Business School Applications
I’ve been preparing to apply to business schools (entering Fall ‘10) for some time now, and I’ve been wondering whether b-schools respect design as much as MFA programs. It’s not the most fair comparison but it’s also not as strange as one might think.
Originally I was (let’s make no bones about this) … annoyed. Really? You want me to submit my essays in 12pt, double-spaced format? How 8th grade. I’m willing to bet they’d like me to use Times New Roman, too. But with the advent of the interwebs, all application materials are allowed (in fact, recommended) to be submitted online. Catastrophe: avoided.
This got me to thinking about how b-schools communicate. It’s an informational debacle, trying to get out all these can’t-miss points about the maximum word count of your essay, the method by which you may submit additional information, and the people who are eligible to recommend you (enthusiastically!). If a body of high-strung and potentially high-paying prospectives doesn’t understand the instructions put forth, there’s a whole lot of headache in store for the admissions department.
Currently I’m in the process of orchestrating my recommendations to five schools. In looking at five recommendation request forms, I’m noticing that they are… staid. Conservative. And with not enough leading. However, there is one bright spot in the otherwise dull and mundane ocean of forms: UC Berkeley has taken some well-deserved time to treat their forms with respect and care. I noticed a bold mix of Gill Sans, Franklin Gothic, and Trade Gothic all being used to convey a strong message: “Here’s how you do this. Here is what’s important.” Simple, but highly effective when well-executed.
So here I sit, getting distracted by the rivers in Stanford’s note to the recommender. Couldn’t they have used a sans-serif? Would it kill them to let out the leading just a bit? Why, oh why did they horizontally squeeze all the type in the assessment grid? I’ve thought about ignoring these distractions, but instead I think that keeping these things in mind may help in the long run. After all, the applications are about showing what you’re made of. If I’m made of a nervous, design-related twitch, I want the admissions committee to know about it.
Zip-up headphones
Very cool idea from Yanko Design. Though who’s to say that even the zipped-up headphones wouldn’t get tangled up? At least this minimizes the clutter. A bold, modern, and yet elegant solution to the everyman’s (or everyaudiophile’s) problem.