Unofficial CCS Page sutdent id

the unofficial CCS page

...since 1996!

auto design
cars
home
personal
portfolio
resume

The school formerly known as the Center for Creative Studies- College of Art and Design
"it's like hell, only more expensive" (grin)

CCS:

  • The School
  • Transportation Design
  • Other Departments
  • In Retrospect
  • Links

    CCS: the school

    ... has an official web page with the latest information at http://www.ccscad.edu. Instead of repeating the info of the official site, I will share some of my experiences from my four years there (1993-97). CCS is a private art and design school offering BFA degrees in Crafts, Fine Arts, Graphic Communication, Industrial Design (my major), and Photography. It's located in Detroit's Cultural Center right behind the Detroit Institute of Art. CCS used to be known as the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts and has already celebrated its 90th anniversary. CCS can be reached at 1.800.952.ARTS.

    When you submitted your portfolio you had to declare a major, there was no official undeclared option. The school claimed to be interdisciplinary, but I knew very little about the work that went on in the other departments. Car design majors were very isolated from the rest of the school and even the rest of our department. This was partially a result of the intensity of the program (limited to 15-20 students per year) and partially a result of the arrogance of car designers :-).

    back to the top

    CCS:transportation design

    ...is one of the sections of the Industrial Design Department, which also offers Product, Furniture, and Interior design. CCS is one of the top car design schools in the world. But almost nobody outside of the car industry knows about it. The first year consisted of a foundation program to expose you to different majors and four mini-studios to expose you to the different aspects of industrial design. At the end of the year only certain students (15-25) were accepted into the transportation program. Sometimes it took a few tries to get in. Classes included transportation design studio, visual communication, design theory, art history, computer aided design, and liberal arts. It takes a ton of dedication, talent, and money (figure over $20k a year to attend CCS). I benefitted from the financial aid offered by the school and the government. We did sketches, renderings, tape drawings, and scale models of our designs. Like I said before, car design majors are pretty isolated from the other students, so don't expect much of a social life. It is a highly competitive and creative atmosphere that is difficult to convey to others. I have examples of my student work on my portfolio page.

    back to the top

    CCS: other departments

    Please don't think that CCS is only a car design school. Graphic communication is the largest department and consists of graphic design, art direction, and illustration. I had roommates in graphic communications , product design, and fine art. Each department is pretty autonomous, and if you don't make an effort, you will barely know it exists. So if you have any questions about other departments go to the official CCS site or send me an e-mail.

    back to the top

    CCS: in retrospect

    Of course I am very glad that I attended CCS. I don't think I would be where I am today if I had gone somewhere else. But like any other school it had its good and bad points. Location was far from ideal; it was however, the home of the American automotive industry. Detroit was unlike any other major city I've ever visited. When I attended it was deserted and quite depressing. The roads were in terrible condition. However a car was a necessity since most stores were located outside of the city. The weather was cold in winter and hot and humid in summer. Luckily I never had any problems with crime, but some areas around campus should be avoided. Like any major city car theft was not unheard of. People always griped about the student apartments, but I stayed there for all four years. You got an assigned parking spot, which allowed you to leave without having to find a spot when you get back. You could get to class in minutes. The elevators were in rough shape, due to the enduring abuse they received from the students. Much cheaper accomodations could be found close to school, however. The student store was not opened at convenient hours (like 3 am when you really need Spray Mount). There were many complaints about the security guards, at times they could be over protective and at other times ignorant about goings on. CCS had very strong ties with industry (many of the instructors were professional artists and designers)- which earned it a reputation for being nothing more than a trade school. If it means that you'll get a job that's nothing to complain about. Job placement assistance was excellent for the transportation design graduates, but poor for other industrial design students. Many major car companies came from all over the world to recruit at the end of the year. I can't speak for the other departments outside i.d. Alumni relations are very poor, most people were glad to get their degree and leave.

    Please read this message from the president of the school.

    back to the top

    CCS: links

  • College for Creative Studies- the official site (requires Flash).
  • CCS Alumni Registration-for all you alumns. Please contribute to the CCS Annual Fund. Many employers offer matching gifts, that could double the contribution. Contact the Office of External Affairs for more info.
  • Detroit Metro Guide- What's up in Detroit
  • Wyland Biography- CCS Alumn- world reknowned marine artist...

    back to the top

    • final note:this page is not in any way sanctioned or supported by the Center for Creative Studies (CCS). All the content on this page is based on my personal opinions. This page was established to get a CCS presence on the WWW.

    this page last updated 8 April 2002 home

    nkwee@earthlink.net