Ms.

Alexandra Yang Brown

126 Kenilworth Avenue
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4L 3S6
Tel: 647-622-6650

February 12, 2017

Attn Undergraduate Design Selection Committee

I am applying to your undergraduate design program starting fall of 2017. I am currently
taking a year off after graduating from Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts in 2016.
During my gap year I had the opportunity to intern for furniture company, Zuo Modern
under the Creative Director, in Oakland, California.

I have always been very aware of art and design. Growing up I saw it in clothes,
buildings, posters. I saw that it surrounds us and creates us. My parents tell me that one
of my earliest associations with my Chinese identity was when I was just starting to talk
and I pointed to a classic red and gold Chinese pattern and said Chinese.

I became aware of my skill at creating art in middle school and this led me to apply to a
special series visual art program at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. At Wexford I
was able to try different media and to learn what I felt most engaged in doing and what I
wanted to focus on for my future. In my last year of high school I enrolled myself into a
general design course. This course entailed learning practical design skills and how to
apply innovative and creative thought while following specific guidelines. Although many
people associate creativity with freedom I am also aware that it requires discipline and
sometimes constraint. I welcome that aspect of design and I enjoy the challenge of
creating within guidelines. I also learned the importance of empathy in the creative
design process and see that as a strength of mine.

I am still currently interning for Zuo Modern. I work very closely with the Creative
Director so Im able to witness the whole process from designing furniture to preparing
the lifebook for the new line. Ive been able to expand my knowledge of Photoshop,
Illustrator and InDesign and the use of these programs for design, from modification to
creating new furniture from scratch. Ive also become familiar with other business
software such as Microsoft Excel, creating spreadsheets for new lines of furniture. Ive
also been exposed to design in a commercial environment and the promotion of design
to clients through sales presentations. I have been researching trends and familiarizing
myself with how social media has a great effect on design.

I am very enthusiastic about the opportunity to join Concordias design program. The
fact that the program is general design will let me explore different areas of design,
since I am still deciding what design field is right for me. I am excited about the
possibility of participating in Concordias Hexagram program. Before coming to Canada
I lived in Taiwan where my mother is from and my father from the UK. I love the idea
that Concordia students can create connections from all around the world. Concordias
well-equipped technical and manufacturing facilities allow students to be able turn their
creative ideas into a reality. I really see that Concordia is a next generation university
and would be honoured to be part of it for my next phase of education and to pursue my
passion for design. Thank you for considering my application.

Alexandra Yang Brown