wrap it upppp

I came into this class thinking I knew a lot about design, but I had no idea. This class has opened me up to a whole new world of creating messages, telling stories, and selling something. I’m really happy this was a requirement; it has been by far my favorite class so far at SU. I am actually seriously debating whether or not to switch my major to graphics because of what I’ve learned this semester.

The world of graphic design is so much more involved than I ever imagined it would be. The people we learned about (and that ridiculous Helvetica video we watched) are so involved and interested in design—simply put, I never knew someone could be in love with typefaces. Graphic design has always been something that was always there, I didn’t have to think about why things looked the way they did—websites, magazines, ads, etc. seemed to work for my purposes and that is all I really cared about. Now, I can analyze everything and I understand why items are placed where they are and what specific purpose they serve (because there always is one).

I am really happy that I was able to learn Photoshop and Illustrator, although I feel like we just skimmed the surface of the programs in labs. Office hours and instruction in the beginning of class was much more helpful and everything was explained clearer. I came in with knowledge of InDesign, and I got much better at that as well. Overall, I feel that these skills are important to have because you don’t need to rely on anyone else to help you make an awesome project for a different class and you are even more marketable when it comes to the real world. I felt like labs were a waste of time, though, because they didn’t explain things very well. I realize the TAs are grad students and not professors, but it was just a hard environment to learn in.

Professor Hedges’ office hours, however, were SO SO SO helpful. I really liked office hours because although I paid attention in class, it was hard to apply concepts learned to my work. Hedges pointed out where I had already done that without noticing, and gave such good feedback about what didn’t work and why.

Overall, I really enjoyed this class this semester. The projects did take up some time, but I didn’t really notice because I enjoyed doing them so much. I wish that I could continue with this stuff because it’s really fun! Thanks for a great semester!