As someone fairly new to the design field, there are many tools I have the opportunity to advance throughout this program & beyond. Luckily I’ve always been quick to learn new concepts when I can put the work in. I’m great at visualizing ideas in my head & feel like I have a better understanding of technology & computers than the average person.
I’ve always been a creative thinker & problem-solver, however, my health has put a damper on this in the past causing an uphill battle. So far in class, I’ve learned new ways of thinking that are helping to grow these tools. The program teaches me that there is so much more behind design than you initially think. Understanding design theory, the principles, color, type, etc. are new concepts to me that I’m getting a grasp on for the first time. Thanks to Jason & my quick learning skills, I’m beginning to learn a lot about design software. Although the skies are the limit when it comes to these skills, I feel I have a good foundation right for growing them throughout my career.
3 major tools that I need to invest a lot of time in are time management, communication & presenting. Having ADHD has made managing my time a struggle & I always seem to be pushing at the last minute to get something done. In high school, I was never great at communicating or presenting my ideas. After COVID kept me out of school for 3 years, I realized I never had a chance to strengthen these skills before SCCA.
Unfortunately, I am a perfectionist. Although this has benefits when it comes to the final product, I’ve always struggled with letting my ideas be. When I’m sketching it’s difficult not to judge my ideas or latch onto an early one. I also have a tendency to never be satisfied with the work I have done. I always want to push myself & fully fledge out every idea that I have. Well unfortunately my mind & body can only handle so much & my limit is almost always less than I wanted. It can be difficult to be happy with a project or feel satisfied when I know I’m not able to put in as much effort as I want. Luckily this is slowly turning around, as my grades surprised me last quarter. But, there’s still a ton a progress left to be made & I know that I am not going to be successful if I can’t learn to just let things go.