From the moment I decided to major in graphic design, I knew that wanted to excel in more than one area. I wanted to be a master of every program in the Adobe Creative Suite and have a style that was completely fresh. However as the semesters passed by and the work got more complex, I realized that my initial aspirations were harder than I thought. Not only is developing a unique style a major challenge, but being equally good in all areas of design is probably even harder. That’s when it dawned on me that I could specialize in certain areas of design and try to master that specific area. I also soon realized almost every design has some sort of outside influence. That isn’t to say that these designs aren’t original, but like the legendary Paul Rand once said: “Don’t try to be original. Just try to be good”.

When I first started school years ago I didn’t have half the knowledge that I have now in regards to not only design principles, but also the industry. Today I can say that I would probably fit best in a generalist studio and/or the branding field. I would fit into a design firm just on the strength of the sheer variety of media, projects, and staff. I feel like one of my strongest assets is my ability to work others and compromise for the greater good. As much I might like something that I designed, I try to be as open as possible to constructive criticism, especially from individuals with greater experience. The design firm also keeps things fresh since a designer can be working on at least 2-3 different projects daily. This also can keep a designer on their toes, always thinking of new ways to push the envelope.

In regards to the field of branding, I have found that I enjoy creating an identity from the ground up. Based on my experiences from past courses, I have always took pleasure in the process of branding, whether it was sketching the company’s logo to creating advertisements to even selecting typefaces. While branding is more than just creating a logo, the logos of most companies are usually very clean and simple. Since the designs I like to create are also clean and simple, designing a company’s logo is a treat for me although I understand that full creative control doesn’t come till much later for a designer, especially one that is fresh of school. Nevertheless, I feel good that I am no longer confused as to what aspect of the design world I want to pursue a career in.