The research poster investigates how graduates from a design master’s program experience the transition into professional life by combining alumni surveying with a conceptual visualization method. Empirically, the project draws on questionnaire data from former students across different cities, collecting information on study financing, early career paths, job titles, perceived preparedness for work, and skill profiles acquired in both academic and professional contexts. Alongside these quantitative indicators, the study also captures self-reported competencies (such as project management, design thinking, communication, and innovation skills) and perceived gaps or pressures, including financial strain, future anxiety, and adaptation concerns.

Methodologically, the findings are synthesized through an “iceberg model” that structures the data into four analytical layers: visible surface data (socio-demographics and employment), articulated expectations and feelings, inferred deeper attitudes and needs, and underlying values or fears. This model functions as a research-through-design tool, translating survey results into a spatial and metaphorical diagram that makes latent emotional and structural dimensions legible. The research thus combines alumni-based empirical inquiry with speculative–visual analysis to reveal how formal education, practical experience, and hidden affective factors jointly shape graduates’ post-university trajectories and professional readiness.