Reflections from the Last Generation of Publication Design’s Lessons Learned

“You’re about to have the best semester of your college career!” Or so says the first student from the 2017 Publication Design bunch. I think they might be right.

After reading last year’s group reflections, I am even more excited for this semester. As a graduate student, I’m finally able to take several courses that I actually want to take and aren’t required. I don’t really like to call myself an artsy person but I can draw a little bit, I like crafty stuff, and I think I have an eye for design. I have some experience with graphic design, but I’ve mostly just designed for fun. I like graphic design because it never feels like work. Which brings me to my first impression from the lessons last year’s group learned…

Passion

None of the students directly spoke about passion but it showed through their words about how much they enjoyed the course and their lessons learned.  I think passion is important in this course because we will be working on the same publication all semester. Losing interest is not an option, otherwise the semester will drag by slowly. The past students’ passion is also inspiring and makes me want to get started right away.

“Make sure it’s something you’re proud of.”

This line stuck in my mind for several reasons. Without being so blunt, it’s telling of how much effort is required. Several of the past students commented on how the first draft is not your final draft and to edit and edit and edit some more. I want to create something I am proud to show to a future employer. Similarly, other students said designing takes longer than one might think. This resonated with me because I can recall late hours of design work in GRA 617 during bootcamp.

Exploration and Experimentation

Many students spoke about pushing yourself and teasing out those bizarre ideas that might come to mind. My favorite designs are very simple so pushing myself to create out-of-the-box designs will be hard for me. However, I’m up for the challenge!