Type of activity: Guest speaker
Points available: 5 points
Date: February 22, 2013
Location: Carnegie letterpress room, Drake University
Presenter: Matthew [last name withheld for confidentiality!]
Entry: This was an opportunity for faculty and students to watch Matthew critique existing Drake student work, to get an idea of his approach to critiques and observe how he handled the assessment of an assignment that he had no previous familiarity with. There were ten posters lined up on the wall, all responses to a recent assignment in one of the graphic design classes that involved an international poster competition based in Italy. Matthew had a chance to read the project brief, and then began the critique with an overview of his approach to poster design/assessment and a quick rundown of formal qualities he looks for. He then critiqued each poster individually, addressing in detail the two whose makers were present in the room. He made an effort to involve the audience in his critique as well, and fielded some questions from faculty members at the end.
Assessment: Again, this was included on the one-page survey documenting our impressions of the candidate and our assessment of his critiquing skills. Interestingly, this portion of his interaction with us involved him assessing us almost as much as we have been assessing him.
Conclusion: I found his critique to be pretty strong overall, considering he did not have any previous knowledge of the posters or their creators and considering the very limited time he had to work with. He was unafraid to be appropriately critical, but was constructive and thoughtful in his suggestions for improvement. He seems to have a good deal of background knowledge to draw from (for example, knowing the relative efficiency of nuclear vs. wind power) and had some good on-the-spot ideas for how certain posters might become more dynamic through scale shifts and hierarchy. Even though my work was not up for critique, I still found the session productive; I filed away a number of mental notes regarding future poster projects and overall I found much of his advice to be quite valuable--and as I mentioned in the presentation activity notes, it is always interesting to hear a fresh, outside perspective on our work from time to time.
Documentation: Again, see my notes from the presentation.
Friday, February 22, 2013
CANDIDATE STUDENT Q&A
Type of activity: Guest speaker
Points available: 5 points
Date: February 21, 2013
Location: FAC 304, Drake University
Presenter: Matthew [last name withheld for confidentiality!]
Entry: This session followed the candidate's presentation, and was an opportunity for students to get to know Matthew a little better in an informal, comfortable setting. All the department faculty left the room and we were able to chat freely with him about a variety of topics. We got a better idea of his personality and his sense of humor, and he had a few questions for us about Drake, Des Moines, and some ins-and-outs of the Design department. He asked us to tell him something about Drake that the faculty would never tell him, but clearly none of us are aware of any deep, dark secrets because all we offered was friendly squirrels and poor outdoor drainage!
Assessment: As with the presentation, each student audience member was asked to complete a one-page survey documenting our impressions of the candidate and our assessment of the question and answer session.
Conclusion: Matthew seems like an incredibly friendly and personable individual, and he related very easily to the group of students he was interacting with. He also brought in some physical materials for us to look at during this time, including some branding work and publications he designed, and I enjoyed having the chance to look closely and handle some of his actual work rather than seeing it all on-screen. It may have been helpful for Matthew to interact more with students he might actually be teaching (i.e. those who are not graduating in May!) but I hope it was productive and encouraging for him to speak with us anyway.
Documentation: See previous entry.
Points available: 5 points
Date: February 21, 2013
Location: FAC 304, Drake University
Presenter: Matthew [last name withheld for confidentiality!]
Entry: This session followed the candidate's presentation, and was an opportunity for students to get to know Matthew a little better in an informal, comfortable setting. All the department faculty left the room and we were able to chat freely with him about a variety of topics. We got a better idea of his personality and his sense of humor, and he had a few questions for us about Drake, Des Moines, and some ins-and-outs of the Design department. He asked us to tell him something about Drake that the faculty would never tell him, but clearly none of us are aware of any deep, dark secrets because all we offered was friendly squirrels and poor outdoor drainage!
Assessment: As with the presentation, each student audience member was asked to complete a one-page survey documenting our impressions of the candidate and our assessment of the question and answer session.
