Why I Chose Design At Aalto?

Hey there! I’m Vienna, a first-year student in the Design and Media Bachelors (English Program) at Aalto University. I’m originally from the sunny island of Singapore 🏝️ and I’m a self-taught designer who somehow ended up moving across the world to study design in Finland. It has been a pretty big move, but trust me, it makes perfect sense once you hear the full story. So here we go!!

I (Lowkey) Didn’t Choose Design — It Chose Me

Before Aalto, I studied Mass Communication, which was a diverse course in itself. I was learning everything: how to write for journalism, how to broadcast my own radio show and how to do advertising and marketing. In my second year, I took my very first visual communication design class and something clicked.

They say curiosity killed the cat, but design was where my appetite for curiosity finally found satisfaction. I found out that design thinking was where questions were not distractions, but starting points. That spark stayed with me, leading me to teach myself graphic and web design, then branding, merchandise design, and most recently, 3D design.

How Sustainability Shaped My Perspective

After my diploma, I took a few years to try my hand at working in the industry. One of my most recent experiences was working as a Junior Designer at a sustainable fashion company in Singapore. There, I saw firsthand how damaging fast fashion can be, especially in a country that imports most of what we wear.

I saw how design could be part of the solution: textile waste transformed into new garments, and conscious material choices shaping how people consume and express themselves. That experience grounded my belief that design goes beyond aesthetics; it influences behavior, values, and our relationship with the environment, and I wanted to learn more abotut that. Now, it’s a perspective that follows me into my studies at Aalto.

Why Aalto Felt Right

When I was searching for universities, I wasn’t just looking for a place to improve my technical skills. I wanted a place that would challenge the way I think. Aalto stood out because it doesn’t just ask “How do we design?”. We are asked: “Why are we designing this?” and “What could this become instead?” That mindset mirrors how I approach ideas. I’ve always believed you shouldn’t dismiss an idea just because it sounds strange. With the right environment, even the simplest or oddest thought can grow into innovation.

At Aalto, experimentation isn’t an extra, it’s the foundation. This is key for creatives like me to thrive in. Ideas evolve here, and so do people. I could feel that sense of openness and possibility in the projects, the students, and the culture of the school, and I knew I wanted to be part of that environment.

What also stood out to me was the strong sense of community and transparency I felt even before applying, which greatly influenced my decision. Aalto openly shares knowledge through courses and public resources, and their website, blogs, and student stories gave me a clear and honest picture of what studying there would be like. Through platforms like Unibuddy and Aalto admissions, I could talk to real students and people to ask real questions, which made such a big decision feel much more human and supported.

Design motivates me because it never stands still. It constantly questions, shifts, and reinvents itself, and I see that same restlessness in myself. I’ve always been the kid who asked “but why?”, and now I explore those questions through projects instead of toys. Art and design gives me a way to understand the world, challenge it, and sometimes reshape it, turning my lifelong curiosity into something purposeful. In many ways, Aalto feels like a place built exactly for people like that. And that’s why I’m here!

Thank you for reading my blog 🥰

You can chat with Vienna and other Aalto Squad student ambassadors on Unibuddy!