Twine!!! IID mentorship program coming soon!

The Industrial and Interaction Design program adequately prepares its students for the professional world by providing an array of research and hands-on design courses. Like many other programs these courses are applied in phases throughout the semesters, and it is easy for students to become lost in the “big picture.” We understand that students work around a tight schedule during the semester. Therefore we feel it is important to offer students a chance to engage in an interactive blending of the student body.

The program runs on a semester basis, at the end of which students are encouraged to continue. A Mentor will typically be paired with one Apprentice, but may also be assigned to up to 3 Apprentices (depending on the sign-up ratio). Throughout each semester there will be events that allow students more exposure to the field of Design. Primarily, 2 design competitions will take place. These competitions will be concise and thorough, covering the span of no more than 10 total hours each.

Mentors

Our Mentors are 3rd, 4th, and 5th year students with more advanced overall experience and skill sets. They are selected through a voluntary application process, which includes interviews and portfolio reviews. They will provide support for their Apprentices by sharing experiences and providing expert advice.

Apprentices

1st, 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th year students! All 2nd year students are required to participate in Twine. Additionally, however, a Freshman could be weighing majors to declare, a 2nd/3rd-year could be in need of solidifying a portfolio, or a Mechanical Engineer could be interested in what we do. Apprenticeships are open to anyone who wishes to test out the waters of IID, expand/create a portfolio, or simply become more involved with the Industrial and Interactive Design community.

Design Competitions

Ideally, there would be 2 design competitions each semester. Each of these are “short and sweet,” and are themed. Even though time only allows for short competitions, they are comprehensive - covering the research, concept ideation, and concept development phases. An ideal submission consists of roughly four 11”x17” boards (and sometimes a model/prototype). By the end of a complete school year, any given participant should have four interesting side projects to include in their portfolios.