Category Archives: Reflections

Mid-Semester Reflections

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Whelp it’s been a doozy of a semester so far!

Im honestly super happy at being able to make it this far and be able to have all my classwork and fc work in order. This is my first time working in graphic design that isn’t a class and have been so scared since I was accepted because I wanted to prove to myself and others that I can do this and do it well! I also want to express how grateful I am to be working with such a great and helpful team. I was timid at first even if it didnt show but I feel so much more comfortable and a part of the team. SO THANK YOU EVERYONE!!

One hurdle I found difficult was the Amplify poster for Prof. Berger. She has a specific vision in mind and I wanted to work hard to meet it. I did my research and came up with a few concepts. Its done and up, but there are still tweaks that can be made. Overall she was happy with the result and that made me feel amazing. This project was also my favorite! I was not only able to meet a client’s needs but have fun AND utilise an original illustration of mine!

If I had no time constraints, I’d like to invest more time in leveling up my Adobe Illustrator skills so I can provide even more eye catching designs in all my work.

Aside from doing my best work at both FC and my classes, I want to grow as an illustrator. So time management has been a big deal for me this semester. One goal was being able to do commissions with my chibi drawings and I have 2 pieces I’m working on now for 2 friends! I haven’t officially advertised, they actually came to me, but thats 2 steps closer to a goal of doing it steady!

 

Mid Semester Reflection

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• Have you come across any challenging projects this semester, whether it was a class project or a project with FC? How did you accomplish the project?
The most challenging project I have come across this semester has been for my Interactive Art Direction class. For our first project we were tasked with making an interactive web ad. With very little knowledge of UX/UI and the freedom to create an ad for any client I wished made it a bit overwhelming to begin with. At first I wanted to decide the kind of web ad I would do and decided to go with the ‘portrait.’ When ever given the freedom to choose a client I usually like to inject my personality into the project with either something sports or fashion related. So I decided to create an ad for the NBA regular season tip off. Designing an ad for user experience was completely new for me, but with the help of my professor I was able to get some good ideas for the final execution.
• What project(s) did you enjoy working on thus far during this semester?
I have to say it would be a tie between the Women in STEM Initiative and Faculty Staff Art Exhibition. The Women in Stem Initiative gave me a realization of how much I love illustrating. With the poster consisting of 50+ icons I put hours into creating, I enjoyed every second of it. The reason for enjoying the Faculty Staff Art Exhibition would be my satisfaction with the execution of the deliverables. My favorite being the animated web banner!
• If there were no time constraints, what is one skill or tool you would like to learn?
If I had to time to learn a new tool, it would be Adobe’s new program Dimension. I believe it would provide a lot of benefits for designers looking to bring their creative work to life.
• Make a goal that you want to accomplish by the end of the semester.
By the end of the semester I would like to add 3-4 finished portfolio pieces that reflect my creative personality.

Mid Semester Reflection

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Have you come across any challenging projects this semester, whether it was a class project or a project with Faculty Commons? How did you accomplish the project?

Two of my most challenging projects this semester have been the Literary Arts Festival for Faculty Commons and the TOMS partnership campaign I worked on for my Campaign Development II class.

Right now I’m in the home stretch for LAF with only the program needing to be designed. It has been a challenging yet rewarding journey working on this project. I found myself stressing over this project while not realizing how much work it is for my clients on their end. All in all I am happy with the direction this project has gone and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with my clients and be able to collaborate with Natalie. Strong communication has been the key to accomplishing the goals for this project.

As for my TOMS partnership campaign, I think I never had a more evolving project ever in my life. Initially, I was a bit confused with the project and unclear of the task. Then after understanding the project, I did some extensive research to figure out how to approach the problem. Class after class I would meet with my professor to discuss my idea and I would end up changing it after leaving. It was a bit stressful because I wanted to nail down my idea. Eventually I made a decision to stick with my last idea. My professor seemed to like the final product and ended up keeping my work. In my opinion I wouldn’t say I accomplished this project aside from doing the work and receiving a grade. I wish I could of developed my idea more.

What project(s) did you enjoy working on thus far during this semester?

I think one of my favorite projects I have worked on during this semester would be outside of school at my job with Visual Conductor. I got the chance to design a runway installation for a fashion show. It was my first time ever doing event design and such a great learning experience. It is much more fast paced, thrilling, and a lot more trouble-shooting as opposed to designing posters, booklets, or brochures on the computer.

Make a goal that you want to accomplish by the end of the semester

By the end of the semester I want to be half way done with my personal re-branding and get back to posting content on my design dedicated Instagram page.

Here’s a question to the rest of the team I would like your insight on:

In the course of building my online portfolio, should I post content from my online portfolio to my page before I launch the site or should I wait to post the content from my online portfolio to my page until after I launch the site?

Mid Semester Reflection

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Have you come across any challenging projects this semester, whether it was a class project or a project with FC? How did you accomplish the project?

I create a autobiographical comic page for my Illustration 3 class. It was a much harder and longer project than my classmates and I expected. Trying to put all the pieces together of what the copy was going to be and how to lay it out was very difficult and time consuming. I struggled a lot with what to write about, thinking it wasn’t interesting enough, and then had a hard time with how to draw it so it wouldn’t be boring.

