End of Year Final

End of the Year in Graphic Design

This year in graphic design I have put forth all my effort into my projects. I am supremely satisfied with how they each turned out respectively. I am excited to keep building my portfolio over the summer. The tools and lessons i've learned in this class have given me great opportunities to improve myself and show off my greatest strengths and assets. 

Technical skills

This year I have acquired a vast and diverse amount of different skills that are all very useful in perfecting my craft of graphic art. I've learned how to use drawing tablets, use different textures when creating my own handwriting typography on certain pieces, i've learned about hierarchy and color theory, i've put more detail into my work than ever before. I know how to make real life mockups now the proper way. I faced many obstacles while learning but in the end I destroyed the tiny shred of self doubt that I still had. I've discovered an art style that I have. I have posted my art to other websites besides Behance, but on Behance i've put the most technical and beautiful piece i've done. It very well may look a little silly, but in reality it (painting of Squidward) was a great and valuable piece for me to learn about painting digitally and shading light and shadows. 

Collaborating with My Peers

Last semester, I was convinced that I couldn't be closer to any of the people in here. But then I started to actually hang out with them and get a feel for the creative ideas they want to pursue. While there are always going to be a couple of sour eggs in the gross, the majority of the people in here are exponentially creative and absolutely nice to the point of debilitation. Kindness is key to working in an industry mostly made up of freelance workers. While everyone is after their own advancement, many are glad to be apart of a team. During the project where we all were in a competition to make this years poster for prom, you'd expect some hostility and bad sportsmanship. This is not the case. The group of graphic designers in here are more than their desires. More than their thirst for recognition. They are genuinely kind people. 

Visual Communication

The industry of graphic art isn't just about the look of a project. It's about the feeling that it evokes in

someone's heart. When we were designing posters for this year's prom, I feel that what i gave to the entirety of the project was a genuine feeling of nostalgia. The theme was 'message in a bottle', I had to decide what that meant to me when I thought of it. I wanted a colorful, rich, and passionate sunset that encompassed all of the young minds who were going to step into that dance with hopeful hearts and open eyes. I feel as though I accomplished what I set out to do. That is what visual communication of a greater idea is all about.

 

Project Management

Deadlines, working with clients, and working for hours on end trying to get the right consistency of what you think looks good and what your client wants. I have gotten hundreds of emails from people telling me that I need to completely redo their whole project before dinner time. This was good for me to experience because it has drastically improved my patience when it comes to working with people. One example of a client I've worked with that was indecisive, was a woman who wanted to publish her short poems for children. At first she just gave me a couple of files without any explanation. Then she told me what I was doing wrong and correcting what she wanted. Unfortunately, almost 3/4 of the year had passed and she was still making up her mind about trivial things. It seemed silly to continue to work for someone who didn't even know what they wanted, but thats the truth about this industry. Our work is so important and it takes time to craft something truly palatable. Now I think nothing of it (because she is STILL making up her mind) and I know what to do in the future when this happens. Currently I am not being paid by her but i am gathering experience. In the future, I know that the solution to indecisive clients, who I know I cannot divide any more of my time for, is to charge hourly. 

Leadership

As I have grown closer and closer to my peers in graphic design, I have also learned a lot about being a project leader. Telling people what to do in a polite manner and making sure there is mutual respect between me and them. This is all very new to me, but I know that if you truly believe in making a great final project, you will succeed in the end. No matter if other people like what you do, but if you can confidently say that you're proud of yourself and you accomplished what you set out to.

In Conclusion

This year in graphic design has been truly noteworthy. One for the books as one might call it. 

I've learned so much, and I can't wait to do projects that i've been planning for this summer. I can't wait to dive deeper into the art mediums I want to explore within the tools I have. I am absolutely ecstatic at the amount of work i've put into my pieces this year. I can't wait to treat every project I work on in the future with the same tender love and care. Thank you so much for this opportunity. It really meant the world.