Graphic Design Semester Reflection

Projects

Art Movement

The very first project I did this semester was a research and presentation project over an art or design movement.  I did my research over Russian Constructivism.  This project took about a month and a half.  The first part of this project, the research, was really fun and easy for me.  However, once we got into the actual graphic design aspect, I started to face some issues.  I had a hard time coming up with my own ideas and not just copying other artists' work.  However, I was able to learn a lot about my own style and what I feel comfortable with, while also learning about past artistic movements.  I was told that my presentation was very well done and had great content and slides.  The only thing that I did to change my project was adding my poster sketches to Behance.  Overall, I actually really enjoyed this project.  I love learning new things, especially about history.  I thought Constructivism was a really fun and interesting movement to study and replicate.

Typography and Quotes

This project was very focused on typography, the art of type.  We learned about typography for a week or so then put that knowledge to work by taking about a month to design quotes.  I struggled a lot with this project.  I have never really appreciated typography so it was hard for me to connect with  and really care about the assignment.  Of course, I still did my very best, but I don't think my final designs were up to high standards.  I was told that I should pay more attention to kerning, leading, and alignment.  I changed quite a bit throughout this project in order to get from the first rough drafts to the final designs.  I changed fonts and colors a lot throughout the process.  Honestly, I'm not very proud of this project.  Although I did my personal best, I wish that I had found some way to do even better.

Company Rebrand


For this project, I had to pick any company and rebrand it.  This essentially meant creating a new logo for the company.  This project took about a month.  Most of the challenges I faced came at the end of the project when I had to mockup the logo that I had created.  I really do not like Photoshop and am not very experienced with it, so I struggled a lot when trying to create the mockups in Photoshop.  However, these challenges with Photoshop did help me to brush up on my skills and learn a little bit more about the program.  I also learned about what goes into the logo and identity of a company.  The main feedback I was given on this project was that I should have asked for more help.  I haven't had any time to really change anything about the final outcome of my project, but if I were to change something, I would take more time on the mockups.  Overall, I thought this was a pretty interesting project and feel like I did learn quite a bit from it.  I did my best on the project and I think it shows.

Time

I try to use all my time in class as productively and efficiently as possible.  I am constantly working on bettering my projects and I make sure to take the time to do my best.  I have never really finished a project early because I don't consider a project finished until it is done to the best of my ability.  Outside of class, I sometimes look at other designers' Behance portfolios in order to get inspiration and see how other people are using their design skills.

Strengths and Weaknesses

My biggest strength would have to be that I am a very hard worker. If I don't understand something or if a project is not going my way, I will do my best to make it work out in some way.  This is especially helpful since I am not very technically or creatively skilled.  I have never been very good with computers, especially when it comes to programs such as Illustrator and Photoshop.  I am also generally not a very creative person.  I tend to think more on the logical side rather than using my imagination.

Conclusion

I loved learning all about Graphic Design this semester and year.  Before coming into Graphic Design, I knew nothing about design.  This year has really stretched me outside of my comfort zone and I have really enjoyed that experience.  If I could change one thing about this semester, I would make myself have a more open mind.  Coming into Graphic Design, I was convinced that I was going to hate it.  I'm not going to say that I love it at this point, but I definitely have a greater appreciation for the art of it than I thought I would.  Overall, I learned to stretch myself and be wiling to learn new things this semester.  I hope to be able to continue to use some of my Graphic Design skills as I go into Convergence Journalism next year.

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