Success Story : Shashank Arya (IITK)

DESIGN PROGRAMME, I.I.T KANPUR

A SUCCESS STORY

1 JUNE 2015

It’s a dream come true for me to write my success story. Years back I was reading such motivational stories of others, now it is my turn to pass-on what I experienced and gained through this wonderful journey, from being a just another, B.TECH guy from a conventional UPTU college, who saw a dream to achieve something enormous one day, with his few skills and super self-belief to this day where I can proudly say yes I have done it. It’s my pleasure to share some unseen, unsung, untold and hidden things worked behind my success.

Mechanical engineer, from B.B.D.I.T Ghaziabad, third year it was I still remember in workshop I was sketching something in copy when Mr. K. K Gupta my FM faculty saw me and said that magical 4 words, that changed my life, CEED exam it was. That evening to next morning all I was thinking exploring and wondering is CEED, yes this is the thing I was looking for, this is I always wanted to do, this is the thing, where I can see myself and where I can convert my skills into profession. First and last things I came to know about, to fully gear me up for CEED and after CEED things was teacupblog.com and stuffyoulookblog.com, it’s a home for design aspirants like us, containing everything that going to help you in every aspect of this journey.

2014 attempt, I failed to qualify CEED but cleared NID there I got real exposure to the professional level how designers are look like and how do they do it, meeting faculties, NID students, other students came for interview there at that time, shown me the write way to work upon and my areas of improvement. Sad part was, NID also ended up with failure, nevertheless I was taking back with me so many key things that ultimately going to help me for CEED 2015.

Now I am coming to things what I planned, done, learned and implemented them over my preparation, regarding different landmarks that every one of you will go through from the day you start your preparation.

CEED 2015 TEST

Download previous paper just go through them well focused especially ’13, ’14 and ’15 year as it contain new pattern. Try to extract the examiners point of view, areas from where PART A questions are coming from different aspects likewise culture, technology, automobile, about daily things all of them just compare the questions with things happening on same level this yearand try to pre-assume what can be asked on same domain this year, search everything, about everything coming to your mind, that can be asked this year related to various dimensions that PART Agenerally covers. Be focused in those 3 hours of examination save your answers and check, read questions carefully and complete what you know first.

For ex. This year it was asked a logo which was IIT Hyderabad so now u search all new government bodies and universities and other logo in recent year, which can be asked, related to something in design happened in it.

Consequently, try to cover whole paper like this and prepare every area PART A asked from, search and write as much as you can, Google everything in relation to domain of PART A.

PART B needs daily sketching practice, your daily design aptitude thinking, improve your observational skills, try to pictorially represent whatever ideas comes to your mind. Solve question of previous year as many times as you can, GOOGLE designers portfolios and see how they represent their design concepts, least usage of words in expression, read and watch short stories, and most important try to improve your timing of sketching, writing representing and such things each and every day.

PORTFOLIO

Your portfolio should represent yourself, there’s nothing like good or bad portfolio it’s always about smart, genuine work with your belief and passion in your own ideas. Mark my words, panel in interview is too smart, never copy something from anywhere and never try to befool them.

Have 10-15 of your best work like design concepts, random sketches, photographs, poems, anything you think would help you to show your creative side.

Representation in work is what impress them, it’s hard to believe but handmade colorful work are more liked everywhere, so be yourself have confidence in what you know. Don’t try to learn any new software or something like that in that time before interviews, after exam enhance your known skills and compile best work and practice its representation like why, how and what, about every single entity in your portfolio.

INTERVIEW

Things related to your background would be mostly talked about inside that haunted room, like your engineering. Just be confident over what things you know, talk to yourself, about yourself a night before interview know your positives. Knowing yourself well is the key to crack any interview. Your justifications about anything is only yours, try to be the best version of yours. Don’t listen to anyone, don’t copy anything, any lines, create your own, describe your passion and your journey enthusiastically. Don’t just say, S H O W them what you think, what you feel, through your words, remember those 15 minutes, each line you say should be related to your designer mind. Again any answer to a question is neither right or wrong, what matters is your approach in it, with real and positive state of mind. For questions you never listened about frankly say ‘I don’t know’ is best answer. Lastly, have a good knowledge about each and every single line you have mentioned in your portfolio and some behind stage things like technology, material, inspiration behind it and future improvements about all of your design concepts.

FOR ex. If u say 100 times “I am a good boy…” people don’t care, but if u say it like that “I helped a poor old lady on road” it ultimately shows you’re a good boy so don’t just say, show everyone what you feel and what you have done to be there before that panel.

MY INTERVIEW

IIT KANPUR Panel was 5 member from design, aerospace, mechanical departments and I was mainly asked technical questions from any subject (fluid mechanics) of my choice, from engineering and simultaneously two member from panel were watching me and my portfolio carefully, which they had taken earlier. I was given tasks to done on paper like, sketch a mobile phone and design an experiment, to test the laminar flow of any fluid. Lastly asked me why designing, what skills you have in you, and why product design and over.

Finally, all I want to conclude to you people is to believe in you, your skills, have a great confidence about making it possible, fight for your dream if you really want to be on top one day, extract good things that can help you, from different resources nature, TVads, animals, incidences, be boundless free yourself and start thinking like you are a designer and practice this thinking. It’s a long term thing, but can be achieved. Practice, patience and lots of hard work in right direction, under supervision of various mentors like Prasanna Gadkari sir will definitely make yourself successful. Dream it, work over it and achieve it.

I will feel immense proud to help you all personally catch me in below addresses enclosing my portfolio. All the very best, work hard.

THANK YOU

Shashank Arya

M.DESIGN

IIT KANPUR

Shashankarya14@gmail.com