Graphic Design Reflection

What'd I do this semester? Well...


I did some photoshop tutorials, which you can see here. 

Next, we made a post-card in Adobe Illustrator with a template of a raccoon. 

         This postcard was done on a 4" x 3" canvas with bleed. There wasn't too much to note here, but I'm proud of my theme with the raccoon inside of the present. The whole shebang took about two weeks to get done, if I remember correctly. I learned how to use a few illustrator tools via making the raccoon. I also learned how to use live trace. One challenge I faced was compiling everything together in a format that could be printed. I did not receive very much feedback. I changed the font around a bit throughout, though I'm still not too content with it.

Third, we did a vectorized self-portrait in Illustrator.

        I never made a blog post about this, but I took a picture of myself and turned it into a vectorized self-portrait by using the pen tool in adobe illustrator. I'm honestly not a huge fan of this one, it could've used a bit more definition in the face. It looks kinda low-quality. It took a couple of days to complete.

Next, we made 11" x 7" infographics.

        The project was to create an 11" x 7" infographic about a subject we enjoy. I did mine on a timeline of music throughout the 1900s, and while I got it done late, I'm moderately proud of my work. The project took a couple of weeks give or take, with some crunch time afterwards to get everything done.  Most of the more complex stuff, like the treble clef and the fun facts at the bottom, were made using live trace. That tool is a lifesaver. I think it could've used more color for sure, but I don't have many complaints otherwise. Because I finished this project later than I should've, I didn't receive any feedback. 

Then, I took a detour.

This project was mostly done using free time in other classes, but it's kind of graphic design. I used tips from this CRT screen effect tutorial to do the CRT lines, though I didn't curve the image as the tutorial said to. The slogan on the design, "Abolish Video Games" was taken word-for-word from a fearmongering piece on some blog pretending to be a news site back in November. I thought it was a pretty comical phrase, and it got to be a running joke among some friends of mine, so I made the design because a few of them showed interest in having that as a shirt. However, I never got any response the later few times I brought it up, so for now, the image is shelved. This one was done in 16:9 aspect ratio, though I suppose it could really be any size as long as the grid is intact. I'm proud of my work on this one, and kind of sad it never came to anything.
Most recently, I made a slideshow over Swiss Design, or New International Typeface.
       This project was a bit more than I bargained for. While it took less time, it definitely took much better time management. We had four days to make the slideshow and two to research. The slides had to be done in the design style we were researching, so I tried my best to make mine fit the theme of Swiss Design. Most of the slideshow is meant to be accompanied by someone who knows what they're saying, rather than just a guy who reads off the slides. While I originally intended to have 7 designs total, only five slides were made, which I'm kind of sad about.

Here are the slides. If I could fix one thing, I'd add a bit more pizzazz to the minimalism slide, ironic as that is. I like my color scheme, since it is swiss design, and the plus motif as well. Keeping one consistent scheme throughout the whole thing was a good decision. Initially, the Grid System and Sans-Serif fonts slides were different. For this powerpoint, I used univers light, a notable font in the movement.

TIME MANAGEMENT

I'll be the first to admit I'm not awesome at time management. I did my share of fiddling around during this semester, but for most of the time, I really was working. If I were to point at one example and say, "I'm not wasting my time after I do my work", I'd point to that "Abolish Video Games" graphic. While I don't have a copy of the Adobe Creative suite to do anything from home, I have done some work at home. 

AREAS OF STRENGTH AS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER

• I don't constantly ask for help or directions.
• I work relatively fast.
• I'm reasonably precise in Illustrator (lining things up perfectly in that darn program puts the "fun" in "frustrating", let me tell you).
• My work is, more often than not, on time.
• I'm not difficult to work with by any means.

AREAS OF STRUGGLE AS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER

• I don't use my time very wisely sometimes.
• I'm afraid of criticism and, as such, improving my work is slow going.
• I'm easily distracted and staying focused is sometimes an issue.
• Sometimes I just get absolutely stumped but my ego stops me from asking for help.

CONCLUSION
        The most fun I had this semester was when I messed around with the photoshop tutorials after I finished them (on a separate layer, of course). If I could change anything, I'd likely put a bit more effort into my Behance. That thing's dead, Jim. Next semester, I'd like to get all of my work in on time. Ultimately, I think this semester was beneficial to me.