Reflection on Last Class’s Advice

My “career” in design is fairly fresh; until I started at Newhouse six months ago, programs like Illustrator and InDesign were foreign to me. Because of my photography background, I knew a bit of Photoshop, but that was it. I was overwhelmed during summer boot camp when we started our graphic design class, and I came into our first day of class worried I would be so behind. It turned out that almost everyone was brand new to graphic design and Adobe CC, so our classroom turned into a positive, supportive place to learn. I discovered I really enjoyed design, which led me to take Publication Design this semester.

After reading the students’ takeaways from last year, these are the ones that stood out to me most and I hope to incorporate throughout my semester:

1. Know your shortcuts. During graphic design boot camp, this was a significant time saver. My professor and IA made a point to write the shortcuts on the board as we learned new ones, which was a major help. Although they have already helped me become more fluent in design programs, I’m looking forward to learning more this semester.
2. Move on. This is a challenge for me as a writer and person, too. Oftentimes, I’ll get so stuck on one piece that it’s challenging for me to move on. This piece of advice really resonated with me because I hope that this class will not only push me as a fledgling designer, but I also hope that it also teaches me life skills, like working around problems and not getting so stuck on one part.
3. Sketch things out. Unfortunately, I am 100% aware that this was my least favorite part of graphic design over the summer – I definitely cannot lie about that. But looking back, it was also one of the most helpful. Even though it was time consuming and made me realize how poor of a sketch artist I am, it really did help me plan out what I was thinking in my head so I wouldn’t become overwhelmed when it was finally time to put those ideas into the design program.

This class will certainly push me to new limits and present challenges, but I’m so excited to see what type of designer I can be and finally feel fluent with Adobe CC. I look forward to working with Prof. Strong and my peers this semester and being able to grow through their critiques.