My Motivation Letter for Masters at Politecnico di Milano

Hope this video helps those of you that are interested in applying to uni in Italy :)

The full letter:

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Anna Lis, and I am writing to apply for Politecnico di Milano’s Integrated Product
Design program. I graduated from Product Design at the University for the Creative Arts in June
2021. Currently, I am a junior designer at SG Papertronics, and I am participating in designing
the Beer-o-meter, a “lab in a box” solution for craft breweries.

Before university, I gained my product design foundations by choosing it as one of my A-level
subjects. This course included practical projects, manufacturing theory and design history. My
high school years were also crucial in developing my soft skills. As deputy head girl, I had the
opportunity to voice the students’ ideas and take up several initiatives, such as raising
awareness for Duchene muscular dystrophy. Furthermore, going to school in the Emirates made
me adaptable and able to enter a culturally diverse environment which would be an asset to
team projects at Politecnico.

During my time at university, I had the opportunity to develop my design thinking and skills through various industry projects and competition briefs. My favourite was the Design the
Change Competition, in which I designed an accessible shoe and foot support for people with
spinal cord injuries. My design received a special commendation, and I was awarded an
opportunity to take up work experience at the Cerebra Innovation Centre. The product’s purpose
was to aid those with drop foot and reduce stigma by celebrating the support rather than
disguising its specialist features. I believe the project’s success resulted from applying co-design
methods; using user feedback in each stage of the design process.

To complement this project, I decided to write my thesis about the rise of Accessible Design. I
investigated the transition from the medical model to the social model, which led to the
collaboration between disabled individuals and designers. This transition improved the usability
of assisted devices and made them more desirable by considering the impacts of aesthetics. I
learned that people have different desires irrespective of their abilities, so aesthetic variety is
crucial. Furthermore, this allows people to communicate ideas about themselves beyond their
aid’s functional elements, hence enabling self-expression beyond their disability.

Beyond academics, I have taken on a student course representative role, which involved
listening to student feedback and discussing it with the course leader. I have also enjoyed taking
short courses, including Mastering Footwear at the London College of Fashion.

This year I gained professional experience at SG Papertronics on a team developing the
Beer-o-meter. The aim is to provide quality control to craft breweries without using static
machines or specialised lab technicians. Using a patented, portable test machine with a “pod”
system of one-use tests, the customer experience is simplified without reducing testing
accuracy.
The machine is operated through a mobile app which I designed in Adobe XD. It also allows
users to keep track of results which help brewers maintain the consistency of their beverages.

Later, I was involved in the storytelling of the device on the marketing team. I developed
graphics, visuals and animations to communicate the functions of the device to potential
customers.

Most importantly, this opportunity allowed me to understand how a product is developed from
start to release in a multidisciplinary team. It was inspiring to see how the chemistry,
engineering, design and marketing departments come together to form a product that will
benefit the final user and their clients.

Politecnico di Milano is in the top 5 universities for design in the QS rankings. Furthermore,
Milan is the global hub for fashion, architecture and design. Therefore, the Integrated Product
Design course will be an excellent opportunity to develop my design knowledge, skills, and
network at events, including Salone del Mobile. I believe this will positively influence my design
career and broaden my cultural perspectives.

Thank you for considering my application.

Yours sincerely,

Anna Lis