Looking back at my previous hopes, fears and opportunities I have mentioned at the beginning that I was worried about not having enough time with the tutors for my final year. I think at the time this was a big issue for me and I wanted to know that in my head my final major project was going to be created to the best of my ability and look as professional as it possibly could. This is no longer an issue, or should I say it is no longer an issue anymore. As Lisa Baines and I have worked together on two big projects this semester I am confident with what I need to be doing next at all times.
Working with Lisa has made me realise that I don’t need the tutors help to understand how to execute a final idea. If they aren’t around I’d just find somebody in my class that knows, and there is a guarantee that most of the time somebody did. I have learnt to have a lot of patience whilst on this course. Mostly of having to go back to the drawing board because something is never a masterpiece, it can keep adding and adding to something to make it 10 times better than what it originally was. I know that when James said this to us in our first and second year I did not really understand what he meant, but now I do. I understand now that constructive criticism has made me a different person, this may perhaps sound funny but a lot thicker skinned than I used to be. I am able to take it on the chin a lot more and not get annoyed or upset about it but I am able to go back to the drawing board and start again, not so much now in my final year but in my second year this happened a lot and used to frustrate me a little. Yet as I say realising where you are going wrong the first time and having someone tell you how to better yourself sticks in your mind for the next time you go to create a piece of work.
I have immensely enjoyed working with Lisa as we can get together and bounce ideas off each other. We are now in the process of looking at perhaps making a joint portfolio and attempting to get a job together. As we are more ideas based I have now found the area of graphics that I want to go in to which is advertisement to do with re-branding and product design. I like thinking of exciting ideas and I think it is one of my strengths that I could offer to a team of designers. I have really enjoyed my final year at Stockport College. Since Christmas I feel as though something has clicked. I have gained more knowledge about skills on the Mac suite, I have more confidence to be able to contact agencies for portfolio visits and perhaps even placements after building a relationship. I know which agencies to go for which would suit me and not just because it’s there and available, and I am happy about the new pieces of work I have to show to people/ agencies in my portfolio.
That was one of the things I put down as wanting to do before I left University – having more professional work to put in to my portfolio. I used to be quite embarrassed at taking my portfolio to visits as it always seemed to be my first year work that I was going over and over again. Yet now, there is such a wide range of different aspects of graphic design in it that I feel happy and confident as I have already said about attempting to sell myself to the graphic industry.
Overall, I have really enjoyed the fact that this year I have really been able to knuckle down at meeting new contacts not just in the UK but Berlin too. At the time yes there was a bit of a language barrier but it was great to see how different others people’s work can be to your own. I am always going to attempt to arrange visits overseas if I ever plan to go to a different country. If not a contact then an experience is always good to have. I have enjoyed working with the people in my class also as it is intriguing to see what people come out with next as every individual is so different in their own unique ways. I have also taken a liking to photography, which I am thinking about pursuing once I have graduated from the graphic design course.
I see now that there are so many different directions, pathways and opportunities that lie ahead for me and I just can’t wait to explore them. I really do thank the tutors and the people that I have met along the way that have given me the confidence to go out and do it for myself because without that I wouldn’t have that sense of urgency to keep trying and to never, never, never give up. When June 22nd comes around I think that reality will hit me and I will be upset because I will miss everybody I have connected with within the past three years but I see it as a huge stepping stone now and I’m excited ready to do it.
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