When asked to give my definition of graphic design, I have two answers. The first is textbook, it is the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content. Graphic Design solutions can manifest in the form of physical or virtual items, the results are truly endless. My second answer is more personal. Graphic Design has always had a constant presence in my life. While choosing it as my career path wasn始t clear until much later in my life, it almost seems like it was inevitable. My parents like to tell me that they always knew I would be artistic, they claimed that before I was born they printed my name in different typefaces and hung them on the wall to make sure it would look good in print for the future. They both attended art school, my mother studied Graphic Design and my father Advertising. Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by some type of art or design. They dragged me to local art shows and museums whenever they had the chance, and like most little kids I had a mild interest in this. They pushed me just as hard in my art classes as they did in my main academic classes all through my school years. While all of this seemed totally normal to me, I didn始t realize that not everyone had this much support to be in the arts. Eventually it was time to start high school, and like many of my peers I was under a tremendous amount of stress. I had never been a bad student, but suddenly I found myself struggling in most of my classes. It felt like no one was having as hard of a time as me. On top of that I had a huge chip on my shoulder, my older brother was brilliant at everything he did. I was envious of his book-smarts, I wondered what it would feel like to be in his brain and just understand what was handed to me. Nothing I studied made me happy, I was completely unattached to the things I was being asked to do.I truly felt like I was useless. I began to notice the only part of my day I enjoyed were my art classes. It was the only time I received the type of attention and praise I envied of my brother. I finally felt like I was good at something, I loved to create. During my junior year of high school, my light finally turned on and I decided that I could make something of this interest.
I had always loved to create and reimagine
During my time at SCAD, I felt like I was
how things could look but I never put two
finally able to be the kind of student I wanted
and two together that I could make a career
to be through my Graphic Design work.
of my hobby. I told my parents that I wanted to pursue a degree in graphic design and
I was open and eager to learn and absorb.
they were beyond supportive. I still cannot
And since my first Intro to Graphics class
believe how lucky I am to have them
I始ve maintained that passion and enthusi-
supporting and believing in me.
asm. I始m attached to my field, I live it and breathe it. While I didn始t always know it,
While I was thrilled that I had now figured
Graphic Design empowered me. It gave
out what I wanted to do with my life, this
me an opportunity to be a star student like
was also a tough time for my father and
my brother, it excited me and gave me a
me. My dad helped me put together my
new outlook on life and how I see things,
portfolio. He is an art director so his input
and most importantly it rounded and tough-
really helped me improve. However, he was
ened me as a person. It gave me the chance
incredibly stern with me. He told me during
to express my thoughts and ideas for people
the time that Iwas organizing myself to go to art school he wouldn始t be my father but he
to respond to.
would be my art director. His critiques were
To me, Graphic Design means growing up
brutal and it was hard for me at first. But I
and becoming the person I never thought
am eternally thankful for this. I learned to
I could be.
take criticism. No matter how harsh it was, I knew it was only because he wanted me to do better. The thick skin I developed working with him helped me when I arrived at SCAD, I knew how to cope and move on while many of my peers were experiencing this brutal truth for this first time.
When defining what graphic design methodologies are the answer is subjective. Every designer has his or her own method of approaching a design solution. Complex or simple, designers come up with different ways to tackle to tasks they are assigned. In terms of my personal methods for graphic design, Iʼm very research oriented. When I am given a design task I start off with doing tons of visual research. I do this to get inspired as well as seeing what else has been done. I want my work to be inspired but also original, so this step is integral to my design process. I like to look on sites like Behance or Tumblr as well as looking at magazines and books. I like to look at magazines like IDN or Lürzerʼs Archive.
After Iʼve collected my visual research, I like to organize it into a mood board. Having a mood board is important because it keeps you on track for what you want to accomplish visually for a task. Like many other designers, visuals sometimes distract
I often find inspiration in things that are not necessarily considered traditional graphic design. Often I like to look at contemporary
me. I can get off track if I donʼt define what I want to accomplish aesthetically, so I make sure to compile what I want on a moodboard.
art or conceptual art, it helps to see how artists express complex ideas visually. It is also important in terms of learning the use of color, visual hierarchy, and composition. I believe that while contemporary art and graphic design are very different fields, they both influence each other.
Next I like to sketch, by hand but also on the computer. I like to sketch how I will lay out my design. I find that this process is easier for me to do on the computer; there are lots of happy accidents that happen that sometimes improve my designs. I donʼt have that type of fluidity and freedom drawing by hand. So overall, I have many, detail oriented steps in terms of my own design methodologies. Many other designers may have similar rituals or maybe completely different ones, but overall the most important thing is to find a way that works best for you as a designer.
After creating my weather
exploration work on page
17, I created new textures
and patterns from the image
of that piece which can be
seen on page 18 and 19.
Geobet is a typeface I created on a grid created by the repetiton of one
parellelogram with slight manipulation. It is featured in this page 3-Dimensinally as well as in single color solid form.
In conclusion, the design
methodologies that I used today are
the result of a long, arduous journey.
There has been moments of discomfort,
but in the end my methods have made me
a stronger designer. This book serves as
a reflection of that journey.