VFS Digital Design is a highly multicultural program. We get students from all over the world. Being Chinese, I’m very interested in the educational experiences of our students from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hongkong. I started meeting with them to capture and share their insights. As part of my ongoing series of interviews, Digital Design alumnus, Benson Chang, talks about his experience.

温哥华电影学院的数字媒体专业很具跨文化特色。这里汇聚了来自世界各国家、各地区的青年才俊。我很感兴趣 那些来自中国大陆、台湾地区和香港地区的学生们,他们在这里的学习经历是怎样的。与他们逐渐熟识,也更多 分享他们的才智和学习历程。下面是我在数字媒体专业进行的系列采访中的一个人物,张裕民, 他分享了他在 数 字媒体专业的学习感受。

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Maggie Guo: Welcome Benson. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

郭春宁: 裕民,你好!可否先简单介绍一下你自己?

Benson Chang: Hi Maggie. Thanks for chatting with me. I originally come from Taiwan, and am currently living in Vancouver. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, and I recently graduated from VFS Digital Design Class 20. I have always been excited about branding. It sets the tone and personality that applies to other design components like interactive, which is my second love. When I come up with the ‘Big Idea’, I always treat the project like a real person, asking myself what their lifestyle is. What kind of product they would use? I love challenges, problem solving and generating conceptual ideas, from the design process to final visualization. I also enjoy drawing and illustration. Oh, and I love cooking!

张裕民: 春宁,你好! 谢谢你的采访。我来自台湾,现居温哥华。我的本科专业是视觉传达,我刚从温哥华电影 学院的数字媒体专业毕业, 是数字媒体专业20班的毕业生。我的专业兴趣所在是品牌设计,我对互动设计也很感 兴趣,我希望把品牌设计和互动设计结合起来。每当我进行项目设计的时候, 我总希望把它设想成一个人,问 我自己他的生活方式是怎么样的,他会用什么样的产品?我喜欢迎接挑战,也喜欢通过构思、设计和最终展示来 解决设计问题。我也很喜 欢绘画和插图。对了,我做菜也不错哦!

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MG: What was your decision-making process in selecting the Digital Design program?

郭: 能谈谈你选择VFS的数字媒体专业的过程吗?

BC:  Back in Taiwan, I worked at Channel V developing channel packages. At the time, I was thinking about improving my skills by studying abroad. I learned about VFS through an exhibition entitled, ‘The New Generation Design of Taiwan’. And I liked the Digital Design student work on the VFS YouTube channel. “Wow! This work is amazing!,” I said to myself. So it occurred to me that maybe I should be studying at VFS.

I came to Vancouver specifically for Digital Design. But before choosing VFS, I compared it with some other colleges in America and the UK. And I so happy I ultimately chose VFS. For example, one of my friends studied at Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design in the UK. It’s a great school but, he felt I did more interesting projects than he did. And I really did learn a lot in Digital Design.

张: 我之前在台湾的Channel V电视频道工作,主要的工作是频道包装,我在工作时萌生了出国进修来提升自己 的想法。有一次我在一个名为“台湾新一代设计展”上看到VFS这个学校的一些信息,还有就是在VFS YouTube上 被数字媒体专业的学生作品所吸引。觉得这里的学生作品很棒,就想来这边学习。
我就是为了VFS学校来到加拿大温哥华的。其实,来在VFS的数字媒体之前,我也比较过美国、英国等其他国家 的学校,但我很庆幸最后选择了VFS。我有个朋友在英国圣马丁艺术学院上学,那也是一个很棒的学校,不过由 于学制和教学节奏不同,我的同学感觉他在那里做的有意思的项目要少得多,觉得收获没有我在这边的大。

 

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MG: What are the differences between VFS Digital Design and similar courses you took back in Taiwan based on your experiences?

郭: 你觉得台湾数字媒体的教学情况和温哥华电影学院的数字媒体教学什么区别吗?

BC: I feel like the design courses in Taiwan are more focused on technical skills. While in Digital Design, the focus is on the concept and the design. It made me ask questions like: Who is my target audience? How I will solve their problems? So the design is not only beautiful but also has a purpose.

From graphic design to interface design, you should focus on the behaviors of your users and what lies beneath the surface. You need to consider best way to engage them through interactive. That is what I learned from the Digital Design program which was far less of a focus back in Taiwan. The Digital Design curriculum is profound and thoughtful.

张: 我个人感觉台湾在数字媒体教育方面还是蛮偏重技术。但在VFS的数字媒体学习,感觉这里更偏向在设计一 个物件之前,你的概念是什么东西?然后你要试问你自己,我为什么要做这个项目?你的目标观众是谁?你要如 何设法解决他们的问题?而不是盲目去设计某个漂亮的东西。
从平面设计到界面设计,要关注它们背后使用者的行为,用什么方式去互动之类的。这都是很重要的。而在台湾 学习的时候这些方面就考虑的比较少。所以我觉得这里的数字媒体教学更为深入和全面。

 

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MG: What has your experience been like in the program?

郭: 能谈谈你在数字媒体学习的体会吗?

