Sophomore Graphic Design Reflection

Guarantee Takeaways

Technology 

   This year I have definitely grown with being familiar with the computers and the software that we use in graphic design. I have learned how to use new features in Illustrator and Photoshop, especially second semester. I have learned how to effectively mockup finished products in Photoshop and I learned more shortcuts and methods to design things in Illustrator, which came with the rebranding project. The skills in both softwares that I learned in first semester transferred to my projects in second semester and I was able to greatly improve upon these skills. One of the biggest takeaways from the Technology guarantee that I have is that technology can make a lot of your ideas possible, but starting with a solid and thought out idea makes the designing process much easier. This led to me actually spending time coming up with quality ideas and sketches so that it would be much easier to transfer my thoughts to Illustrator. One of the challenges I faced with technology this year is that I experienced the programs crashing or my computer crashing multiple times. To combat this, I developed a habit of frequently saving my work after making changes so that I would not have to backtrack if the software crashed. 

Collaboration

    The only project that we actually had to "collaborate" with a partner on was the Infographic Project, but there were lots of opportunities to work with other people throughout the year with different projects. We learned how to effectively give constructive criticism through multiple critiques as a class, in small groups, and in partners. During the rebranding project, our small groups met multiple times to give feedback on each other's work and give constructive criticism. It is important to be able to collaborate with others because you are able to bounce ideas of of each other and give feedback that others might not have thought of to help enhance projects. I definitely faced challenges with collaborating because I get sidetracked easily, but it was nice to have a partner to watch over me and encourage me to get back to work. I also had to deal with some difficult people while working on projects, but I was able to gain control of my thoughts and give meaningful feedback without being rude, which is a skill I will definitely need in the future. One of my biggest takeaways from collaboration is that I need to be able to effectively work with others and give good feedback while being able to listen and implement the criticism that I'm given. 

Communication

   Communication was also another skill that I have improved over the course of this year. I've had to effectively communicate with many people, some of which were hard to work with. Through the multiple critiques that the class has done,  I've watched how others present their ideas effectively and I've been able to use information from other critiques to enhance my projects. One of the challenges that I faced with communication was that some people didn't give me meaningful feedback or feedback at all. I've had to ask about each aspect of the project in detail to get meaningful critiques from some people. I also tried to speak up more during class and critiques to participate more and take critiques from other projects to use on my own work. My biggest takeaway from communication is that I have to be able to effectively communicate my thoughts, even if it means speaking up during uncomfortable situations, so that others can hear my ideas and that I can get constructive feedback. 

Project Management

   Project management was something that I struggled with at the beginning of the year in both strands. There have been some days where it is hard for me to sit down and focus on a computer screen for an hour or an hour and half. Instead, I would get really distracted and off task during class, which would result in me not getting my work done. I've learned that working effectively with the time that I've given will save me time working outside of class. There have been some projects where I had to stay after school for an hour or two because I was so behind on my work, but I am always able to get my work done on time because I stay after to work. I think it's crucial to manage time effectively because it helps me get my work done to the best of my ability when I have my total focus on one task until I finish. This way, I can have one task done and I can move onto the next in a shorter amount of time, which will overall save me time. 

Leadership

   Throughout the year, I've been able to improve upon my leadership skills throughout critiques and various projects. First semester, I never spoke up or shared my ideas because I was afraid of getting criticized harshly. However, I've learned to accept criticism and use it to make my work better throughout the semester. I've also mostly led a critique because I provided meaningful feedback to every project that enhanced them. I think it's important to become a leader in certain situations because it ensures that the work is getting done in a timely manner to the best ability instead of having people slack off and not complete their share. My biggest takeaway from the leadership guarantee is that people need to step up and be leaders when no one else is because it helps the work get done and it helps everything flow easier. 

Strengths and Weaknesses

   As a graphic design student, I've been able to discover my strengths and weaknesses through multiple projects and situations. For example, I learned that one of my strengths is providing meaningful feedback to projects, even if I don't have the best design eye, through the multiple critiques that the class has done. However, one weakness that significantly stands out is that I have a tendency to not be very focused in class, which results in me coming after school to finish projects and assignments. I've been able to improve upon this because I've been able to focus, especially during the last weeks of school, so that I can finish my projects. An example of this is the rebranding project because I finished the final phase before the deadline, which was an accomplishment for me because I've had to stay after to finish every other phase. 

So I've Learned All of This...

    Although I am not going into the graphic design strand as a junior, I am going to be able to use many skills in the software and other skills that I've learned in this class in the future. For example, I will be able to use my graphic design skills in Illustrator to design materials that I can use in the Entertainment strand, like posters, and I will be able to design my business cards and other things for Senior Show. As for personal skills that I've improved upon in this class, I can transfer my time management skills to many other aspects of my life, like regular classwork, my job, Entertainment, and completing other daily tasks. I'm going to be able to transfer these skills to my life and help others improve on them as well. 

What Would I Change? 

   My sophomore year in graphic design has been great in helping me improve my skills in software and design as long as learning skills like meeting strict deadlines and effectively communicate my thoughts and ideas to others. Looking back at this year, I wish I would have been more dedicated to my work and projects because I would have been able to make my final products turn out much better and I would have been more proud of my work. Graphic Design still interests me and I still plan on using the skills that I've learned, but it isn't the strand that I am going into, and I wish that I would have put a little bit more effort into my projects to make them better. 

Conclusion

   I love being able to see my progress and growth from my freshman year as an e-Communication student and even the beginning of the semester to now. I've obviously learned new skills in software, but I learned social and personal skills that I can use for the rest of my life. From working with clients and my peers, I've learned how to communicate professionally on multiple platforms and verbally. I am able to get my work done because I am better at focusing on the task at hand. An average project takes me anywhere from 3 weeks to a month and half, depending on the extent of the project. I have enjoyed my time as a sophomore graphic design student and I am so thankful for the e-Communication program. I can't wait to see my progress in Entertainment and the graphic design work that I'm able to do next year.