Raffles Design Institute Manila opens October term

MANILA, Philippines - Raffles Design Institute, Manila (RDIM), located at the trendy Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, is currently accepting enrollees for its October 2011 intake.

RDIM offers two-year, full-time, advanced diploma courses in Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing and Management, Graphic Design, and Interior Design.

The programs at RDIM are designed to equip aspiring designers with the essential technical and business, knowledge and skills for the global arena. RDIM’s fast-track program allows high school graduates who enroll at RDIM to earn an internationally recognized Bachelor of Design degree in three years and students have the flexibility to complete their studies within the Raffles network of colleges in 15 countries.

Fashion Design takes students from design concepts and processes to final production for the global marketplace. “Besides the on-campus activities, we will also be visiting galleries and fashion shows possibly in Singapore and/or Hong Kong for a start. Aside from the mainstream textiles, our students will also be taught how to capitalize on local fabrics such as the Piña fabric,’’ says academic director and Fashion Design lecturer Dr. Janet Emmanuel with a Doctorate in Technology, Textiles and Sculptures from Liverpool John Moores University, UK and a long history with various top design schools in the UK.

Fashion Marketing and Management, on the other hand, mixes the business and creative aspects, where students are trained in buying and merchandising practices, as well as in conceptualizing and developing brand management strategies. The creative side includes sewing, pattern-making and styling among others, while the business side focuses on management principles, marketing, advertising and accounting.

“This subject will give my students options and it will open their eyes to the different fields they might want to pursue. There are lots of options they can explore such as fashion public relations, events and various professions in the media. It doesn’t have to be one or the other,” shares Nela San Jose - a magna cum laude graduate from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, USA and RDIM Fashion Marketing and Management lecturer.

Visual Communication gives an overall view of the graphic design industry - from the creative to the business aspects — in preparation for a professional career in graphic design.

“The first two terms will serve as the foundation course, with both hands-on and mental exercises, moving on to software programs in the next term,” reveals Buz Walker, senior lecturer for Visual Communication, with a Fine Arts (Graphic Design) degree from the American Academy of Art, USA and 15 years worth of industry experience in illustration and design work.

Finally, Interior Design explores the human interface within given spaces, and provides design solutions to a wide variety of complex, real-life space problems.

“The program is a mix of lectures and informal mentorships that will allow the student to respond to the gaps in interior design and meet the needs of the climate,” explains Lee Miles, lecturer for Interior Design, with an MA (Distinction) in Environment Design from the Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, UK and global experience in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. “It’s a good time for the industry in the Philippines and around the world — as economies develop, there’s a huge demand for construction and design work.”

RDIM is a subsidiary of RafflesEducationCorp. (REC), the largest private education group in the Asia-Pacific region. For more information on RDIM and its programme offerings, log on to www.raffles-design-institute.com.ph, or contact RDI Manila at 8462888 and [email protected].