At 3 hours per day, starting from the beginning of the semester until now, I should have 312 expert hours. From what I annotated on the calendar spread, I currently have 141.5 expert hours. This amount is merely half of my target, but this is without counting hours I forgot to record such as working on projects throughout the week. However, even with those hours, the current amount of expert hours I have is a fairly accurate estimate. As for expert experiences, I attended a Wacom tablet workshop and I feel it is a tool I can be able to use for future projects. I also know how to use AfterEffects now and have used the 3D effects, such as in this video I have created for Image Methodology. I also know how to prepare vector files for vinyl cutting.
My social and emotional development is mature. I recognize that my growth as a designer, or simply as a person, is solely up to me. I am the only one that can decide if I want to stay stuck in the same level of knowledge or improve by building upon the knowledge I acquire. This also means that I have to accept that there are other people who are much better than I am, such as my peers, but they do not discourage me. On the contrary, they are someone to look up to and if they are willing to share that knowledge, it is something I could take advantage of.
The sophistication of my work is high. I put hard work and effort into what I do that I would not be embarrassed to show it to other people. I feel my work speaks of me therefore I must make it speak well of me. The greatest example for this would be my final decision map, which is displayed in the following section. A work that was done almost entirely by me, from the flow to icons with the exception of the font, I believe the final outcome is something that can be pinned on Pinterest.
Feedback to me is meaningful. It has allowed me to see where it is that I need improvement and generally that is what has helped me grow as a designer. This can be seen in the second and third maps we created for class. For the second map, which was the graphing map, my first draft ended up looking like this:
First draft of graphing map
After being critiques by one of my peers and having taken her advice, I applied that to my final graph map. The result was a much cleaner outcome.
Final graph map
This too occurred with my cognitive thinking map. The first draft seemed incomplete due to lack of visual variation, such as colors. Also, I was critiques over its “blocky” feel.
First draft with pencil markings for changes
The person critiquing my work gave me advice on how to improve the lines connecting the questions to the answers. His critique allowed me to improve from the first draft to the final draft, which I consider one of the outcomes I am the most proud of.
Final decision map
The level at which I challenge myself is intense. For example, the first map we created in class had to include data through chloroplyth.
For my map, I proposed to map the lamp posts around campus to show the amount of light within an area at night. In order to do that, I had to count lamp post by lamp post, measure the cast of light, and record it on my map. Though I did not finish adding all of the lamp posts to the map, even though the map was already due, my personal next step for this map is to keep working and continue adding the lamp posts I am missing. After that, a possible next step would be turning it into an interactive map in which people can carry on their phone and update it to see if it is accurate at the time, in case a lamp post is not working or removed. Also, I just recently learned the basics of Adobe After Effects and learned about the 3D tools such as projection mapping. That is a skill I am looking forward to learn.
Because this class heavily depends on critiques, my contribution to the climate is warm. I, just like everyone in the class, has something to contribute to the table. My presence and contribution to the class is imperative for the benefit of the class. Like I said before, I find critique to be extremely important and it is what has helped me recognize areas of improvement. If I were to not contribute to the class, I would be denying someone of this step towards growth.
Though I do not spend the same amount of hours practicing everyday, the use of my practice time is consistent. I can say that even if I practice half an hour or two hours, I always make progress by learning something new and applying it to my work. Therefore no time is misused.
After taking this class, I will feel guilty if I do not create my own icons and images for my own work. All of my work throughout the semester has entirely been made by me, of course with the exception of fonts. The class also reinforced the importance of constructive criticism and it is something that I will always look forwards to in future classes for future projects. Therefore, because of the progress I have made in my work, I give myself an A.