Adnan Mohamed

For our first assignment in the New Media AR module, we were asked to use the AR program Eyejack Creator to create an AR poster with content of our choosing.

For my poster, I decided to make one for the music video “Dalla Dalla” by a group named ITZY. The idea came to me while listening to my playlist. Overall, this was pretty straightforward to complete thanks to how easy and intuitive Eyejack Creator is to use. I downloaded the music video, trimmed it to just the section I wanted to use, and took a screenshot of the first frame. After uploading the footage to Eyejack and creating the QR code, I went into Photoshop and added a photo of the first frame, some text, and the QR code onto an 8.5×11 size frame, then exported it as a PDF. Printing it in the production lab was quick and easy.

I did not run into any issues while making this, and overall it was a fun experience!

Last week, we had Adam Knight, Owner of Red Element Studios, as our guest speaker. He spoke at length about his journey working in the video industry. Adam also covered the top three factors that he commits to delivering when taking on a project, which are: delivering quality work, creating and fostering trust, and adding value to the production/company/idea. I think these three factors can be applied to any scenario where you are taking on work for someone else.

For this blog post, we have been asked to pick one of these three factors and reflect on an experience where we failed to live up to those expectations. In my case, I had an experience with the first factor, which is delivering quality work. A couple of years ago, my brother-in-law’s dad needed help with a documentary he was creating and asked if I could help him trim clips. He was also going to pay me, so I immediately said yes, not realizing how many clips I would have to do. While downloading the provided clips was easy, the trimming part was quite tedious, as I was expected to trim nearly 100 videos. I began procrastinating on this and giving excuses, and in the end, did not deliver all the clips. I think if I were to take a project like this on today, I’d do the following:

1. Make a schedule and set a specific amount of clips to complete each day. But also, don’t commit to doing some every day, but rather every two days.
2. Be clear about any difficulties I’m facing with the client.
3. If necessary, get help from a friend (with the client’s permission, of course).

Reflecting on this experience, I learned that it’s very important to manage expectations, and set realistic deadlines.

Last week, a former student of SCCA, Brit Zerbo, spoke to our class about her experiences as a designer. She was candid about her successes and challenges, which was greatly appreciated. Brit highlighted the significance of both hard skills and soft skills, stating that “hard skills will secure an interview, but soft skills will secure the job.” This week, we have been asked to reflect on our own top three hard skills and soft skills for our blog.

In regards to hard skills, I have a strong understanding of HTML/CSS, proficiency in using the Microsoft Office suite, and I am competent in troubleshooting computer software issues. These hard skills are all related to technology, which I believe is crucial as our world becomes increasingly dependent on software and the internet. I discovered a love for HTML/CSS coding while learning the basics a month before starting school, and it has since become a personal interest of mine. I believe this knowledge will make working with developers much smoother as a designer. I am familiar with most of the programs within Microsoft Office, excluding Excel. However, if the need arises, I am ready to learn. Additionally, being able to troubleshoot technology has been one of my most valuable hard skills, stemming from my early curiosity about technology. While it can be overwhelming to fix issues for others, it is also very rewarding to help others learn how to handle similar problems in the future.

In terms of soft skills, I believe I am effective in communication, able to independently solve problems, and growing as a leader in group settings. During my time in the program, I have been successful in communicating with my peers and setting expectations when working with others. I also enjoy problem-solving on my own and using available resources before seeking assistance from others. Finally, I am becoming more confident in taking on a leadership role, something that was not initially within my comfort zone. I am eager to one day be a senior employee and lead a team towards success.

During my time at SCCA, I hope to further develop both my hard and soft skills. I aim to advance my knowledge of the Adobe suite, as we will be learning it in class. I also want to improve my abilities in user research and making website and app interactions more user-friendly, although I am not necessarily pursuing a career in UX design. As for soft skills, I aim to become a better public speaker and improve my time management. Public speaking will likely be a frequent occurrence in my future work, and I recognize the importance of good time management as I continue to grow in the program.

Last week, SCCA alum and designer Andrew Nedimyer spoke with our class about his journey. Starting from his beginnings as a skate park designer, to enrolling at SCCA, starting his own studio and now working as a product designer, Andrew shared a lot of his wisdom with us that was quite inspiring. He also spoke a bit about the importance of personal projects, and that really resonated with me.

Since joining the program, I have become incredibly interested in the world of computer graphics and 3D, and how I can use those tools to help my designs tell a story. During winter break, I began tinkering around with the program Cinema 4D, which is considered the industry standard in the world of 3D, especially for product visualizations which is something I want to get good at. My progress so far has been a bit stagnant, mostly due to the overwhelming nature of 3D, but Andrew’s talk has inspired me to go for it even more.

