I came up with this idea from a poster I created for my color theory class, I decided it would be cool to repurpose the poster since it has a lot of open space that seemed perfect for gif animation. I found the images of the dancing fruit online and I created the gif animation in photoshop with the instructions provided. I didn’t really run into any issues, although creating the gif in photoshop was a new experience that took time to figure out and get comfortable with.
An experience that immediately comes to mind relates to a failure in delivering quality work. I took on a photography project that was to be shot entirely in medium format film. It was spur of the moment and the turnaround needed to be done within a month, it was also my first time shooting an entirely film project with no digital images to accompany so it was unknown territory in terms of potential issues that could arise.
Ultimately there were multiple failing factors. One was the quality of development from the place I had processed the film through; there were multiple spots where they had put clamps directly through frames that were key shots, very disappointing. Another issue was agreeing to the timeline of a month. Since I was scanning the film myself and then editing, everything took exponentially longer than expected. So not only were key images completely ruined in the development process, I couldn’t follow through on the timeline.
From this I learned that I need to be more realistic when setting timelines, this wasn’t the only project I was working on so it wasn’t realistic to shoot, develop and edit/deliver everything within a month. Also, I should have reached out to people for advice on developers to seek out someplace that would have done a better job. I think because I was in such a rush it wasn’t a consideration I had in mind. Overall, I learned a lot from this experience and it drastically changed my perspective moving forward.
Hard Skills
Adobe Photoshop: Out of all adobe programs I’ve spent the most time on Photoshop with my background in photography. I’m able to use it for many different purposes, whether that be editing photos, putting together a poster, and many things inbetween.
UI/UX & Branding: These two hard skills are strong areas of mine largely due to being a hardcore empath, I find that I can intuitively problem solve. I find it very easy to consider the emotional response of users and the variety of emotions that could potentially be experienced and make decisions accordingly, I find that making these considerations below the surface truly allow the ability to fine tune a visual experience.
Soft Skills
Empathy: This skill has come in handy many times when communicating with fellow classmates and when taking into consideration the needs of others within the service industry. I’ve found that it also translates well with user experience projects because I can easily visualize the potential needs of users based on diverse backgrounds of users.
Open-mindedness: When conclusions are drawn, that’s when curiosity dies. So I try my best to keep an open mind regardless of the situation and take everyones opinion or feedback into account when developing projects.
Willingness to learn: I consider myself a lifelong learner and am always willing to learn something new if the opportunity presents itself. I’ve had many different jobs and a couple of career changes through the years, all of which were filled with many fresh learning opportunities.
Skills I would like to develop
Time management & Effective Communication (soft):
I need to practice better time management that way I’m not neglecting other projects and tasks, more specifically I need to know when to stop perfecting something and consider it finished until the next round of review. Communication has always been something that I have struggled with at times, I would specifically like to hone in on communication within my presentation skills, that way I’m able to explain my projects more effectively and make sure whoever is listening understands where my ideas are coming from.
Illustrator & Illustrator (hard): With both of these programs I would like to learn the tools more in depth and expand my skills set in order for them to become more intuitive. As of right now, I feel that projects take longer than they should because I’m not entirely comfortable and don’t have a solid work flow. I’m sure with time and continued practice this will be resolved.
I couldn’t figure out how to get my video to upload so I’m posting the transcript of my pitch:
Hello my name is Morgan LaRose. I’m a UX/UI and identity designer. I recently graduated from the design program at Seattle Central College. During my time there I developed an app to help traveling musicians connect with music venues in order to fully plan a tour. Both musicians and venues create profiles that showcase themselves, there is also a live booking calendar that shows availability of the venues, along with the ability for musicians to communicate directly with the venue book through the app. I’m very proud of this project.
In all my endeavors, I work hard to keep one-step ahead of my clients needs and desires, bringing a positive, problem-solving attitude to any challenge. I’m a thoughtful and conscientious lifelong learner, and always seeking to expand my professional network. If you have any projects that you need help with, please keep me in mind.