Embracing Change, New Directions and New Challenges
Not unlike the way interior design plans change as concepts develop and become better; Ida Colón knows that in professional life it is important to embrace change, because that is what brings about development, maturity and opportunity.
Colón was a transfer student from Rutgers when she joined Hiller College and entered the interior design program. “I did not have the standard qualifications of an interior design student coming in. I was also in the first graduating class of the program.” Change was a keystone in the fabric of what was then the new interior design program. “The design studios’ throw curveballs at everyone; from the basics through 2nd year to 3rd year.” Colón adds, “What was most valuable – and it may sound cliché – was the variety in our studio process with each professor handling it differently. The projects that were assigned took real life scenarios, with different criteria, different types of spaces, with a variety of purposes.”
“What I learned at NJIT prepared me to be a professional. Moving through the challenges that come up is key to progress and attaining goals. What your research-based design teaches you, how to begin a design and actually finish the design, …having deadlines to meet; these all complete the cycle.” For Colón one of the best courses was the Collaborative Design Studio. “We had architecture students as well as digital, interior and industrial designers all working on a project together. Our teams worked on the entire building. It was a key moment where things that were taught in theory were put into practice.”
Competitions were another great opportunity to put skills into practice. “I was on a design team with Tristan Pashalian and Peter Khalil. We placed third nationally for the design of our Community Care Clinic, a healthcare facility in Newark we submitted to IDEC’s student competition,” said Colón.
“Ten years ago this spring, that team completed the project that won a national prize,” said Glenn Goldman, Director Emeritus and faculty in the School of Art + Design. Goldman is known for being a mentor and one of the faculty who pushes students to submit their work to design competitions. “Ida had a broad range of interests, she was interested in art, but was also extremely well organized. She was the kind of student you would project to be in a managerial position in the future. Dedicated.”
“While in college, I was working in retail to support myself. I did not have the expected time for internships or studio experiences.” Leveraging her experience in retail and keeping design at the heart of it all her first job coming out of college was at Toys R Us as a merchandiser planner for kids and infant furniture. “I did that for about two and a half years,” said Colón. “After that, I landed at Samuelson furniture for five years. I became lead project manager for high end hospitality clients. We would collaborate on designing and managing the manufacturing process for custom furniture. I learned a lot in that position”
Colón says that if you can embrace change there is opportunity everywhere. She was able to leverage her background in retail and her design education to continue to work as a project manager with the Pac Team Group on window displays, fixture rollout, packaging and jewelry displays for high end brands like Movado, Zwilling and Ralph Lauren. The experience there also included preparing quotes, subcontracting factories, submitting mockups, samples, finishes, applications, managing the approval and the production process.
“What I have learnt as a professional is that you need to have an understanding of when to stop designing and to move forward with new projects, to put the brakes on, to complete it – and move on. There are real world timelines and budgets to stick to. You also must be open to change.”
In November Colón was laid off from Pac Team because of COVID-19 and knew she could be stopped or figure out how to move forward. This is when she decided to begin her journey toward certification as a project manager professional (PMP) and is now OSHA30 certified. “Creating a Linkedin profile and putting myself out there professionally, I reconnected with many people I had worked with before on prior projects, it really changed how I look at potential positions and how I network,” said Colón.
Now she is working for Bestmark National as a Project Manager (PM) and is working with designers and contractors. She is supervising the submittals, drawing and installations of custom millwork and cabinetry projects in the Greater New York Area. “It’s challenging – It’s pushing me to continuously get outside of what's comfortable to learn new things and grow.”