Conclusion: Matthew seems like an incredibly friendly and personable individual, and he related very easily to the group of students he was interacting with. He also brought in some physical materials for us to look at during this time, including some branding work and publications he designed, and I enjoyed having the chance to look closely and handle some of his actual work rather than seeing it all on-screen. It may have been helpful for Matthew to interact more with students he might actually be teaching (i.e. those who are not graduating in May!) but I hope it was productive and encouraging for him to speak with us anyway.
Documentation: See previous entry.
CANDIDATE PRESENTATION
Type of activity: Guest speaker
Points available: 5 points
Date: February 21, 2013
Location: FAC 304, Drake University
Presenter: Matthew [last name withheld for confidentiality!]
Entry: This was an hour-long presentation given to Drake Art & Design faculty and students by Matthew, a candidate for the currently-open Graphic Design instructor position. It was an opportunity for him to introduce himself to the department and showcase both his work and his approach to teaching design. The presentation was organized around topics that are important to graduating seniors, including advice for getting your name and work out into the wider world, tips on the job hunting and interview process, and how to keep yourself engaged and happy in a very competitive, demanding field. He was able to use examples of his own work and anecdotes from his experiences to both illustrate these points and give the audience a better feel for him as a person and a designer.
Assessment: Each student audience member was asked to complete a one-page survey documenting our impressions of the candidate and our assessment of his presentation. While all decision-making rests with the department faculty (and rightfully so!), I appreciate that they are interested in hearing students' feedback and involving us with the process of candidate selection. Even though I will not have the opportunity to take a class with the new professor, it is a great opportunity to watch a little bit of the hiring process and to hear a fresh voice discussing design education.
Conclusion: I took fairly copious notes during the presentation because I felt he had a lot of sound advice for us soon-to-be-graduates. I really appreciated his multidisciplinary approach to design and illustration and was inspired by his seamless integration of both into nearly all of his work (including his portfolio and self-promotional materials). Combining design and hand-worked illustration/construction is something I am greatly interested in, but I have not yet found a solid approach (or, perhaps, seized the right opportunities) to do so in my own work. His reminder that our personal identity system will be an evolving process, and that what we are stressing about this year will be a fleeting memory a year or a decade from now, was also a reassuring salve for my current second-semester-senior nerves! I think Matthew has a lot to bring to Drake if he is hired and I think he would be a good fit within the department, both personality-wise and with his design sensibilities.
Documentation: I neglected to take a picture of my completed survey, but here are some of the notes I took over the course of the presentation:
Points available: 5 points
Date: February 21, 2013
Location: FAC 304, Drake University
Presenter: Matthew [last name withheld for confidentiality!]
Entry: This was an hour-long presentation given to Drake Art & Design faculty and students by Matthew, a candidate for the currently-open Graphic Design instructor position. It was an opportunity for him to introduce himself to the department and showcase both his work and his approach to teaching design. The presentation was organized around topics that are important to graduating seniors, including advice for getting your name and work out into the wider world, tips on the job hunting and interview process, and how to keep yourself engaged and happy in a very competitive, demanding field. He was able to use examples of his own work and anecdotes from his experiences to both illustrate these points and give the audience a better feel for him as a person and a designer.
Assessment: Each student audience member was asked to complete a one-page survey documenting our impressions of the candidate and our assessment of his presentation. While all decision-making rests with the department faculty (and rightfully so!), I appreciate that they are interested in hearing students' feedback and involving us with the process of candidate selection. Even though I will not have the opportunity to take a class with the new professor, it is a great opportunity to watch a little bit of the hiring process and to hear a fresh voice discussing design education.
Conclusion: I took fairly copious notes during the presentation because I felt he had a lot of sound advice for us soon-to-be-graduates. I really appreciated his multidisciplinary approach to design and illustration and was inspired by his seamless integration of both into nearly all of his work (including his portfolio and self-promotional materials). Combining design and hand-worked illustration/construction is something I am greatly interested in, but I have not yet found a solid approach (or, perhaps, seized the right opportunities) to do so in my own work. His reminder that our personal identity system will be an evolving process, and that what we are stressing about this year will be a fleeting memory a year or a decade from now, was also a reassuring salve for my current second-semester-senior nerves! I think Matthew has a lot to bring to Drake if he is hired and I think he would be a good fit within the department, both personality-wise and with his design sensibilities.
