SOP Sample for MS Graphic Design in UK | Fresher Profile

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Being a student of Fashion Communication I was fortunate enough to study 15 different subjects with core specialization in Graphic Design, Photography, Visual Merchandising and 3D Graphics along with styling, digital marketing and journalism as minors. All college assignments were mostly field work and practically real time projects, also we used to regularly participate in craft clusters where a group of students travels to an assigned village or place where you can find local artisans who make handicraft products, our job was to observe their work and prepare a whole Craft Documentation on how we as designers can bridge the gap between traditional artisans and new era designers to revive and preserve the craft. Along with this it was compulsory to regularly participate in internship programs to gain exposure of working in real industry.

As someone from Graphic design background and spending some time in industry of my country while working on few real time projects, what I've gathered is a bit concerning to me because Visual Design has become more of creating collaterals like social media posts and stories for marketing instead of creating something visually strong and contributing something that actually makes some difference in the society. I've noticed that my design process has been hindered by lack of freedom to create something that actually makes a difference in the world through my skills, because designers are asked to create within a certain set of boundaries in corporate industry where they can't be completely open about their creative ideas as people are always afraid to try or see something new, because it has chances of leading to customer dissatisfaction.

So for a break I started working independently as a designer and photographer and sometimes as a volunteer for small organizations. And finally after working in different working cultures, I developed my interest in working independently for small businesses and Nonprofit Organizations. Because working in a big firm like [COMPANY_A] or [COMPANY_B] may or may not bring any change in society but working for small businesses and organizations that really need someone to build their visual identity is definitely going to make a difference.

During the four years of course study and working on real time projects I have developed interest in Visual/Graphic Design, also I am pretty good at photography which I believe can make a good combination to visualize and solve design problems of the real world. For instance, I am a volunteer Content Creator for two organizations in Himachal Pradesh, India one of them ([ORGANIZATION_A]) works with small and local artisans of the state to revive and preserve the art of handicrafts like Pine needle products and Chamba Chappal (Chamba Slippers) and the other one ([ORGANIZATION_B]) is a dedicated to create sustainable livelihoods that are linked to nature and culture conservation. And it gives an immense satisfaction to work for something that is part of bringing some helpful change in the society.

All these experiences have been extremely helpful in providing me with confidence and a broader viewpoint with which to approach the field of design. But still, for working independently I needed a certain direction where I can specialize in my skills. That's why I think this is the perfect time to apply for my masters, where I can denote myself in a certain dedicated field to brush up and excel my field of interest. Also I am preferring to pursue my higher studies in the UK because according to my basic research, Universities in the UK provide a combination of theory and practice. The dedicated study time is equally divided in the classroom and in the practical learning, and students get to apply all their learnings while getting a taste of what it's like to be in the professional realm through internships. Plus studying abroad will help me to improve my communication skills and confidence along with exposure to working in different cultures and with people coming from diverse backgrounds. Also, it will provide me an opportunity to pursue my passion of working independently for different organizations globally which works not only to survive in industry but also to make a better society.

I am highly punctual of my deadlines which enables me to multitask at a single point of time. I believe strongly that my dedication towards my passion will enable me to make a valuable contribution as a learning student in the program. Also I would really love to participate in different activities and programs on campus which are dedicated to helping other students and contributing to the university and society welfare.

The importance of Visual Communication whether it is graphic design, typography or photography is increasing day by day. Visual design is a field with enormous power for the future. Visual language impacts the mind and visual design has great potential for contributing to progressive social change. Therefore, my goal in pursuing advanced education in this field is to become one of the designers in the world which wants to bring change in society, and in this way, I hope to be able to contribute to the overall progress and development of the design industry globally.