At the beginning of the year, I knew that I wanted to build on work from the previous year and improve several skills sets. One aim I had in mind was to build a portfolio of work that would impress graphic design agencies or work in my favour as a freelance designer. In order for me to decide which direction to take my practice, I attended the freelancers' summer workshop to learn more about life as a freelancer. Although the workshop did provide me with this information, it also provided the opportunity to improve my presentation skills and how to manage the financial side of a career.
Having done this prior to the academic year, I felt that this would allow me to redirect the work I was creating in order for my practice to meet the industry expected standard. What I found instead was exactly where my passions for graphic design lie. The first project of the year, in which we were placed in groups and assigned the task of 'telling a lie convincingly', was where my passion for collaboration began. I think that this project prompted me to try collaboration later in the year, and so I did when Creative Convos was assigned as a potential collaborative brief.
Working closely with a friend who had collaborated with me in the past, meant we were able to work efficiently and productively when coming up with a concept. After presenting this concept, we had been chosen to manage a team of other volunteers and develop the concept further. I feel that Creative Convos was one of my favourite briefs as it gave me the opportunity to take control of the project management and oversee the process of developing ideas. Assigning roles between the group allowed for everyone to make use of their creative specialties and furthermore, made the outcome more professional.
In addition to Creative Convos, the collaboration with MassArt Students proved to be the best decision I made all year. This was because, I not only involved myself further with collaborative practice but also learnt more about editorial and publication design. Communicating ideas with one another and contributing to a group was one thing I found interesting and valuable to my practice, as this inspired me to work longer hours and take interest in more contemporary design.
I think that the independence we were given throughout the year, made the time on the course more enjoyable. This was due to the fact I was able to consider the work I enjoyed and tailor my portfolio to an intended audience by the end of the year. After experimenting with various formats, both physically and digitally, I found that design for commercial sports was one thing I particularly enjoyed. This also meant I would be considering new formats to work in, in the near future. For example, after wire-framing the '1ToWatch' app concept, I felt as though UX design could have improved the idea and put it into context as a visually functioning application.
Overall, the module has allowed me to understand myself as a designer and where my career is likely to go in the next few months. It also gave me the opportunity to find out more about the projects I enjoy doing and becoming more involved with collaborative briefs. In conclusion, I feel that the skill set built up over the last 3 years has provided me with the confidence to know exactly what my practice is, how I want to work and how I convey this to others.
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