BC: I really appreciate the opportunities provided by the program that connect students with the industry. In the term 3, we visited three design agencies. These studios cover three specializations in Digital Design: communication deign, motion design and interactive design. The school cultivates students’ careers and helps them find their paths in diverse parts of the industry.

张: 我感觉这里和业界的交流非常多。 比如我们会去一些公司参观,我们在第四学期的时候,就去了三家公司参 访。这三家公司和工作室分别涉及到数字媒体的三个专业方向,视觉传达设计, 影视设计和互动设计。数字媒体 这边很重视学生对市场的学习,比较偏向商业导向。这里学校和学生是一个互利共生的状态。学校也很注重对学 生的培养和推广。

 

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MG: What was the thing you found most surprising about the program?

郭: 你觉得在在数字媒体专业的学习中什么是最让你惊喜的?

BC: I enjoyed the small class size in Digital Design. In every class, the teaching assistant works in conjunction with the instructor, helping students solve technical problems, thus allowing the instructors to focus more on concepts and mentoring. And the interactive atmosphere is very good in each class.

The school also offers free English classes and anti-stress advice. The student service leader, Lilah, is very kind to students. Honestly, to me, she is like my mother. And the advisor of Asian students, Ruth, is like a sister. She cares about our problems. For example, after she saw my portfolio, she helped me apply for a scholarship.

张: 除了课程理念和设置上的优势,我喜欢这里的小班级授课方式。每次课上都有助教,这里助教和教师合作得 很好,能够帮助学生解决技术层面问题,教师就更有精力指导学生创作上面的问题。这样班级上课的互动气氛很 好。
学校还有免费的英语课程和抗压力辅导。这里的学生服务老师Lilah, 非常热心、细致,像妈妈一样。还有亚洲地 区的顾问Ruth,像大姐姐一样,关心亚洲地区的学生生活和学习上的问题。比如她看了我的作品集,帮助我 和课 程主管沟通,帮助我争取奖学金,还帮助我沟通其他课业上的问题。

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MG: If you could sum up the program in one word, what would it be?

郭: 如果让你用一个词总结在数字媒体的感受,你觉得这个词应该是什么?

BC: For me it would be “challenge”. I was originally enrolled in Digital Design Class 19. However, I faced some significant communication issues. I took four months off to do an English concentration and rejoined when Digital Design Class 20 began. In the process, I learned to face challenges, be persistent and solve problems.

张: 对我来讲是“挑战”吧。因为我来这里本来读DD19,但后来修整了几个月,又来到DD20。在这一过程中,我 学会了迎接挑战和通过努力坚持与沟通解决问题。

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MG: What’s it like living in Vancouver? And what was it like acclimating to a new culture and city?

郭:你在温哥华的生活如何?你如何适应和融入这个城市?

BC: You can always find something interesting in Vancouver! Such as the party on Granville Street on Halloween with all the different gaming and anime costumes. That was fun!

Also, the city is amazingly beautiful! I came from Taibei and Xinzu with all their skyscrapers and pollution. Vancouver is full of nature and fresh air. I can always relax, even when I’m concentrating on my studies.

Vancouver has a huge Asian population. You can speak Mandarin or Cantonese in some banks and supermarkets such as T&T which is close to the school. So you have that familiar feeling and sometimes it’s just that much easier to communicate.

张: 你能经常看到一些好玩的事情,比如万圣节晚上在Granville Street有化妆Party和表演,可以看到各种奇装异 服。人们装扮成游戏里的人物,很好玩!

当然,温哥华吸引我的还有它的自然环境非常好。因为我之前在台北和新竹,到处都是高楼大厦,空气也不是很 好。来这边感觉非常自然、非常清新,给你比较放松的感觉。但这里又是一个你可以努力去学习的一个环境。这 里给你一种安全感。
这里亚洲的面孔也比较多,能让你不觉得那么陌生,比较安心。这里的一些银行或华人超市(比如离学校很近的 大统华超市T&T),可以讲粤语或普通话,交流起来更方便。

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MG: Please tell us about your graduate project?

郭: 能谈谈你的毕业设计吗?

BC: Mezzo Air is a fictitious, Vancouver-based airline that integrates an air miles and reward system throughout the entire experience. This project is an interactive walk-through demonstrating the passenger experience and showing the value of this brand design. It is targeted at the upper class business person, using a website, a mobile application and an in-flight entertainment system.

张: Mezzo航空是我设计的一家航空公司,公司以温哥华为总部,提供航空服务和客户回馈。这个设计项目专注 于用户的互动体验和展示品牌设计的价值。它的目标人群是高端的商业人士,我的设计涵盖了网站、移动平台和 飞机的内外部设计。

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MG: What advice do you have for students who are thinking of studying in the VFS Digital Design program?

郭: 你会给准备来VFS的数字媒体专业学习的同学什么建议?

BC: You will face many practical issues when you first study abroad, such as how to apply for a cell phone plan, how to find housing, etc. I would suggest you come earlier before the term begins. The sooner you’re familiar with your new environment, the easier it will be to concentrate on your studies.

张: 来国外上学,面临很多实际问题,比如办电话计划、租房子等。建议同学们能尽量在开学之前尽早来找好住 处,熟悉环境,安排妥当,这样能有更多精力投入学习,也更安心学习。