Month: December 2022

So I really like the outdoor space on the fifth floor. I think outdoor areas are pretty essential for student life. Personally an outdoor space helps me reconnect to myself. It’s a nice place to take a phone call and do some breathing. It is also a great place to have lunch, talk with friends, or just sit alone and listen to music. But during the rainy months it’s not very usable. It’s windy, too cold and wet. There is about like maybe a 2 x 2 area you can stand just outside the door. I thought about the idea of adding heaters to the design but I feel like the idea of having propane or something similar to that would be a little difficult for the school to maintain so I just left them out.

Outside either of the entrance is there will be a triangle awning to protect that area from rain. It would also be angled so that the water can slide off one side maybe into a flower bed or some sort of drainage. The big blank walls on either side strike me as a really great art opportunity. But since most of the people that are on the fifth floor are creative, I thought it be a great idea to have a large chalkboard on either side. This area will be for anybody to put their drawings, ideas, thoughts, and just goofy doodles. It’ll be water resistant but also the elements would help clean away the chalk, so there would always be a fresh surface to draw on. It’s fun to see what survives the longest on a chalkboard anyway. Overhead there would be some pretty outdoor lights, Seattle is often overcast so this would help brighten up a dark day. Also during in the winter it gets dark like around 3 PM so this would encourage students to stay a little bit longer, it feels more inviting and less spooky. Underneath each of the awnings will be tables and chairs similar to the ones that are already out on the patio. They can be rearranged, whether you have a big group of people or you just wanna sit by yourself. Also in the center of the outside area will be some weatherproof couches and a nice coffee table with a large umbrella that can cover the area. The umbrella could be collapsible so when it is sunny you can enjoy some of the sun and not have to have the patio completely covered. Along the railing are mountain shapes that are specifically designed to help protect the area from wind. Sitting right up next to these would keep you warm and blocked form the chilly air.

Overall I just wanted to redesign the space to be more inviting for people to hang out and be social outside. This allows the space to be more available year-round. It still probably wouldn’t be nice to be outside when it’s too wet and rainy but if there is a light drizzle and some wind it would still be pretty accessible. The vibe I wanted to go for was being up in the mountains outside enjoying a nice hot cup of coffee and being social with your friends and family.

First impression of the photography and video industry is that it seems like there’s a lot of work that goes into it. There’s a lot of set designing and a lot of planning and processing that goes into just one shoot. I have a peer in my new media class who is constantly having shoots to do. They have a very good time management skills. Working in the industry I feel like you have to have that sort of skill come naturally to you. You always have to constantly collaborate with new people that you haven’t really met before. I feel like as a design student we are collaborating with each other a lot but with the photography people the aspect of having like a new model each time means that you have to have good people skills. You also can’t be shy as well, if you’re directing a model and you want to bring your vision to life you can’t be afraid to tell somebody to do something. I also believe that Visual design students are very aware of their surroundings. They have a different sense of the world than most people do. You have to be able to learn how to work with lighting and shading not just on a computer screen but in the physical world. I feel like the learning curve with learning how to do lighting and shading with lights with props and people is a very large one. There’s another thing they say about lighting on people that is really important as well. I believe I don’t photograph well but that’s because I don’t know my angles. I’ve been around myself for years and I still don’t know my angles very well but a photographer would look at me and in one second be aware of what my good side or bad side is and they would know how to pose me. Also the idea of trying to find a visually appealing environment or making a visually appealing environment is otherworldly to me. I feel like somebody that is very skilled in photography can make any anything look appealing. I feel like a very good photographer can tell the whole story with their picture. When a photographer takes a picture it’s very much different from when I take a picture. I’m having a good time with friends and I’m in the car somebody just told a joke, I’ll just turn the camera around and take a picture of everybody in the car, but when I look back at the picture I can’t remember what was happening in that moment. I feel like photographers have this insight to tell the full story. I feel like you would have to know a lot about human perspective as well. If you’re trying to sell a product you have to make it appealing enough to catch somebody’s eye. So you have to know the psychology behind placement and color. That is something that would come with a lot of experience I believe, only trial and error could produce a product that is visually appealing and can capture the correct emotion that you want people to perceive. In conclusion the visual design Industry is fast. People are constantly moving and constantly being rotated in and out. Time management skills are very important, visual knowledge is very important, and people skills are very important.

