XJTLU offered me new perspectives on design

Adam Kuzma, a Polish alumnus of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (BEng Architecture, 2021), highlights how his studies gave him important skills and views that keep on to affect his operate in product design and style.

He is presently a Senior Person Knowledge Designer in New York at Signet Jewelers, one particular of the world’s premier diamond jewelry merchants.

Kuzma in New York

Kuzma’s desire in China started by studying Chinese language and lifestyle just before he ever set foot in the nation. However, all through a trip to China as a tourist, he made the decision to pursue his schooling there.

“I visited unique universities in China. XJTLU stood out for its welcoming and welcoming admission place of work, the easy software system, and numerous worldwide natural environment,” he claims.

Just before attending XJTLU, Kuzma had knowledge in world wide web growth, but layout was what sparked his enthusiasm. He determined to pursue a bachelor’s diploma in architecture at XJTLU to examine this even more. Despite the fact that Kuzma inevitably resolved not to proceed in architecture soon after graduation, he notes that his reports at XJTLU geared up him perfectly for his recent role:

“Studying architecture, I realized style and design imagining, collaborating with some others, and how to talk my designs proficiently, abilities that I implement now as a solution designer.”

Kuzma at XJTLU

Project views

Kuzma also highlights the worth of enough prospects at XJTLU for college students to take part in competitions and current their perform equally in and further than the university.

“It’s tremendous fascinating to be equipped to clearly show your jobs to other folks and get a unique perspective.”

Just one notable practical experience for him was a undertaking that took college students to Suzhou’s Previous City, wherever they have been tasked with analysing sections of the historic place and creating in depth maps and visual models.

Kuzma at XJTLU

“We developed a comprehensive 3-dimensional map, documenting what the nearby architecture, landscape, supplies and routines ended up like, alongside with the high-quality of the canal that was element of the space.” This possibility allowed Kuzma to showcase his work to a significant group of people and attain valuable feed-back.

In addition, Kuzma was chosen to be aspect of a volunteer university student group supplying style suggestions to XJTLU’s studying management application for college students. He notes that this practical experience supplied him the chance to align his interests with the desires of the College, and was specifically fulfilling when he later observed that some of his style and design suggestions were carried out within just the application.

Society and design and style

Kuzma also demonstrates on how his time in China broadened his perspective on how cultural dissimilarities can affect merchandise style. He notes the prevalence of “super apps” in China, this sort of as WeChat, which features a large variety of companies in a single platform.  In distinction, Western cellular apps are frequently more specific and one-goal, he claims.

“Western applications are inclined to be simple, typically oriented close to a one undertaking, frequently divided into different screens where you make 1 choice at a time. Chinese applications are often like a Swiss army knife – a one display with all the facts available at when.”

“It’s truly appealing for me to ask wherever those distinctions come from. I’m curious about cultural variances that affect the style of points and I think that’s a exceptional talent that formulated as a result of finding out at a college in China.”

On the lookout back again

Kuzma may perhaps now reside in New York, but Suzhou will usually maintain a unique place in his coronary heart.

“I considerably miss out on the persons, tranquil ambiance and the accessibility of out of doors spaces these as lakes and gardens. I loved getting in a position to rapidly journey by rapid trains involving Suzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou. The night food stuff scene in Suzhou was also incredibly unforgettable, with quite a few persons accumulating late at evening to get pleasure from food stuff. I fondly glance back on my time at XJTLU in China, and I feel it was an fascinating journey.”

 

By Tianjiao Zhang

Edited by Yi Qian and Tamara Kaup

Pictures courtesy of Adam Kuzma