Reflection 1

6 February 2018

Reflection 1

Graphic design is expressive. It is a combination of many things, not just text and imagery. It combines color, hierarchy, contrast, balance, and much more. I like to think of graphic design as a means of creating something new, something different, and something that stops people in their tracks and resonates with them. In graphic design, you are always learning and growing as an artist, whether it is on your own or through others.

Reflecting on lecture 1, and after watching Pixar’s Oscar award-winning short animated film Piper, I learned that as a graphic designer there are going to be challenges along the way. There will be times where you are confronted with an obstacle that you must overcome even if it is out of your comfort zone. It is nerve-wracking thinking about stepping into the unknown, but you won’t know until you try. Things might not be that scary. To me, having that mentality is important in becoming a graphic designer.

After watching Sunni Brown’s TED talk, Doodlers, unite! I did not feel alone on the subject. Her definition of doodling is, “to make spontaneous marks to help yourself think”. Doodling reinforces four learning styles. They are visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic. I could not agree more. I believe doodling should be further encouraged not just for kids but for adults too. When she mentioned the horror stories about teachers scolding their students for doodling in classrooms, it took me back. From middle school to high school, I have been told that I was not paying attention or focused in class based on my lack of notes compared to the many doodles and sketches I had. I am glad that doodling is a topic being reevaluated as a positive form of thinking and a form of processing information.

The second half of the class was informative. Everyone had to come up with questions we had about the course, the field of graphic design, anything of concern. Most of the class had similar questions in regards to the do’s and don’ts at a job interview, networking, and portfolios. It was interesting to hear the thoughts and concerns my fellow classmates had about the next step after college, the real world.

When people ask me what my dream job is, my answer is always the same, which is to become an in-house graphic designer for Nike. I know it seems like a long shot and a difficult goal to reach, but I believe I can get there. I believe my work and passion for design can get me to that point. I look forward to learning a lot from this course and hope it prepares me a step further to my dream job.