In an interview, renowned film director Martin Scorsese was asked which film school he would recommend to aspiring filmmakers, his answer was unexpected yet deeply insightful: “Don’t go to film school – go to a design school instead”
Scorsese’s reasoning taps into a broader philosophy about creativity and the foundations of visual storytelling. He suggests that the rigors of training and structured thinking cultivated in a design education can offer a more holistic and transformative experience. “Spending four to five years immersed in design,” he implies, “is not just about learning software or aesthetics- it is about training your mind to observe, interpret, and solve problems in a creative and structured way.”
A design school encompasses a wide range of disciplines- from typography and color theory to spatial thinking and user experience. This comprehensive approach helps mold a person through this process, instilling a sensitivity to composition, balance and visual communication. “The discipline of design teaches you to think about how things work, not just how they look, ” Scorsese might argue “And that kind of thinking is invaluable when you are crafting a film”.
Pritzker prize winning architect BV Doshi while designing a school of architecture that embodied his philosophy of teaching and the idea of learning under a tree once said, “Education is to open doors, not one but many”. This perspective highlights his belief that architecture education should not be confined to a singular path but should equip individuals to explore multiple avenues of creativity and adaptability across the realms of life and design.
The Puritan Pursuits: Navigating Established Professionals Domains
Post an architecture education one pursues the well-trodden path rooted in a discipline that combines art, science and social consciousness. Traditionally, this foundation has led graduates towards established careers in architectural practice, urban planning and construction management that directly align with formal teachings of design studios and structural theory. These explorations reflect on the conventional trajectories, examining not only the professional roles they encompass but also adapt to the rapidly evolving design landscape.
The puritan pursuits can also culminate in traditional job opportunities in the government sector offering a chance to contribute meaningfully to the public infrastructure and the society at large. The urban and regional planning (housing, environmental, transport and physical planning) specializations offer the graduates an opportunity to appear for central or state service commission examinations that help them secure a role in town planning departments, planning commissions, public works department and development authorities like MMRDA, HUDCO etc. When it comes to design centric specializations like urban design and landscape architecture the roles within specialized government departments offer promising opportunities.
Additional opportunities include
- Municipal bodies like BMC and quasi-government bodies like Mumbai Port trust, MIDC etc.
- Transport and infrastructure agencies like ITDP, RITES, UTTIPEC etc. with specific roles varying by state also provide avenues for transport planner jobs.
- Heritage and conservation organizations including the Archeological Survey of India seek professionals with expertise in architectural conservation and restoration.
Today International bilateral and multilateral agencies as well as global development banks actively recruit architects with a specialized expertise for a wide range of roles encompassing urban development, infrastructure planning and sustainability and policy advisors.
Hence as the scope of design broadens the traditional pathways turn out to be more fulfilling in terms of directly impacting the society and the built environment.
Beyond the Built: The Expanding Horizons of Design Education
Design education is often rooted in the construct of the physical environment with a strong emphasis on spatial logic, material sensitivity and human centered thinking and hence architectural training becomes a launchpad to diverse fields- some traditional and others emerging.
As the boundaries between disciplines blur in our increasingly digital and interdisciplinary world, design graduates find themselves uniquely positioned to explore careers far beyond conventional physical space.
Allied fields such as product design, furniture design and art and artifact design can be explored, each rooted in spatial understanding and craftsmanship. These domains often serve as a bridge to the evolving digital space of UI/UX design. With exponential growth of the tech industry opportunities in UI/UX have expanded significantly. Companies like Infosys and other IT firms, along with content creators and brand strategists are increasingly seeking architects/designers to craft user-friendly digital experiences and brand identities.
The versatility of a design education can be measured by the fact that architects who pursue a masters in product design or industrial design are these days being hired by global automotive giants like Honda and Mercedes.
Additionally, a design background can lead to creative paths such as film set design, production design and scenography and blending architecture with narrative and visual storytelling.
From Design Studio to Industry: The LSRoA journey
Ultimately, design education empowers individuals with a unique blend of creativity, technical skill and critical thinking- tools that are valuable across a spectrum of industries. At LSRoA, students from the very first year of architecture are encouraged to think laterally and approach design solutions with an innovative mindset. Through a carefully designed and nuanced pedagogy, they develop a strong instinctive design sensibility and comprehensive design skill set. Through the 5 years of training they are exposed to various workshops and insight series that offer them an opportunity to interact from experts from the industry and gain valuable knowledge.
LSRoA graduates are not only prepared for the traditional architectural roles but also empowered to navigate and lead in diverse creative disciplines in an ever-evolving design landscape.
Contributed by
Ar. Divya Menon – Architect. Urban Designer