Documentation: I neglected to take a picture of my completed survey, but here are some of the notes I took over the course of the presentation:
Monday, February 11, 2013
PROJECT 3 BRIEF
Project
3 Brief
Overview:
This project involves expanding the designer’s personal and professional
development through participation in a number of different activities. The
designer should plan ahead as much as possible and tailor these activities to
suit personal goals and interests.
Requirements:
The
accumulation of 200-250 points’ worth of activities over the course of the
semester. All activities must be design-related and clearly documented on the designer’s
Practicum blog. This documentation should follow the prescribed Activity Notes
Format and include photos, paperwork, receipts, correspondence, etc. Upon the
completion of all activities, the designer must write a summation of the
experiences and if/how personal goals were met.
Target
Audience: There is no specific audience for this project; instead, the designer
will be engaging with others and presenting herself as a developing
professional in the realm of design.
Objectives:
The designer should participate in activities that will aid the most in
personal growth and learning, as well as those that will be the most enjoyable
and worthwhile.
Timeline
of Potential Activities:
January
29 – Introduction to projects
January
31 – Review of projects
February
5
February
7
February
12 – Briefs complete; Chrystal Stanley resume workshop
February
14
February
19
February
21 – Speaker presentation
February
26 – ADAI Student Exhibition Deadline
February
28 – Speaker presentation; AIGA Iowa Passion Projects Critique
March
1 – ADAI speaker at Grandview University
March
5
March
7
March
9 – AIGA Iowa Get A Job Bootcamp
March
12 – Speaker presentation
March
14
March
19 – NO CLASS
March
21 – NO CLASS
March
26 – Speaker presentation
March
28 – Printer tour; Drake GD Portfolio Night @ Olmsted
April
2
April
4
April
9
April
11
April
12 – Opening of Group 1 BFA Thesis Show @ Anderson Gallery
April
13 – ADAI Student Exhibition
April
16 – Portfolio reviews ongoing
April
18
April
23
April
25
April
30
May
2
May
7
May
9
May
14
May 16 – All work due by
9:30am
PROJECT 2 BRIEF
Project
2 Brief
Overview:
This project is centered on the development of a personal stationary set and a
distinctive identity system to unify all pieces developed for both Project 1
and Project 2. In addition to the design and production of these stationary
pieces, the designer will develop a group of related writings that support
these documents in a professional and productive way.
Requirements:
One
professional resume.
One
professional cover letter.
One
personal design statement for use on portfolio website, as a basis for cover
letters, and as a set of guiding principles.
One
thank you/follow-up card.
One
personal business card (separate from Project 1’s leave-behind).
Any
other related items, as deemed necessary.
Documentation
of process and completed pieces on personal Practicum blog.
Target
Audience: The intended audience for these pieces are potential future employers
within the realm of graphic design. The pieces should reflect well on the
designer and help to leave a lasting impression on those who encounter them—this
might include professional designers, art directors, or non-design employers or
clients, so the appeal must be as universal as possible.
Objectives:
The identity system should be consistent across all pieces and they should form
a comprehensive set of personal stationary. All writing must be clear,
professional, and representative of the designer’s personality and objectives.
The design of the pieces should complement and enhance the written
communication without overwhelming or detracting from it. Pieces should be
practical, economical, and easy to alter and reproduce.
Timeline:
January
29 – Introduction to projects
January
31 – Review of projects
February
5 – Rough draft of design statement and resume
February
7
February
12 – Briefs complete
February
14
February
19
February
21 – Photography of current portfolio pieces complete (updated as semester
progresses)
February
26 – Draft of identity system design (colors, elements, grid, varying layouts)
February
28
March
5 – Designed drafts of resume, cover letter, design statement
March
7 – Group meeting; drafts of thank you/follow-up card, business card
March
12
March
14 – All drafts (written and designed) posted to blog
March
19 – NO CLASS
March
21 – NO CLASS
March
26
March
28 – Website complete
April
2
April
4
April
9
April
11
April
16 – Group meeting; all stationary finished
April
18
April
23
April
25
April
30
May
2
May
7
May
9
May
14
May 16 – All work due by
9:30am
PROJECT 1 BRIEF
Project
1 Brief
Overview:
This project involves the design and production of three different versions of
the designer’s personal portfolio: an emailable PDF, a web-based online
presence, and a physical presentation portfolio. The design and execution of
these pieces should be closely related to the concurrent design of the pieces in
Project 2 (see Project 2 Brief).