The personal project I want to complete is to create a visualization of one of my school projects. To do this, I need to dedicate the time to properly learn and understand the program. As a beginner, it’s not easy to jump in and create the things I want, so I will be stuck in tutorial hell until I am comfortable enough with Cinema 4D to use it in my own way. Luckily, YouTube provides excellent tutorials and content, ranging from beginner to advanced. I am also lucky to be a part of a community of 3D artists through Discord, who share plenty of resources, help and encouragement. The only thing holding me back right now is a lack of discipline. I think the only way to combat this is to dive right in.

While I have some basics under my belt after doing some tutorials over the break, I plan to increase the frequency of learning by doing at least four hours a week of a Cinema 4D course I found. Since this course is laid out in a way that starts you off with the basics, it should be easy to follow through.

After becoming comfortable, I want to create a visualization of the packaging product assigned to us by Jill. (I have not decided on which product to design, but plan to this weekend.) I want to at least work on it for two hours a week, once I am comfortable enough in Cinema 4D. I don’t plan to turn this in along with the project, as that might add a little bit of unnecessary stress upon me this quarter, but I would like to complete it during our spring break.

Other than the time needed, I believe I have all the resources I need to execute this idea. I am currently on the student plan for Cinema 4D, which brings costs down to $20 a year; an absolute steal of a price. It also comes with other tools, and the popular render engine Redshift, so nothing is barring me from creating professional renders.

Last week, we had the producer and director Abdul Kassamali present to our class. He covered his process, the work and detail that goes into producing his work, as well as some stories of how a perfect plan can sometimes go awry. In one of these stories, he spoke about having to deal with flight and baggage issues, as well as one of his featured talents contracting COVID. Abdul had to think quickly in these situations, and while they messed with the schedule and timeline he had planned for completing this project, he was able to pull it off. 

During my time here at SCCA, I have had to work on many group projects, and sometimes step into the (self-assigned) role of project manager. Most projects have gone smoothly, but I still have issues conveying what I mean, as well as keeping myself and others accountable. One of the skills I want to develop more is being assertive, as this is essential for navigating the workplace. In the beginning, I honestly disliked group projects. But as we have progressed, I can see myself moving into a senior role at a company, and managing others. Before, I only thought I’d be comfortable in a mid-level position.

While things usually go according to plan, sometimes we are faced with curveballs. I experienced this in my New Media class, with the instructor Courtney Comfort. We were put into assigned groups, and tasked to create a park finder app in a timeline of 5-6 weeks. My entire group was new to using Figma, and it was definitely a challenge to keep up with. During the last two weeks, one of my classmates informed us that he would be leaving the program. This was a bit disheartening to hear, as he was a talented classmate and I thought we’d see each other grow and push through this program. This also left a bit of a hole in our plans for completing the project, as the workload had to be further divided up. The project was tough to complete, and I had to pull an all-nighter or two to get it all completed. This experience was a clear reminder that even well-planned projects can have issues, and that it is important to approach situations like this calmly, and with an even better plan. 

I feel like this experience definitely helped me with my project management skills, and overall, I am proud of the work my group and I produced considering the circumstances.

It is now winter quarter!

Last week, we had the talented food photographer and 3D artist Steve Hansen present to our class about his work, and the power of 3D. Steve primarily works in Houdini, using the Pixar Renderman engine to render his work. His work is also heavily informed by his knowledge of photography, since working in a 3D space emulates real life. This talk was especially fascinating to me, as I am currently learning the software Cinema 4D, and hope to use 3D in my work. I am especially excited about 3d, because it will offer me a new way to present my concepts and ideas, rather than relying on static mockups. 

For this week’s post, we were asked to create food/food packaging.  I initially planned to use some 3D in this, but I was swamped with other responsibilities and procrastinated a bit. I decided to make a simple soda can, using Illustrator, and a can mockup in Photoshop.

For this week’s blog, we are asked to write about our experiences in New Media, especially as a design student learning about the world of film and photography.

For my first module, I took interaction design with Courtney, which didn’t provide me any exposure to the other side of things. We worked on building an app, and focused heavily on UX and interaction. I collaborated with one visual media student in my group who provided helpful insights along the way. 

Now, we head into module 2: Narrative Filmmaking, taught by Vanessa Williams. We have only had a single week of class since beginning this module, so I am still very new to this but I gained some important insights into film. 

We learned about the different kinds of shots that are used in filmmaking, and that opened my eyes to something that I never noticed before. I now realize how intentional every shot is in a film, tv show, or video, and how they each convey their own special meanings. I don’t think I can watch a TV show or film and not notice these things anymore! I am a person who wants to learn everything, and I think these principles and skills will be incredibly important to my career as a designer. If I want to go into motion design or animation, understanding these principles will help guide me. 

