Captain’s Log
Star Date: 02.09.2023
Hard and soft skills.
Top 3 hard skills:
- Managing people.
- Customer service.
- Experiential design (installations).
Top 3 soft skills:
- Decision-making.
- Communication.
- Adaptability (problem-solving).
I’ve worked a variety of jobs and freelance gigs where the work was done efficiently, on time, morale was maintained, and spaces were kept relatively organized and clean.
My job before the program was a manager at a nonprofit. We packaged thousands of meals (millions since the beginning of the pandemic) on a daily/weekly basis. I had to ensure that the entire operation ran smoothly, the people in need got the food they were supposed to get, and all the dietary restrictions were met. The work itself was rather physical and monotonous for the people I managed. Beyond the paperwork, I ensured that every person employed there felt respected, experienced great communication, and was able to do their job in a safer/harm-reduced space.
Within the same organization I was a supervisor in the youth program. So not only did I have to manage employees, I had to manage the young adults that were in the program in a cafe setting that served the public (customers).
Before the nonprofit, I’ve worked in a variety of food establishments and did retail/merchandising in flagship stores like Banana Republic and Levi’s in San Francisco.
On the side, within my community, I’ve created a good amount of installations for events over the last 8 years or so. Some are murals, large-scale paintings, sculptural elements, lighting, and experiential decor. A lot of which necessitated a good amount of problem-solving as some installations could only be installed a few hours before the event.
I’ve also hosted and promoted a few events of my own in venues and managed all that goes with doing that successfully.
Hard skills to develop:
- Design program proficiency.
- AI-generator proficiently.
Soft skills to develop:
- Ability to present my ideas more clearly.
- Organizational skills.
I want to eventually marry my experiential experience with my design education. This could manifest in a variety of ways, but I’m planning on using the main Adobe programs, Figma, and AI generators after the program.
Wherever I procure a job, I want to ensure that I’m able to give my best and be able to not only keep up with the industry, but be apart of its future, too.
The main goal is to able to support my community in ways I have not been able to before. Like donating my design skills for nonprofits or organizations. So developing these skills would not only make me a better designer, they would make me a better component of my community, as well.