OBLVS

Four years of design.

I wish that I had not been spoiled by freelance design. Though it has been a blessing, I feel like I’ve treated every design project at school with the same urgency of a client asking for work and that’s not really the best thing for a budding designer. Freelance work is fast and more about solutions than explorations. Explorations is what you do in school, which I think is what I missed out on just a little bit. I never realized the real meaning of this and how it would affect the way I practice design at school until now that school is nearing its end.

So, with that said… what have I learned? What am I to take out of the four years of graphic design? (PS. This might be obvious but God knows I need to remind myself of these things in the middle of the craziness).

1. Typography matters. It is the bread and butter of graphic design. Study it, practice it, live it, breathe it. This is what separates a graphic designer from someone who just knows photoshop.

2. Design with purpose. Don’t design for the sake of design. Make things beautiful but make things purposely. Why is the salt packet blue? Without any reason, it may as well be green, black, pink… This is what separates a graphic designer from an artist (oh you know what I mean, they say it’s design not art ;D).

3. Design honestly. This probably ties in with the previous designing with purpose. I don’t really know how to explain this but there’s something simple and beautiful with honesty. It’s designing without the extra fluff - almost like framing the product as it is. I don’t know I wish I could explain this better but this is probably what will separate a graphic designer from an advertiser.

4. Look around, see things, feel things and do things first hand. Observe and be watchful. Be relevant.

5. Always try to think 180º. This will definitely expand possibilities and can be a way to avoid clichés. I think this can apply to daily life and not just design.

6. HOW CAN I FORGET: be clever, be funny and don’t take things too seriously. HAVE SOME FUN.

OYVEY. It is almost over.