Lenny Cruz is is a design student at New York College of Technology. Lenny has always had a passion for art. He was first introduced to art in High School when he took a graphic design and video production class as a sophmore. Two years later, Lenny chose to major in COMD at City Tech where he saw this as an opportunity to follow his passion for art. Lenny’s interest in design has been growing every year. At City Tech, Lenny has been learning about the power of design. A power that he intends to use to influence and bring awareness to the people in his community. Lenny wants to change the way people see things such as nature, and products in their communities, especially in Brooklyn.
What is your avatar? How does it represent you?
My Avatar is an abstract picture of a tree. I chose a tree as my avatar because trees symbolize growth and transformation. I chose this picture because I like how the leaves have a higher contrast than the rest of the picture and create an illumination that makes it look like the tree is on. When I think of trees, I think of regrowth. If you cut a tree in half it will regrow back to how it was before. I want my avatar to remind me every time that I look at it that it does not matter if I have to start again, I can always get back to how I was or even better. If I were to use this logo to represent me, It would represent me as an artist that loves to alter images using Photoshop by changing the arrangement of opposite elements, light and dark colors, rough vs. smooth textures.
What are your expectations of being a COMD major in your first year?
In my first year of college being part of a COMD major, I expect to meet as many people as I can that share the same interests as me. I want to have connections and I want to build friendships that will last for longer than college personal connections are always important. As a college freshman being part of a COMD major I also expect to find a class that will help me choose a career in Communication Design such as Graphic Design, Illustrator, advertising design, photography, etc… I also want to learn how to manage my time. I want to be able to study, do homework and spend time with family and friends which is something I need to master.
Can you see yourself doing anything else?
To be honest, I don’t think I see myself doing anything else other than design. As much as I love playing basketball I am not tall enough to play as a professional. I see myself as a graphic designer in the future but what I do as a designer might change. Right now my plan is to learn as much as I can about principles of designing so that I choose the right career as I designer. I never had any plans on becoming anything else than a graphic designer but after being part of the COMD program I have learned that there are many good careers in the design field. As of now, I am interested in graphic design and advertising and I want to continue developing my design skills.
What is your dream job in the field of design?
Because of my passion for designing, my dream job in the design field would be graphic designing My goal is to start working for a big company, I prefer to work for a gaming company like Rockstar Games, Activision, Epic Games, EA or Ubisoft. Those are companies that I admire because they have made games that I have played throughout my childhood and teenage year. I love working with programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. To me, a dream job is a job that lets me use my creativity to do something that I love, which is designing. I want to collaborate with other people that have the same passion for design as me. I started working with Photoshop in high school when I was a sophomore. I took 2 years of graphic designing and video production class which made me realize how powerful art is. In those 2 years, I learned that art is one of the best ways to express ourselves and to help others. That is why my dream job is to become a graphic designer; I want to have the power to heal, influence, bring awareness to my community and to the world.
Who is your role model in the design field?
I have always idolized designers like Virgil Abloh, an artist, architect, engineer, creative director, and designer who is currently the Founder and CEO of Off-White and the Artistic Director of men’s wear at Louis Vuitton. Virgil Abloh is the world’s most influential designer and has had a lot of impact on the way people dress today. Like Virgil Abloh, I want to use the power of design to influence and bring awareness to people around the world, starting with my city, Brooklyn. I have always loved nature and It saddens me when I think about the problems that humans are causing to animals and trees. I would like to use my designing skills to bring awareness about global warming and other issues. Using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator is a good way to edit pictures and create images that grab people’s attention.
