Student Profiles

Encouraged by the creative US design environment and the populous US market, Tania's objective in moving to North America was to specialise in a field of design that can positively impact on consumers' daily lives.

Currently employed as Lead Designer for Whirlpool Corporation, Global Consumer Design, her responsibilities lie in the KitchenAid brand where she participates in brand planning, product design and increasingly with the Innovation Team - a growing and important part of Whirlpool Corporation globally.

Tania believes that the Monash Industrial Design course encourages creative exploration and, importantly, design definition to exacting standards. And she is confident that the skills she acquired during her degree have put her in good stead.

"Out-of-the-box thinking is a valued skill for a designer in the competitive US market. It lends to consumer benefit and strategic advantage," she says.

Joseph Rudolph
Monash graduate
Designer with Holden Design
(Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Design - Industrial Design)

Joseph Rudolph completed his Engineering/Industrial Design double degree in 2003. Thanks to strong links between Monash and the automotive industry, he was offered work experience at Holden Design and he now has a permanent position with the company. Through his course, Joseph was chosen to represent Australia in The Pforzheim International Transport Design Forum held in Germany, where he was awarded the Paul Pietsch Prize for Design. He also entered an industry sponsored competition - the E.D Oates Innovative Home Products Competition - and was awarded 1st prize.

"The Industrial Design component of my double degree has allowed me to develop my skills required for working in the Design Industry. It has developed my ability to think creatively in generating concepts; furthered my understanding of engineering and production issues; helped improve my presentation skills; and has given me a solid understanding of the design process."

Sascha Allaway
Monash graduate
Interior Architect, Peddle Thorp Interiors
(Bachelor of Interior Architecture)

Sascha Allaway graduated from the Bachelor of Interior Architecture in 2002. She commends the Monash course for providing a strong design focus. 'By the 3rd and 4th years of the course there's a real opportunity to follow design projects through from building up a brief, to concept development, design and documentation. You are also required to visually and verbally present your project at the end which develops really important communication skills'.

Sascha also praises the close staff and student community at Monash. 'The staff were very happy to see you outside of class time and to provide hands-on help. It was that personal connection that was important to me and the fact that I didn't feel lost in the crowd'.

Sascha completed her 6 week practical placement between 3rd and 4th years with Peddle Thorp Interiors (PTI), an independent consultancy offering expertise in strategy design and management of business environments. PTI is part of the Peddle Thorp Global network located throughout Australia, UK, USA and SE Asia. 'That 6 weeks work experience really was one of the highlights of the course' she says. Sascha is now employed as an Interior Designer with the company and says 'I love the fact that every work day presents new challenges which I feel confident to take on and explore because of the really good grounding I received at Monash'.

Dominique Falla
Monash graduate
Master of Design by research

"I contacted several universities with a Masters proposal and Monash showed an immediate interest in my project: production designs for a Steampunk film. When I paid a visit to the Caulfield campus and saw the Art & Design facilities first hand, I realised there was a potential to expand my project even further, and so the decision to study at Monash was made very easy.

"Think big. If the step you are about to take doesn't challenge, scare and excite you then it is not a big enough step. The bigger the goal, the harder it is to lose sight of, so pitch as high as you dare and then expect your supervisor to push you even further."