Ownership

In the past ownership has been hard for me. Growing up I would have the fear of taking responsibility for things that I have done out of fear of being scolded. But as an adult these days I believe that taking ownership and responsibility for things that you have done is a strong reflection of your character. Whether it being something that you’ve done incorrectly or some thing that you have done correctly it is important to take ownership. An example of me taking ownership is in my workplace, if there is a mistake that has been made I am always quick to say “that was me,” I believe it benefits if it’s not only me but my team. Taking ownership of my actions shows my team that I am going to be a good team player, it shows my workplace that I am trustworthy, and it makes me an easier person to be around in general. I also think that it can set a good example for the others around me. There’s also made it easier for me to take ownership for the good things that I’ve done. I’m not afraid to say “that was me,” when something goes well. That being said I overall just love having a good work environment and believing that a good workplace starts with me as well.

Learn and be curious.

Learning and being curious not only in the workplace but in normal life is really important. I feel like a lot of people believe at a certain age we’re done learning, and it causes people to be close minded. As humans we are constantly learning and we are constantly expanding our perspectives. It’s important to stay curious, ask questions, and have an open mind. There’s honestly so much stuff going on out in that world that there’s no possible way you would know everything. Just like that saying you’re learning something new every day. An example of this would be this program, I have been an artist for many years but I decided to take a chance and expand my knowledge of art and design through this program. I am learning new things about myself every day in this. It’s fun to pick the brains of my peers to see how they came up with the conclusions to similar problems, and how many teachers have different career path and goals. Especially with some thing you love, you should always be learning and always be curious because it just makes you a smarter person. And you won’t be so scared of change.

Earn trust.

An example of me trying to earn trust is being a good team player when it comes to group projects. I know that this program is going to have a lot of group projects so I wanted to start off strong. It’s a little difficult for me to work with people that I don’t know very well but I tried my ultimate best. I had a bit of a rough start at the beginning of the year, I had to figure out my school, work, and life balance. So once I had my priorities straight I knew that my peers around me were smart and intelligent people and I just knew that I was going to learn so much from them. I struggle with the fact that I don’t know it absolutely everything, so when it comes to your projects I tried my best to not take too much on my plate. Example with our history project in the beginning of the year Felt like my peers just took off running, and it was a little hard for me to catch up to them. And instead of sitting there and doing nothing and just watching them move farther away from me and this project I sat somebody down and I communicated with them the difficulties I was having. I explained to this person that I felt like I wasn’t pulling my weight and that I’m not typically that kind of person, I just basically ask them to give me anything that I could work on. The person I was talking to really appreciated that I reached out and I feel like we have a stronger relationship because of that. I believe earning trust is as easy as just saying what is on your mind because people don’t like fake people. Being true to yourself is also being true to others. So not worrying about what somebody thinks of you and telling them your true thoughts about where you’re at in your life is easier for people to respond to. So in conclusion be true to yourself, communicate what you want, be selfish but also be selfless.

Dive deep.

Diving deep is something that I can struggle with. An example of not diving deep enough would probably be studying for tests and testing in general. Sometimes I will just take the study guide glance over it and not really absorb any of the information just thinking that I will know what to do in the moment and it never pans out that way. I have a major test anxiety and I have confidence in my abilities but some thing about being in a test environment is just nerve-racking. This is just one example of issues that I have like that. I feel like in my every day life I will have an issue that I want to change about myself, and the outcome of just focusing on that issue and trying to solve it would benefit me and my life overall. But sometimes it’s difficult for me to actually put in the effort to change those things, like somewhere in the back of my head I know it’s wrong but I also tell myself it is what it is. So I would like to make diving deep part of my daily routine. Whether it be with stretching or with meditation just going that extra mile to sit with the information. I feel like diving deep comes naturally to people but with me it’s a little bit more of a motivational thing. So doesn’t happen all the time but I would like to see this tiny little habit of mine disappear.