With every passing semester my skills as a designer are tested and improved. The level of challenge from every assignment is higher than the one before, and they each invite me to approach them in various ways. I have learned to ask more of myself than I did in the beginning, whether it be by creating more iterations, or pushing myself further with more complex designs. I am confident in the skills I have acquired so far, but I am positive that I have yet a lot more to learn, and I am eager to do so.
The Sensory Map is one of the most visually interesting pieces I have completed. Creating vector images that would illustrate the reaction of the 5 senses was a complicated challenge, but my newly acquired skills with the pen tool made it possible. I tend to create rough sketches of what I would like my piece to look like, but for this piece I dumped the original design and polished what started off as a doodle for a personal project drawing inspiration from the art of the 60’s. The style of the man and colorful illustrations add to the vibrant vibe of the 60’s.
Another piece in which I used a new technique to my advantage was the Weather Report. This video gave me so much more experience in the After Effects program. With it I learned fundamental techniques such as adding a motion blur, fading with the opacity, or creating Trik mats to create the distinct weather patterns of the four cities. Although their are some craft issues that I had not detected, I feel that this colorful video has been one of the most rewarding exercises.