Before coming to CityTech I’d never thought about being a graphic designer. I had no thought or aspiration of any kind in terms of communication design. I could care less about a logo or an ad. Typography meant nothing to me. Nowadays though, im looking so closely at companies logos. Im paying attention to the placements, design, and effectiveness of ads. So after studying here, taking courses, learning, and experiencing the different kind of projects and task that a graphic designer goes through. It’s time for me to ask, what kind of graphic designer am I and just am I going?

As stated earlier, before coming to Citytech, I had no background in graphic design. But once starting my bachelor program here outside of my classwork I’ve started to become more and more involved in works and personal design projects. My first “major” project for me was when my old boss told me about her decorated glass business. I designed a logo and website for her and thought I was top notch graphic designer because of it. I was wrong. But it was my first experience working for a client. My next foray was helping my mom design her logo and website for her business. This taught me how difficult it can be to design something when a person isn’t to sure about the visual identity of there company and need you to figure it out for them. It also taught me how difficult it is to work for and with family. But from there I designed a logo for my photography company and still working to improve it.

My strong suit is concepting. Once I have an idea, i’m able to start concepting layouts, thumbnail designs, and etc. It just come natural to me. Albeit there are moments when I have creators block. I learned this about myself when I’d be given a project and always want to skip the research phase and go straight to creating sketches and drafts. They are not always perfect concepts but I am to take bits and pieces from my ideas and others to create better work.

At this moment I am learning as much as I can. I’m practicing my photoshop, illustrator and indesign skills. Picking the brains of my fellow students and professors. Studying ads and logos I see all over the place, Figuring out what works and what doesn’t. What styles I like? What catches my eye/interest? Right now I am a student trying to figure out my place and where I want to go and the graphic designer I want to be. After reviewing my old work, I have some really great pieces that I love and even a piece I want to continue working on and making it better for my portfolio. I’m seeing that certain things I’m not the best at. Such as booklets, calendars, and reports. I’m good at making ads and decent at creating logos. I want to work on all of these aspects of design and try to get better.

After I graduate CityTech, I want to work for a major corporations advertising department. Companies such as Google, Nike, Microsoft, Amazon, Adidas and more really interest me. What I like about them is that they have a set visual style. Your not working from scratch every time. This lets you focus more on concepting the assignment vs figuring out what kind of style you need to create. The guidelines push you to a finish project faster by taking the stress away. In the meantime I am going to keep working toward my degree in graphic design and keep honing my skills.