Part 1: Comments on upperclassmen presentations.

  • Faith: Faith’s presentation was great. Her pictures were wonderful to look at, the layout and design of her website was very impressive, and her presentation with the class was very informative. In visual studies, many of us are pursuing an abstract manner of communicating ideas. Whether it be through pictures, typography, design, drawings, paintings, or even video games, we are all seeking to relay something to those who are kind enough to give us a look. It was easy to see how much passion Faith puts into her work and hearing about her aspirations, and the struggle she faces with how to pursue or even if she should pursue it, was very relatable.
  • Mary: Mary was very interesting to see how her creativity and her personal interests came together in her work. The font she designed herself was really cool and hearing about her experiences doing work for small companies and building her own portfolio was very informative. Hearing about how she developed and refined her talents here at St. Edward’s was very reassuring. As a 24 year old still working on my sophomore year in college, I’d be lying if I said I don’t often wonder if what I’m doing and what I learn here at school will be enough to jump start my career the way I want. Nobody wants to find themselves at age 30 and still wondering if they can turn their passion into a legitimate career choice.
  • Diana: Admittedly, Diana’s presentation felt a little disorganized. She was very nervous and it was hard to overlook that throughout her talk. However, hearing her story about how she is a first generation college student, her passion for the idea of teaching kids about art, and the way she’s grown to become more comfortable with her work as an artist was all very impactful. By the end of her presentation, it was hard to not root for her and her aspirations and I regret not having more questions to ask her. Although she didn’t get much interaction from the class, I hope she understands what a treat it was to watch her presentation. Still, she definitely needs a great website to show off her great work and help convey her story a little better.
  • John & Omar: As an IGST major, these two were the ones whose presentation I was looking forward to the most. Both of them seemed like great, fun individuals, but I have to admit I was a little disappointed. It should be said, however, that I may have expected too much from them. Game development as a major is still a very new thing in this country and it can be difficult to assess the quality of the education a student will receive in pursuing this line of work. I also understand that the IGST major is relatively new at St Edward’s and is still changing. I was hoping to get a better sense of what this major is like over a several year period and how prepared they feel they are for pursuing jobs in such a competitive industry with less-than-desirable labor practices. I was also hoping to gain more insight on why the IGST major doesn’t seem to have much of a community in comparison to other Visual Studies majors here at St. Edward’s. Still, it was great to see the projects they’ve been working on and it felt reassuring to see some of the skills they had picked up in their education here, such as learning how to use the Unreal engine to make their games.

Part 2: Websites with admirable designs.

  1. Cognition by Happy Cog
    I love the distinct, yet simple design of this web page. It strikes a great balance of space without feeling empty. The content on each page is well managed so that the content doesn’t appear meager, nor does the user feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to click or keep their eyes focused. The texture of the backdrop on the page is also really great; so much better than just plain white space, devoid of any personality.
  2. Bahston Critic
    Very unique feel. I love how the page immediately establishes an identity and a sense of what to expect from the critic.
  3. Help Scout
    Does a great  job of managing a lot of content. The page feels like a colorful gallery of nifty little art. Easy to navigate and has a lot of personality. I like web pages that can create a feel without mismanaging content organization.
  4. 500PX ISO
    It’s amazing how great a site can look with simple design and some really awesome pictures. The site looks very clean and makes it easy for the viewer to absorb information, while also making excellent use of some eye-catching photography.