Hard Skillz I Got
ILLUSTRATION is something I have been interested in and practicing from a young age. I have been focused on cartooning and graphic storytelling for many years, which I believe is a great skill-set to have when learning graphic design.
CODING has been an educational focus of mine for most of my adult life. I have gotten several certificates in coding for web design and development. This naturally gives me a sizable advantage over most of the other graphic design students in this program, when it comes to grinding through the interactive web design classes.
VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHY is a recently acquired skill-set that I picked up in the last 6 years when I worked for SIFF as the Technical Manager. This knowledge has already come in very handy for our New Media classes and for capturing video and pictures for my various design projects and presentations.
Hard Skillz I Ain’t Got
PROJECT MANAGEMENT is something I would like to gain more experience in when it comes to design related projects. I enjoy working in a team and have enjoyed managing a team for many years at my old job. I think I could be good at it, if I apply myself.
COLOR THEORY was a subject that scared me at first and was a little difficult for me to grasp at first. However, I do feel like I am starting to get my brain wrapped around the basic concepts and I’m excited to learn more
Soft Skillz I Got
ORGANIZATION is a skill in continuous development for me, but one that I believe I have an aptitude for. I very much like to create spreadsheets, file structures, and naming conventions to help me keep organized. The ability to keep hundreds of assets organized and easily accessible has been a lifesaver this first year of school.
TIME MANAGEMENT, again, is another skill that I am continuously honing and becoming better at. The key is being honest with yourself about the time of day and the environment that you are most productive in. Then you need to adjust your schedule and routine to incorporate those places and times to get shit done.
ADAPTABILITY is a quality that I am particularly proud of. I don’t mind getting my proverbial hand dirty and digging into how to do something new. I feel like I fit right in with either the creative or technical sides of the design world.
Soft Skillz I Ain’t Got
PUBLIC SPEAKING… I am really not good at this. I suffer from anxiety on top of being a die hard introvert, so this is going to be a rough skill for me to improve. I’m not looking forward to this at all, but I am aware that I will need to improve in this area if I hope to succeed in the design industry.
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION, again, I’m an introvert whom also suffers from ADHD. This often makes it difficult to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships with my co-workers, especially if I am “lasered in” on a task or project. I often come across as “cold” or “not caring”, when in fact I just have difficulty focusing on more than one thing at a time.