Printable School of Design Computer Recommendations [Word]
A laptop computer is expected for all students in the School of Design. The school recommends laptops for their easy portability between a residence and studio space. This computing flexibility is paired with access to the Warehouse computer lab for major-specific computer courses.
During the first year, students will be required and expected to have access to Adobe Creative Cloud and Trimble SketchUp Free. We recommend subscribing to Creative Cloud Student Edition. Syracuse University provides students with Microsoft Office 365 and Google G Suite. These services are ideal for backup, group work and file sharing.
Design Studies
Students in the design studies program should follow the computing requirements for communications design; please see below.
Communications Design
The communications design major— much like the communications design industry— uses Apple Macintosh computers as their primary tool platform for getting work done. Based on our experience we offer the following guidelines as a set of minimum requirements for student computers.
Minimum Guidelines
- Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription (Academic Pricing)
- Apple MacBook Pro with 13” – 16” Display
- Minimum 16GB RAM
- Minimum 512GB Hard Drive (Internal)
- AppleCare+Extended Warranty and Support / Buying through SU Bookstore offers extended warranty with longer coverage than AppleCare
- (2) USB 3.0 Flash drive — 64GB Min
- USB C to USB Dongle
- Dedicated, external hard drive for regular, local backups, 5TB
Optional Accessories
- External Mouse
- Protective Case
Fashion Design
In the fashion design industry, Apple Macintosh computers are used as a primary tool platform for getting work done. We offer these guidelines for minimum requirements for fashion design student computers.
Minimum Guidelines
- Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription (Academic Pricing)
- Apple MacBook Pro with 13” – 16” Display
- Minimum 16GB RAM
- Minimum 512GB Hard Drive (Internal)
- AppleCare+Extended Warranty and Support / Buying through SU Bookstore offers extended warranty with longer coverage than AppleCare
- (2) USB 3.0 Flash drive — 64GB Min
- USB C to USB Dongle
- Dedicated, external hard drive for regular, local backups, 5TB
Environmental & Interior Design
Students in the EDI program will need the computing capacity to run Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk AutoCAD, McNeel Rhino 3D (Windows OS), Trimble Sketchup, Autodesk Revit, and rendering plug-ins such as Enscape or Keyshot.
The EDI program and Warehouse Lab are set up to principally support computers with a Microsoft Windows operating system. Although in the past it has been possible to run Windows on Macbooks, Apple’s ARM-based Macs (M1) will not support Boot Camp to install and run Windows 10 on the machines. All incoming EDI freshmen should be equipped with computers with a Microsoft Windows operating system to run Windows apps required by the program.
We DO NOT suggest a Macbook for EDI students, this will impact your work with performance and graphic issues.
Minimum Technical Guidelines
- Laptop Windows 10
- Intel Core i7 (or better preferred)
- 16 GB RAM
- 500 GB+ SSD
- Nvidia or AMD, 4 GB+ memory, discrete not shared or integrated. Avoid Intel graphics
- 15” Display (Display resolution 2560 x 1440 or higher)
- External optical mouse
- 3 year on-site/at home warranty
- External 1 TB+ USB SSD or hard drive for extra storage and backup
- Video adapters, VGA or HDMI connection
Optional Accessories
- Protective Case
- External 24”+ monitor with HDMI port (plus HDMI cable and USB-C to HDMI converter)
- 128 GB+ USB flash drive
- Video adapters, VGA or HDMI connection
Industrial & Interaction Design
Students in the IID program typically use computers for various tasks, such as researching project topics, working collaboratively, creating posters that share information, digitally sketching and rendering, modeling in 3D (CAD-Computer Aided Design), and visualizing renderings and animations.
Supporting these design processes needs computing capacity to run applications such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk products, SolidWorks, Rhino 3D, Gravity Sketch VR and KeyShot.
For digital sketching, it is recommended that students purchase either a Wacom or Huion digital pen tablet to use with their laptop or an iPad. For students that desire a comprehensive all-in-one solution without VR capability, the Wacom MobileStudio Pro is an option.
Minimum Guidelines
- Laptop Running Microsoft Windows 10
- 15” Display or larger (Display resolution 2560 x 1440 or higher)
- VR ready (Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, Nvidia RTX)
- 512 GB SSD
- External Three Button Mouse for CAD
- Protective Case