I spoke with my professor about my struggles and he gave me some encouragement to just write and draw it as I liked and not about if people would enjoy it. Working first on the story and script helped me figure out how to design it. It also helped to cut out panels that weren’t necessary. Planning the text before designing was a huge time saver and helped me figure out the overall page.

What project(s) did you enjoy working us thus far during this semester?

I really enjoyed working on the film screening poster I did for African-American Studies department with Professor Bennett. It was more of a chance to use my skills as a illustrator to come up with a quick concept and design. It was also a topic I enjoyed and happy to see the school was sharing with the student body.

Make a goal that you want to accomplish by the end of the semester.

My goal is to finish all of my class projects, and FC projects on time and be able close off the projects with my clients successfully.

Mid Semester Reflection

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• Have you come across any challenging projects this semester, whether it was a class project or a project with FC? How did you accomplish the project?

Project Wayfinding was a little different for me because in this project, a lot more team work was required than just working by myself and that all our deliverables have to be approved by everyone in the team. Everything was accomplished with strong communication skills and be on top of everything.

•What project(s) did you enjoy working us thus far during this semester?

I liked working on the Department cards because the tree diagram I had created was to be used and put on the back of the card.

•Make a goal that you want to accomplish by the end of the semester.

Finish everything that was assigned to me in Project Wayfinding.

Mid Semester Reflection

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•Have you come across any challenging projects this semester, whether it was a class project or a project with FC? How did you accomplish the project?

So far the only challenge I come across this semester is senior project, I thought I can be ahead of the timeline, but so far I feel like I’m a little behind. Hopefully I can catch up with the timeline during spring break.

•What project(s) did you enjoy working us thus far during this semester?

I really enjoy working on the Stronger Tomorrow project, I am also happy to know that this event will continue and become like a tour around other colleges.

•Make a goal that you want to accomplish by the end of the semester.

My goal for the rest of the semester is to complete all my project for my classes on time, as well as get myself started on freelancing and job application after college. And I need to research for graduate school after City Tech.

Arianna Bollers – End of Semester Reflection Fall 2016

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  • Have you completed all your work (for the Fall 2016 semester) with your clients and closed all loops?
    Yes! I have complete majority of the work I set of to accomplish this semester including the projects with First Year Programs, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and the English Dept. I am glad to know that I will be continuing my stay at City Tech as a graduate working with First Year Programs to complete The Companion. I can’t wait to start working on the book. I am aiming for first year students to pay more attention to these books and use them throughout their school years at City Tech. All I need to do is send some holiday wishes.
  • Are you happy with your results with the work you completed this semester? What was your favorite project you got a chance to work on this semester?
    I definitely enjoyed all the projects I got to work on this semester. I enjoy working on projects that help professors send awareness about their classes and programs. I am also really looking forward to working on The Companion next semester.
  • How are you going to prepare for next semester during the Holiday Break? If you are departing from the team, let us know your plans for 2017.
    I am definitely looking forward to doing self curated and collaborate projects during the break and throughout 2017 and learning and practicing skills I already have.

End of the Semester Reflection

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Have you accomplished your Mid-Semester goals? How have you accomplished those goals?

My semester goal was to have developed an well established online presence. I would like to say this is still on going goal for me. I have developed a website, created business cards, and put a portfolio together. Although I have created those assets for myself I feel as if they could have been done better and fell short of my standards. I hope to take this time away from school to fine tune my personal life as a designer.

Have you completed your work with your clients and closed all loops? Are you happy with your results with the work you completed this semester?

I have completed a year long project with the Honors Scholars Program which was such an amazing experience. As I took on the second half of the project Spring semester I was able to apply my new found knowledge from my experience from the Fall semester. I was really happy about how the work had looked once it was printed. Nothing can compare to the feeling of having a concept grow into a creation. I am still in the process of finalizing my other projects with my clients which are the Library Map, OER Logo, and Facilities Management brochure. As of now I am happy with where the projects are headed. They have each come a long way from their beginning. I expect the Library Map and Facilities Management Brochure to be wrapped up shortly.

How are you going to prepare for next semester during the Summer Break?

One thing I will make sure to do is to recover from all that has happened this past semester and take note of what my struggles and accomplishments were. I will also do my best to continue to build myself as a designer and explore who I am as an artist. I hope to gain new insights and discover new things.

End of Semester Reflection 2016

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My semester has been an extreme learning experience. This was my first design internship experience and although in the beginning I was terrified, I found myself fitting in as the months went by. I feel like I’ve accomplished my goals, which was to sharpen my design skills and knowledge, to do portfolio worthy designs and also to network with other designers on a friendly and professional basis. My clients gave me work that made me sweat but made me fit and ready for the coming rounds. This was a phenomenal experience!

I’m currently working on two final pieces for two different clients. I’m still working on the style guide for the Newsletter and I’m working on the AFR Course Poster and Brochure. I’m working diligently to finish all I have as soon as possible, but I know that good design should never be rushed. I’m pretty happy with the finished work I’ve completed, however I humbly accept the opportunity to make room for improvement. 

My plan for the summer is to land a BTTIP internship in order to continue to grow as a designer. My hope is to go get hired as a full-timer. Also, I plan to do a lot of photography, I already have some neighborhood clients in line for photoshoots. More importantly I plan to work on developing my own design style using typography and photography. By the time the Fall semester comes around I should have some work ready for my Portfolio class.

Thank you all!

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My presentation on the Newsletter at the Research Conference. (Click Image for direct post)