Marcus Schjøtt
Age: 22
Nationality: Norwegian
Study programme: Industrial Design, 2nd year
Why did you choose Design School Kolding? I want to be a transport designer but before I specialise, I want to train myself as a general designer. Therefore I decided to go for Industrial Design.
What does a transport designer do? A transport designer makes products that can transport you from A to B. Cars, busses, bikes, boats, etc.
Was this your first attempt at becoming accepted to the school in Kolding? Yes, but I have previously applied to AHO, the Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
Have you always known that you wanted to be a designer? Yes since I was 14. I’ve always had a passion for drawing and creating new shapes and I’ve worked a lot with boats. That made me look into the educational backgrounds of a number of boat designers, and I discovered that many of them studied Industrial Design.
Why did you pick Kolding instead of, say, Copenhagen? Because Kolding is a calm town. There is no big city stress. Also, the relationship between teachers and students is very nice and relaxed.
What is the best thing about the school? The diversity of students. Everyone is doing something different. The programme is very flexible and you can take it in many directions. Even though you’re studying Industrial Design, you are allowed to work on what you prefer.
What do you like least about the school? I’m surprised at the condition of the workshops compared to other schools. I thought they would be of a higher standard.
What has surprised you the most? I thought the school would be more advanced in the digital area. Many companies want designers with significant digital competences – 3D modelling and digital drawing tools. This can be the one small thing that determines whether you get the job that you want or not. For me I’ve had to learn it on my own time.
Tell about a project you made in school. A bike for bike lovers who want to travel.
What is special about the bike? The bike has removable luggage boxes. It is for people who spend a lot of time on their bike year-round but who would also like to take long trips with overnight stays.
What do you do when you’re not in school? I self-study when I’m in Kolding. In Norway I spend time with my friends and family, stay in my parents’ summer house or mountain cabin, and go biking, sailing or skiing.
Where do you live in Kolding? Alone in a student flat.
What’s it like to be this far away from home? There was a small adjustment period in the beginning – also language-wise. When you speak Norwegian with a dialect, you have to “twist” your language a little bit and speak ”immigrant Danish” for the other students to understand what you’re saying.
How do you get to know new people? I quickly got to know the other students through joint projects that we were working on. The school has a nice Friday bar where I get to meet students from other year groups.
