This first big project brought a lot of frustration and self doubt. But don’t worry, it ended well!
I was asked to research an organization I could potentially see myself working with in the future. I was suppose to learn as much as could about them so that I could eventually design a business card and letterhead for the organization. This process involved self-reflection, input from my fellow students and design research via Pinterest. This week specifically, I was asked to complete my designs and submit the final product.
I responded to this project by really studying SmartPak’s website and using my personal experience with them to create my overall vision. Once I began to execute the design, however, I was overwhelmed and could not believe how awful I was at design! I’m not sure why this was a surprise to me, as I don’t have much experience with design, but I wanted it to be easier than it proved to be. Eventually, through the help of peer criticism and a bit of an “aha moment” I was able to completely rethink my design and process. Ultimately, my final product ended up looking completely different than what I started with.
While I know that there is room for improvement, I am actually really happy with the final product. I was able to convey what I wanted to and I believe that it looks polished. I believe that my reaction was this way, because I was able to spend more time thinking about the design and the execution.
For future students: don’t get frustrated with your first design! Give yourself a chance to play around. If you need to, sketch out the ideas in your head and don’t be afraid to find free fonts online to experiment with.
