Exploring Design with Global Perspective
School of Design & Media

Barcelona – What’s the first thing that comes to your mind? The famed footie powerhouse right? But it’s also a city rich with culture and architecture! Combine the three and it’s the ultimate destination for a budding designer who’s also a huge football fan. That would be me, Irfan Zailan, a second year Diploma in Spatial Design student.

When my lecturers first told me about this overseas programme organised by NYP’s School of Design & Media, I was immediately attracted to the global exposure it offered. I mean, we would be seeing how our lessons in Spatial Design were borne out in the real world.

I still remember the sights, the sounds, the scents… it was almost overwhelming! But an opportunity like this doesn’t come knocking very often, so I knew I had to learn as much, and as fast as I could. It was surreal to see – up close and personal – the things that my lecturers had talked about in class. Tying the theory with the actual design concepts was seriously satisfying: It was as if the lessons came alive.

Though it was only a two-week stint, there were learning opportunities at every corner, from the towering Sagrada Familia (that’s the famous unfinished Cathedral) right down to the quaint cafes down the small streets of the city. I saw how buildings of the past were preserved and updated seamlessly into the present. And the well-known Spanish hospitality I read about… I witnessed it, felt it and was touched by it.

This global experience changed my design thinking perspective and opened my mind to explore more cities. I’m excited to find out what the world has to offer now.

 

#BecauseWeCan