As a student at Saint Edwards University, I feel like my designing has grown so much in just a year. Previous to this yea
r, I was attending ACC and doing some freelance work on the side for small projects. When I take a step back and look at the difference in my work I see a huge change in my understanding of design concepts, and the cleanliness in my design. The pen tool has become my best friend and I am a lot more confident in all of the adobe programs and not just one. Not only has my designing on the com
puter improved, but also my drawing skills as well as my photo taking skills have grown just from 2 semesters at Saint Edwards. When I look at my photos now compared to the past they are just much cleaner and more detail oriented. This is a skill I learned in my Visual Studies class last semester.
One thing that has really pushed me out of my comfort zone at St. Edwards is the critiques. Receiving critiques from my peers as well as offering critiques, has taken away the safety net of
hearing a teacher tell you what to do and change. In our critiques we are forced to speak up, and give our opinions as well as sit back and listen to what people actually think about your work. Sometimes those answers hurt, sometimes people will tell you they don’t like your favorite part of your project, the tough part is deciding whether you go for it, work yourself to the bone to make people like that 
part, or you scrap it. That has been a huge learning experience for me.
The pieces I have chosen
for my sophomore portfolio review are, my favorite picture from the process work project, which is one of my favorite pictures I have taken to date. Next I will include my monogram that I rendered from shapes, and lastly, my very first graphic design project from Austin Community College. The growth between my first project and what I am capable of now, really amazes me. I am thankful for all I am learning, and I can’t wait to continue to grow my knowledge in the graphic deign field.