Requirements:
One
emailable portfolio in PDF form, consisting of 8-12 strong and current pieces
of design work. This PDF should be 5mb or smaller, and should be formally
related to the design of the pieces in Project 2.
One
personal portfolio website coded by hand and live online. This will include
both design and fine art work to play a more flexible role in the designer’s
entry to the professional realm. No more than 8-10 pieces of each will be
featured on the website.
One
interactive presentation portfolio and related collateral items, or “leave-behinds.”
This portfolio should be content-flexible, easily portable, and representative
of the designer’s strongest work.
At
least two portfolio reviews and completed review sheets.
Documentation
of process and completed pieces on personal Practicum blog.
Target
Audience: The intended audience for these pieces are potential future employers
within the realm of graphic design. The portfolios need to be flexible enough
to accommodate a number of possible employment goals, since the designer is
open to a very wide field of work.
Objectives:
All three portfolios and additional collateral should be clearly related, and
also have a strong formal relationship to the design system developed in
Project 2. Consistency, organization, and clarity across all three pieces is
important. Included designs should be representative of the designer’s
strongest pieces to date, and all photography should be high-resolution,
well-lit, and present an accurate reproduction of the original work. The website
should be functional and simple-to-navigate, and the presentation portfolio
should be accessible and easy to interact with.
Timeline:
January
29 – Introduction to projects
January
31 – Review of projects
February
5
February
7
February
12 – Briefs complete
February
14
February
19
February
21 – Photography of current portfolio pieces complete (updated as semester
progresses)
February
26 – Draft of website design complete, begin coding
February
28
March
5
March
7 – Group meeting
March
12
March
14 – Emailable portfolio complete
March
19 – NO CLASS
March
21 – NO CLASS
March
26
March
28 – Website complete
April
2
April
4
April
9
April
11
April
16 – Group meeting
April
18
April
23 - Presentation portfolio complete; reviews ongoing v v v
April
25
April
30
May
2
May
7
May
9
May
14
May
16 – All work due by 9:30am
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
ROUGH, ROUGH, ROUGH STATEMENT
<Brief note> I don't know if it's just me, or if everyone found this unbelievably hard... it is so difficult to write about myself! Anyway, I worked on this over the weekend and am not happy with it, but I forced myself to not touch or revise it until after class today. I feel like I will probably have to write two or three (or four... or ten...) revised versions before I settle on one that feels and sounds like me and actually works as a design (or, for me, art & design) statement (I don't think this does, yet). </note>
Design Statement
If there comes a point in my future when I am asked to
choose between being an artist and a designer—a line of distinction which I
have found many people are eager to draw—I will find myself without a ready
answer or, even, a way of separating the two parts of myself. Though I boldly labeled
myself an “artist” long before I had ever been introduced to the concept of
graphic design, these two ways of seeing and communicating have become irreversibly
linked in my consciousness. Art is a form of expression and design a type of informed
articulation; although the production of each is limited to those who are
literate in such forms of communication, both inherently need to be accessible
to all.
I have always been told I am “creative” and “artistic” and “talented,”
but until I developed a firm understanding of basic design principles, my art
was unstructured and uninformed. My approach to art is a deliberate blend of
precision, clarity, and wit. The “natural talent” people see in me is,
truthfully, a sort of chronic perfectionism and a demand for personal excellence;
I value care and thoughtful construction in all my work. I try to bring the directness
and articulation of design into my art without directly spelling anything out
for the viewer, and I find subtle, intelligent humor to be a powerful and
accessible communicative force for reaching others. My artmaking is directly informed
by the expressive functionality of design, even as I seek to make others pause before
my work and, hopefully, think a little deeper than they were a moment before.
