10 things...

Graphic Design is my passion. I realise that I need to learn how to become a designer who is confident with their work and proud of the result achieved. I am excited and chuffed to be a Leeds Art student and am determined to give my best this year and take on board all the comments from staff and fellow students.

10 things I wish to achieve this year in relation to the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course are...

1. Printmaking -
   I am extremely interested in Printmaking. At the minute, my dream Graphics Career would be to be involved in a Creative Journal such as Creative Review or Eye. I would love to learn how to produce my own versions of these and experiment with different printing methods/papers/letterpress/emboss.
   
   
2. AV -
   Audio Visual is one of my weak points currently. Stop motion animation has always interested me and I would be really keen to produce my own short film/advertisement. The process is alien to me and I would welcome to opportunity to learn more about the video world.
   
   
3. Method -
   My working method is pretty rubbish at the moment... I get a brief and I start cracking with it. Once I feel I have an alright idea, I just go with it. By the end of the year I want to be able to realise I need to explore my ideas further before I rush straight into a shoddy design and be able to confidently say why one idea is better than another.
   
   
4. Exhibitions -
   Leeds is a great city, and I have already been to an Art GAllery. Even though I wasn't too keen on most of the Art in there, it gave me an idea of what design I don't like. I believe this is just as important as knowing what you do like. Hopefully by attending more exhibitions and talk by industry professionals I can gain a better understanding of the designer I want to become.
   
   
5. Like/Dislike -
   Currently I like and dislike some designs, but I cannot communicate why. I wish to improve this and understand why I like some images/typefaces better than others to aid my personal development.
   
   
6. Team Player -
   I am used to working on a project on my own and discussing my designs with a team of people. Working as a team will be a whole new concept, and I believe a particularly hard one for me. I really hope to improve my team skills and produce designs that I am happy with and have had equal input.
   
   
7. Software -
   InDesign is currently my programme of choice. I have used it for around 18 months now pretty much everyday and I am comfortable with it. I need to realise that not every brief will fit into a leaflet/poster/editorial. I must branch out and experiment more with new softwares. I would really like to learn Dreamweaver as the internet is so accessible, it would be a great tool to have that knowledge.
   
   
8. Critical -
   Constructive criticism is always welcome. I must learn how to be critical of my own work, but not just "Ew, I don't like that" and to be more questioning why I don't like something and give a reason so I know what the actual problem is.
   
   
9. Boundaries -
   Push to boundaries, think outside the box, the world is not just black and white... By second year I really would like to be able to be more experimental. I don't want to leave Leeds Art with just a basic knowledge and a boring portfolio. I am a creative person, so I hope to let me creativity free!
   
   
10. Mistakes -
    A big part of the first year of this course is making mistakes. I must not try and get everything perfect... but to try new things and be a bit more daring... this is bound to result in mistakes. I will not be afraid of mistakes, but I will welcome them and learn from them.