Month: November 2022

My first impression is that no matter how different the graphic design and visual media programs might be, all creatives want to do is create. Being fully emerged in it can sometimes be obsessive over it, but in the end, want to make something beautiful with their skills.

One student said the most important thing he’s learned so far was how many different career paths were open to him and thinking more about the direction he is headed in. When you don’t know many people in the industry, there’s no one to tell you how huge the world of design is and where you as a designer fit into that industry. His first realization in the programs was that he had no idea what he was getting himself into, just that he’d enjoyed illustrating and the process of creating.

One interesting takeaway I got from our conversation was the design classes seem to be connecting their ideas and concepts. When his classes started, there wasn’t a clear correlation between his classes. But as the program goes on there is a more obvious connection between every class. Opposite to my experiences in visual media, at first, all the concepts were connected but as we go further into the curriculum, I notice it’s easier to get buried in one subject and have that be your entire career. Not to say that’s not the same with design but it’s become crystal clear recently.

Already, I see the difference in how we look at our work and the world around us. Whenever the design students show me their work after class they ask me what I see. Asking which shapes they created to give the most feeling of safety or which logo is better for an ice cream company. While I show them an image that I put copy over, and ask if there is enough negative space. Seeing if the copy is taking away from selling the product. Here are two different thought prosses that in the end come together to create a finished product. And I admire the collaborative side of working with graphic designers. It’s easy to be focused on the skills you’ve been told to work on in school and be around people who are working on the same projects as you. But learning what other creatives are doing can allow you to think outside the box for your creations.

I think understanding the design perspective is going to be essential to my career. When theirs a team with other creatives, you need to understand a bit about their process. Understanding what you need from them will help communication be effective.

I see myself connecting and creating marking campaigns that are multiple layered projects and one component of that will be working with designers to complete a vision. Without knowing what other creatives need to be successful it will be harder to accomplish success.

Earn Trust
I am someone who always follows threw, and is reliable. I’m extremely communicative, which makes me very trustworthy. An example would be from my video production class in high school. In a class where skipping was commanded, I’d show up to class early, be attentive, and honest, and return the gear on time. The semester was ending but I needed an extra few days after the quarter to finish my final video. Because I had always been consistent with my word the whole semester, my teacher turned a blind eye and allowed me to turn the assignment in late, because he trusted that I would follow threw. I had consistently shown him that when I said I was going to do something I would do it.

Customer Obsession:

When I think of customer obsession my mind automatically goes to tik tok and the algorithm’s current 4-second rule. If your video encapsulates over 50% of views within the first 4 seconds, the algorithm will push your content out to more people. For each video, finding a way to get the viewer hooked from the first few seconds is crucial, similar to creating a product and having a customer want your product. despatched and Directed toward customers looking for that product. Not to say I fully understand the tik tok algorithm or get viewed all the time. I do try and put intention to who/what/where/why when thinking about the viewers consuming my content and what they can gain from it. *entertainment or something educational, etc.

• Learn and Be Curious: I would call myself an extremely curious person who loves to learn. I try to seek out what needs to be known and who knows it. I do this by asking a few too many questions, which can get annoying for other people in the room. But this allows me to dive deeper and truly understand concepts. One good example of this is from yesterday, We got a portrait retouching assignment. I am interested in shooting a diverse range of subjects in one frame. Attomatcly after class, I chatted with my digital image teacher about what type of lighting setup I would want for multiple skin tones. My teacher took me to the studio and showed me the lighting set up which led to me chatting with my lighting teacher who showed me a quick demo of the constant light we haven’t gotten into yet. All to say, I encourage curiously and would say it’s a big part of my mentality.

 Invent and Simplify: I’d say I’m decent at ideation, But when it comes to my execution, I’ve overcomplicated and made things more complex than they need to be. I can get caught up in details and I tend to refocus on the end goal. The best example of this is my projects with friends. Once my friend wanted to make a monthly zine, and we started by creating a concept (which I did a shoot for). But when it came time to add copy and work on the zines fount, I felt presser and didn’t know where to begin. I started to second guess and instead of simplifying, I overcomplicated the whole thing by adding unneeded pressure.