I have grown a lot as a designer since I started school at St. Edward’s University. When I started the design program here I didn’t know how to use any Adobe programs besides Photoshop. So far I have learned how to create designs using four different programs. Beyond the technical skills I’ve acquired I have also gained a lot of valuable knowledge during my time here. My favorite assignments were the ones that made me think beyond just making an attractive product. In chronological order, the projects that changed me the most as a designer are as follows:

The Symbol Project pushed me to think abstractly. It made me think about how society creates meaning for meaningless things, like symbols.This project taught me to think more abstractly. Things like coffee and alarm clocks can easily be represented visually but a concept like “waking up” is much more abstract. This project also made me refine my Adobe Illustrator skills. I barely even knew how to use the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator when I started this project, let alone create images of things. Also, our symbols were later printed out with a vinyl cutter so in order for them to print correctly every shape had to be clean and made correctly. While I was making this project I hated it because I struggled so much but looking back I am glad I did it because it taught me so much.

The Information Map taught me how to sift through, sort and organize information. We were given a huge file of every grocery store transaction someone made in a year and were told to present whatever information we found interesting. Having to sift through that data taught me the value of all the work that comes before an actual design. So much of the design process is about what comes before creating the design. I also got to practice my symbol making skills because I created so many symbols for the food groups.

The Interface Project made me think beyond my design and may impact my future career path. This assignment was to create a text editing app for a phone. I made one for people who need to create professional-looking final drafts on the go. I named my app Final Word. This assignment made me think not just about the visual appeal of my design but also human psychology. The quality of an app depends on how a user will naturally respond to it. I learned how to make paper prototypes and tested them on all my friends and family. Seeing how they reacted to just the slightest changes in my designs was fascinating to me. This assignment also taught me how to use a style guide. We had used a style guide for another project but this style guide was more specific as to how we designed our work. This is an important skill for any designer seeking to work for a large company. This project has made me consider pursuing a career in app design because I enjoyed it so much and learned a lot.