Description:
This semester was full of projects and individual work time, which is basically the definition of graphic design. In class we learned along the way to collaborate and connect with one another to push concepts and projects important to us. To start out the year with a basic lesson on typography, we had a project that revolved around matching fonts with objects, sports, or things we identified with. The point of this project was to learn how to match fonts with a desired feeling or concept. This first project was also good in introducing me specifically to sketching and how important it is to the design process. see my name plates project here!
Next we had a project to design posters and tickets for our school, Olathe Northwest's, homecoming that revolved around the theme "Trick of the Lights". For this the senior committee leaders, who organizes homecoming, gave us a general look and feel they were going for and each of us pushed a design for them to ultimately vote on. This was the first project we truly had critiques on which was definitely a new experience for me. The importance of having others input on your work became clear in this project specifically and after this, critiques began to be something I still look forward to. While this first project for a real client was exciting, it was also definitely a learning curve on deadlines and truly the lack of skill and practice I had in the programs.see my Homecoming project here!
Our next project our class of designers split into teams to tackle different projects such as a junior committee t-shirt design, junior powder puff t-shirt design, and senior powder puff t-shirt design. I was picked to submit a design for the junior powder puff shirts. This project really introduced us to working in teams and collaborating with others not only for their feedback, but to work together on just a few designs. I ran into quite a few technical problems with this design and what I through together in the end for times sake certainly wasn't my favorite, but it added to my experience. see my Junior Powderpuff T-shirt here!
Our next project was expressive typography. In this project we had to use ONLY one color (my biggest hurdle) and only the quote "Every great design begins with an even better story" to make up our ENTIRE design. This one for me had a lot of potential, but again at this stage in my skill and knowledge I didn't understand the concept of taking the time to push things farther until I'm genuinely happy with where they stand. This whole first half of projects I was unhappy with because I hadn't discovered being passionate enough about a design to keep going with it. See my Expressive Typography project here!
The project that we did next is probably the largest turning point in my graphic design career. In this assignment we were given four aspects, a number, a mineral, an animal, and two letters that we had to incorporate in the branding of our own imaginary business. The company that I created was Acacia, a high-end indoor and outdoor plant business. This process of branding did purpose a wide range of bumps along the way but this was truly the first project I pushed far enough to become something I was proud of. Creating an aesthetic I was truly pleased with, it was hard NOT to put in the extra hours ALL of my projects needed. This project had two phases with a few objectives in each such as creating an iPhone button, creating build boards, designing a storefront, creating a product line, and many other aspects that go into branding a real business. see my Acacia project here!
Our last project is still a work in progress and will be for a little while...personal branding!!! I, like most others, feared this the most because what a big task this is! Currently we have only worked on cultivating our personal logos and type.
Reaction:
The major key event was truly what I explained above in my description of Acacia and how my passion for graphic design really became real after that project. While this is late in the year to realize a passion, I'm excited for what it holds for the rest of the year. After this project I find myself wanting to design at lunch, after school, all the time! It is the same thing as writing a paper for english class, if you write about something you're passionate about, it's easy. In the same way, if I push till my design is something I am proud of, it becomes easy. As for things that hold me back, pushing over that first hill of concepts is what really gets me. Sketching certainly does NOT come easy to me and having to put my ideas on paper is not something I'm good at, it takes a lot of time. Another issue I run into is pushing past a first concept that I like to discover something even better. Once I feel like I have it, I don't push any further and eventually get stuck on one idea that ends up hurting me.
As for the key event of Acacia, that is something I'm really excited about! Having a whole next semester to invest more in this second wind is something I am looking forward to in also growing my skills. I've heard the saying "there is no better motivation than seeing results" and that is exactly how I'm feeling right now. Ive seen such a growth in my skills in the program that I'm motivated to use them! As for the issues I feel they are common ones most designers face. I don't see these hurdles really posing a real problem, they are just things I'm going to have to learn to get by.
Evaluation and Analysis:
I have mostly already talked about what has held me back but I can list a few more. The only really other true problems I have had have been with technology and maybe some type facing. My technical skills always have room to grow and the resolution for that is really just through practice. Once again, I have already seen such an improvement in that as well. As for other things that don't work is the concept of rushing through anything whether it's sketching, creating, or even worse MOUNTING! The main thing I have found unsuccessful every time is the mindset of just getting things done. That attitude has gotten me nowhere but messy, un-straight lines. That mindset was really my main problem first semester and finding a passion to be proud of my work is the resolution.
Learning and Action Plan
We definitely covered many different concepts this semester and looking back I'm feeling like it may have been intentional... Each project really did teach a new concept. In our first project typography was taught and well. It was a good first example and lesson on how important typography and how choosing it can be difficult. In our next project, the homecoming posters, we learned concepts of meeting hard deadlines for a real client. The Trick of the Lights and name plates project also taught the important concept of sketching. In our expressive typography project, although you would think it would have taught us typography, it really taught us how to carry one design over multiple art boards. In the t-shirt design project we learned concepts about how to work effectively in teams and collaborate. Finally in our last two projects, the imaginary business and self branding we are learning how to BRAND!! Probably the most important one yet.
I have somewhat already addressed my technical skills but overall I struggled largely with them in the beginning of the year but I have seen a substantial growth in them recently. Spending more time in the programs has really began to pay of and it only excites me to use them more. As for soft skills I have become much more open to asking for help and suggestions when I need it. I have become such good friends with the designers around me and their knowledge is always encouraging and never intimidating as it may have been in the start of the program. As for communication I also try to step up and give my feedback whenever I have it. I have found that my own opinion is important too and I'm not afraid anymore to stick by my design or share my ideas with others. As for leadership at this time I'm still learning and growing as a designer myself and a leadership role is not really what I see fit for me right now. As a junior, I have a good amount of seniors above me that I enjoy to feed off of so much and I want to keep nurturing myself through them as long as I can until it is my turn to step up.
Action Plan
Next semester my plan is just to devote more time to my work. Not that I have all the time in the world, but I hope that I can allot some more of my effort and attention to create things I'm passionate about. I also hope that showing more effort and availability will allow me to take on other projects other than the ones I'm assigned to beef up my portfolio a little bit more especially going into my senior year. The one thing I hope to learn is inDesign and Photoshop. I feel like both of those programs hold so much fun stuff for me to learn and I want my skill set to span more than just illustrator.