So, too, have many of my artistic preferences crept into my
design tendencies. My demand for precision crosses all disciplines, and I savor
the ability to manipulate individual pixels and lavish attention on minutiae. Despite
this, I favor elements of physical production over strictly digital work: if I
have the opportunity to create a tangible object, I nearly always choose to do
so. Feeling that I had a personal hand in a piece’s creation, beyond moving a
mouse on a desk, is the most rewarding part of a process for me. I keep myself
open to suggestion and influence, and allow myself to draw inspiration from all
aspects of my life and consciousness. Design is, by nature, a multidisciplinary
field. My tendencies in both art and design are an informed response to my
perceptions and experiences, whether spanning the course of a single day or a
lifetime.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
CURRENT RESUME
I am unsure of what I might still be able to add to the resume--can I add my current classes and my upcoming BFA thesis show, for example, or do I need to wait until after those events have ended before I can add them? There are a few other things that need tweaking and probably more that I'll think of to add or remove, but I thought I would post what I've got so I have somewhere to work from. It's nice to know that I at least have most of the content of my resume done already, rather than having to write it from scratch or update several years' worth of material. Every little bit helps!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
PORTFOLIO BRAINSTORMING
I've come up with a preliminary list of potential portfolio pieces that I may want to use. I'm open to a wide variety of jobs in multiple fields involving art, design, or both, so I know I want to have a flexible portfolio that can include various types of pieces I need it to for specific situations. I've included both design and fine art pieces from the past two years, and I'm keeping spots open for projects yet to come! Also, please excuse the lack of actual titles for many of the pieces... I'm so bad about actually titling things that most of them just go by their nicknames for now (this will have to change when my BFA show rolls around).
**Starred pieces need to be photographed properly
Fine Art:
**Starred pieces need to be photographed properly
Fine Art:
- The Astounding Anti-Aphasia Articulation Apparatus (sculpture)
- the turtle (sculpture)
- Lead Balloon (sculpture)
- Nose Envy (print) **
- the mayan statues one (print) **
- the mad scientist one (print) **
- the archaeologist one (print) **
- the dragon one (print) **
- W. Snakespeare & E. Lemmingway (print) **
- A Loving Mockery (print) **
- _____________ (projects this semester) (print) **
Graphic Design:
- Dadaist Manifesto
- Pappajohn Sculpture Park exhibition catalog **
- Knowledge map **
- Garamond poster & brochure **
- Drake Service Learning brochure **
- How To Live On 24 Hours A Day **
- Sprout identity system
- Hamlet poster & brochure (needs a little reworking) **
- _____________ (projects this semester) **
Friday, February 1, 2013
READING RESPONSE FOR 2-5-13
Chapter 6
This chapter didn't resonate quite as strongly with me as the previous readings, because it seemed to aimed more at freelance designers and the heads of studios, neither of which I have any desire to be in the near or foreseeable future. The underlying ideas were valuable, though--the need for constant promotion and to direct all promotional materials (even websites) towards what clients want to see are clearly good practices. I appreciated the author's discussion about our constant dissatisfaction with our own portfolios and the self-effacement that usually occurs when showing a body of our work to others. I think I mentioned this in the previous responses, but it's that same fear of judgement, I think! We're always our harshest critics (or should be, anyway) and so we tend to project our own feelings and misgivings about our work onto whoever else is seeing it. Every time I read a new chapter of this book, I just get more and more worried about the coming months and job hunting... it's turning out to be much less reassuring than the title would suggest!
This chapter didn't resonate quite as strongly with me as the previous readings, because it seemed to aimed more at freelance designers and the heads of studios, neither of which I have any desire to be in the near or foreseeable future. The underlying ideas were valuable, though--the need for constant promotion and to direct all promotional materials (even websites) towards what clients want to see are clearly good practices. I appreciated the author's discussion about our constant dissatisfaction with our own portfolios and the self-effacement that usually occurs when showing a body of our work to others. I think I mentioned this in the previous responses, but it's that same fear of judgement, I think! We're always our harshest critics (or should be, anyway) and so we tend to project our own feelings and misgivings about our work onto whoever else is seeing it. Every time I read a new chapter of this book, I just get more and more worried about the coming months and job hunting... it's turning out to be much less reassuring than the title would suggest!
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