For Zidong, studying Design Informatics at ECA presented the opportunity to explore and become familiar with a variety of design research methods while the interdisciplinary nature of the course also allowed him to establish a strong and individual research proposal.

Since graduating Zidong has continued the research he began at ECA through a PhD at the Royal College of Art.

Why I choose to study Design Informatics - MFA

The University of Edinburgh is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. I chose to study there for its global reputation and quality of research. The interdisciplinary nature of the Design Informatics – MFA programme at ECA was attractive to me. In the programme, students from a design background have the opportunity to learn about data science and explore how they can conduct design practice by shaping data. The programme encourages students to explore speculative and experimental perspectives which differentiates ECA from other design masters programmes in the UK. Additionally, I am a designer who likes to design by making and prototyping and ECA offers several different workshops equipped with extensive facilities for students to create their work with multiple media and materials.

My time at ECA

When I studied on the Design Informatics programme, Professor Chris Speed provided an extraordinary playground for students to experiment with their ideas and creativity. Designers and computer scientists worked together to design novel digital systems and produce workable physical prototypes. I learned programme skills and I am now able to write my own code after graduating.  My studies in Design Informatics has taken my design practice in a new direction. I started to build sociotechnical narratives with the internet of things and physical computing. My Degree Show project developed an object-oriented IoT system in which networked products looked after ‘health’ for each other. In the Design with Data course, we worked as groups and got access to data provided by National Trust for Scotland (NTS); my group created an interactive record player to present the data of endangered birds in Holyrood Park to visitors. In the Digital Crafting in Glass course, I worked with tutors in the glass department and transferred 3D-printed CAD models into glass crafts. The experience in MFA Design Informatics at ECA has been amazing and it was always exciting to get involved in different fields and try new things.

My experiences since graduating

I felt passionate and confident when I left ECA as I graduated with distinction. My career plan was to pursue a doctoral degree after my Masters, and I have been doing my PhD at the Royal College of Art for two years. The experience in the MFA Design Informatics programme helped me dive into the design research field and get familiar with a variety of design research methods. I identified my research interest as the internet of things and developed a successful research proposal for my PhD while I studied at ECA. In my current research, the knowledge and skills that I learned from Design Informatics are still very helpful. Receiving the offer of a place for PhD study at the Royal College of Art has been my biggest achievement since leaving ECA.

My advice to new and current students

My advice to someone entering first year in September would be: feel free to experiment with your ideas and creativity. When you study at ECA, there might be more than one correct answer for the questions so sometimes it is worth thinking out of the box.

My advice to someone graduating this year would be: It is important to set up a clear career goal and have a strong belief to pursue it. Making an effective plan will help you to achieve your goal.