake in lots of activities, share your knowledge and make sure to write down a well-established result for the work of others during assessments. We want to function as a real studio and that’s the reason why we expect a professional attitude from you: try to hand in a well thought of end product, make sure to be present, make sure to be critical towards your own work and follow the developments within the field of work. We won’t take note of absence, but your participation during the studio will have a say in your final grade.
Participation also means we provide room for you to set up (guest) lectures and/or communities of expertise. Just make sure to talk to one of the teachers if you’ve got a good idea to see what’s possible. We’re big proponents of making things happen together.
You decide as a student what you want to learn. There is a minimum amount of lectures and no mandatory list of books that you have to buy. As soon as you know what you want to achieve you can ask your teachers for advice, knowledge and expertise. You can find our expertises outlined in the who’s who?-section or on https://www.cmdwld.com/.
You are not alone. You will be surrounded by fellow students, teachers and people from the work field. You will actively look for the help of others, but will also help the people around you in order for everyone to gain optimal growth.
We value an attitude that shows you are looking for information and knowledge that will help you improve, instead of just doing something without any information as to why you did it. During your learning process we recommend you to discuss with your teacher how you are learning and which sources you consult. The ‘reading room’ (mentioned elsewhere) is always a good starting point, but online sources (if they are on the right level) and tips from your teachers are also useful.
Need more input? Here are some quotes to give you an idea of our expectations:
<aside> 👉 Study the greats. If you don’t have an external measure of value and quality, you’re just *$#ing around.
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<aside> 👉🏻 Be curious. Always ask yourself why something works the way it does and how it affects the audience.
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<aside> 👉🏼 Doing something once is like doing nothing at all. Keep trying and keep messing around until you’re satisfied and proud. Nobody creates magic at their first try.
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<aside> 👉🏽 Don’t be afraid to experiment and make mistakes. Frustration usually means that you’re close to having a breakthrough.
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<aside> 👉🏾 Start with an idea and pick the tools that fit best. Not the other way around.
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<aside> 👉🏿 We expect you to not just work digitally. Use a sketch book and pencils. Sketch out your ideas on paper. Feel it. Smell it. Your screen is a wonderful tool, but can lead to tunnel vision. Especially in the early stages of your designs.
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<aside> 👉 Be a sponge. 🧽 Absorb everything that you can. Learn from other disciplines and the world around you. True creativity comes by keeping all your eyes open and your interest piqued.
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<aside> 👉🏻 Never settle for the first theory (or tutorial, or technique) you find. If that’s all that it takes, why pay good money for your studies instead of just messing around at home? There’s much more to design than a hero’s journey, flat illustration or a questionnaire.
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<aside> 👉🏼 We expect you to be a positive participant of our community. Help each other out. Share your knowledge. Organise stuff. Get off your island.
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<aside> 👉🏽 A good learning goal is one that requires repetition, effort, time and validation.
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