The idea of storyboarding was also introduced to us by Vanessa and while I already knew what it was, I am beginning to see how this can be helpful for design and other disciplines. Getting your basic ideas out on paper lets you see the bigger picture and notice things a bit more clearly. I think that the practice of wireframing in UX design is based on storyboarding in film. It’s so cool to see how it all intersects.

I also have an interest in 3D that I want to indulge in the future, and I know that 3D benefits heavily from lighting and camera position. It’s like having your own camera and lights in a virtual 3D space. Learning about those concepts and understanding photography and filmmaking as a whole will help better inform me when I begin to learn 3D. It makes sense why so many 3D artists I look up to online say they have a background in photography. 

As we continue through this module, I hope to continue making these connections between disciplines. When you are in a workplace, you are collaborating with coworkers who have many different skill sets and disciplines. I think being at least informed about these different disciplines can help better work be produced, and make work less tedious and more efficient for anyone. A bit of an unrelated example, but learning about coding side-by-side made me realize how important they are to each other. Developers often groan at designers, and vice versa, and I think this comes from a lack of knowledge on the other field. I don’t think it’s ever necessary to know everything, but a bit of knowledge can help make hand-offs smoother and strengthen relationships.

Besides that, we have not delved into much regarding the world of filmmaking, but I am eager to learn more as we go through this course, as well as the remaining modules. Never stop learning.

Last week, we had Margaret Darcher present to our class about her employer: Amazon. Margaret is a SCCA alum, and currently a Principal UX Designer for the company. What I appreciated about Margaret was her transparency about her employer. She kept it real and let us know the good and the bad which is helpful.

For me, “learn and be curious”, “think big”, and “dive deep” are the principles I have exhibited most in my life. Growing up on the internet definitely molded me into becoming a curious person. I spend large chunks of my time learning about new things and this also ties into diving deep. For the things I’m interested in, I want to learn as much as I can about it. Coming away from these things with only a basic understanding doesn’t please me and leaves me itching for more. This leads into the think big principle, because I love to understand the layers and multitudes of any given subject. Seeing how things connect on the large scale is exciting to me, and will definitely come in handy in the future. A time where I have exhibited all three of these has definitely been in my assignments at school. Spending the time to do research for projects has led me down rabbit holes, and even given me new pathways to follow so I can continue my learning. For example in Erik’s class, learning HTML and CSS has made me more curious. I went down a rabbit hole and learned of the many programming languages and frameworks that are out there. I plan to continue on with a Javascript course during our winter break.

The leadership principle I’d have the most difficulty adopting would be “have a backbone: disagree and commit”. In both school and my personal life, I have an issue with asserting myself and sharing what I mean. I often feel like a bit of a doormat, which I attribute to growing up in a dysfunctional home. The easiest route to solving conflict in my family was to not say anything, and don’t even dare to defend yourself. In group settings, I often feel nervous to give suggestions or share when something isn’t working. This stems from my fear of causing further conflict, and looked upon as bitchy or rude. This is something I’ll have to work on, because it is better to get your opinion out than let it be unheard and later feel unsatisfied with your outcomes.

Last Friday, we had Joe Hallock, a principal design director at Microsoft, speak with us. He also brought along two people from his team to share their experiences entering the field of UX and product design.

Joe spoke about the types of work we might encounter when we enter our careers, and illustrated that on a graph.

My career aspirations and interests change like the weather, but right now, I am interested in working in the gaming industry. With companies like Valve, Xbox and Oculus having already set up a solid base in the Seattle area, and companies like Riot Games recently opening up offices here, it’s an exciting time for the games industry in Washington. Video games was placed at the cross-section of Broad Audience and High Information Density on Joe’s graphs. This means that the work done is meant to reach a broad audience, and is packed with information, assets, design work and etc. Video games take a lot of work specificially because they are meant to reach as many people as possible.

After some research, I think I’d like to work on visual design for video games, and eventually transition to UX/UI for games if that becomes a possibility.

A negative of the gaming industry that I’ve read about many times, is a concept called crunch. Crunch is a term in the gaming industry that refers to mandatory overtime and overwork associated with the development and launch of a game. Due to tight schedules, and specific windows of time where it is best to market games to consumers, crunch culture was born. I believe it could even be worse nowadays, since games constantly push out updates, DLC and new content in short periods of time. In the past, games would be released and that would be it, until the next game in the series was released.

While this concept is a bit frightening to me, reading about efforts and initiatives to improve work-life balance and reduce crunch make me optimistic.

A positive of working in this sphere is working on things I actually enjoy. I have been a gamer for most of my life, and to be apart of a thing I adore would be fulfilling for me.

During my time in this program, I’ll probably pick another career path, but right now my interests lie in this field.

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