Normally on Mondays, we run an interview with someone who has a f&*%ing awesome job. But this Monday we're going to mix it up a little bit, by interviewing two people who have a f&*%ing awesome degree.

Alan Rapp and Chappell Ellison are part of the first graduating class of the Design Criticism MFA at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City. As such, they've spent the last two years studying with professors the likes of Kurt Andersen, the host of NPR's Studio 360, Alice Twemlow of Design Obsesrver, and a further impressive roster of the keen-eyed and big-brained. This Friday, April 30, they and their classmates are presenting their senior theses at the D-Crit Conference, an all-day event that takes place at the SVA Theatre at 333 West 23rd Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues. It's open to the public (with RSVP) if you're interested. (Ed. note—We'll be there!)

We recently caught up with Alan and Chappell to find out more about this intriguing program.

So...you’re part of the first graduating class of the Design Criticism MFA at SVA. What’s the program all about?
ALAN: It’s still such a new program, we get this question a lot. The phrase “design criticism” seems to be an effective conversation damper. The public line is, “the Design Criticism MFA program trains students to research, analyze, and evaluate design and its social and environmental implications.” Which means we’re taking on the issues that inform the entire designed environment—which is, you know, just about everything you can think of—and translate them back to people. It’s not that esoteric; even people who don’t think of themselves as design aficionados usually have something to say about the designed stuff all around them.

What do apprentice design critics do all day long?
CHAPPELL: With such a talented faculty comes a non-stop barrage of field trips, lectures, and events that the students will never forget. We explored the Hearst Tower with Alexandra Lange, talked with Rob Forbes during Ralph Caplan’s class, and toured the MoMA design collection after hours with Russell Flinchum. Also, the Design Criticism department functions along the lines of an editorial office. Students grew accustomed to quick turnarounds, firm deadlines, and fast-paced line edits.

What were you doing before you came to SVA?
ALAN: I was a visual book editor for ten years. I also did a bit of freelance writing, and the drive to do more of my own research and writing drew me to the program.
CHAPPELL: I spent about a year and a half as a freelance web and graphic designer before moving to NYC. I quickly realized that my true passion was writing about design, rather than practicing it.

What’s your thesis about?
ALAN: How the practice of exploring modern ruins and abandoned sites may really be a way to instill a sense of the sublime in our everyday experience.
CHAPPELL: My thesis traces the evolution of contemporary movie theater design. I spent several months observing multiplexes, how they are designed and experienced.

How’d you get interested in that?
ALAN: I started meeting weird people who avidly do this, and I thought the photos they make and the stories they tell were amazing.
CHAPPELL: The reason the movie theater is so special is because of its banality. It's such an average, everyday space, that we often overlook it as a cultural institution. We all share a story about going to the movies---a first kiss, a fight, the first time you saw Star Wars, a blind date gone wrong. Many incredible historians have written about the movie palaces of the past, but as design critics, we have the opportunity to discuss our present surroundings, even if it is a big-box AMC theater.

What do you hope to do with your degree now that you’ve graduated? And what are your immediate plans?
ALAN: A big salad of projects, from writing a book about contemporary architectural photography to developing book projects with others to teaching. And more writing on esoteric subjects on my blog. Oh and I hope to cook at home more.
CHAPPELL: Nothing is more exciting than being on the ground-level of a movement that will forever hold a place in design history. I hope to apply my skills within museums, cultural institutions, and academia.

Please complete the following sentence. “I would recommend the Design Criticism program at SVA to someone who ____________”
ALAN: someone who wants to convey his/her obsession with design to help others to make sense of the delirious intricacy of the world today.
CHAPPELL: has an all-consuming passion for the things that surround them.   

[All images courtesy of SVA]


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