Hey guys!! Welcome to your first real design class! While this is a very exciting time, it can also be extremely overwhelming. Here are some tips to get you through alive.
- START EVERYTHING ASAP. You’re going to get everything at the beginning of the semester and it will definitely be overwhelming, but if you take the time to actually read over the assignment when you get it and start think about potential ideas, you’re going to be in much better shape when it comes time to actually start designing. Plus, it’ll give you a good sense of where you’re headed in the semester so you can better understand your workload and balance your time accordingly!
- DON’T NIX ANY SKETCHES. Odds are, the first idea you have won’t end up being the final project. By saving all of your ideas, you are creating a wealth of options to come back to in case your chosen design doesn’t pan out like you were planning on. Plus, Professor Strong has a great sense for conceptualization and can see potential in the ideas that you didn’t think were worth the time, leading you to a final product that was better than you ever imagined.
- LISTEN IN CLASS. While there will be days where you will feel overwhelmed by school work and outside activities, the content Prof. Strong teaches throughout the semester is stuff super critical to design and your future career. Not only will it help make you a better designer, but it will teach you the fundamentals that every good designer knows and understands. So when the temptation to pull out your laptop and start working on that NEW 205 articles arises, pull out a notepad instead and soak in as much info as you can (You’ll thank yourself later).
- DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP. The people in the room around you are going to be the people who grow and learn with you over the next few years, and part of being a good designer is learning to collaborate and seek out advice and criticism. You are all a resource for each other and that’s something you should take advantage of throughout the course. Additionally, Prof. Strong has plenty of office hours and tons of advice and wisdom she’d love to talk through with you if you give her the chance.
- HAVE FUN. This is your first real introduction to design, and it should be exciting, so try to remember why you picked this major when its three in the morning the night before your type specimen is due (I promise it will help get you through it).
If you ever need anything, or just want to talk, we are all resources and would love to sit down and chat! We’ve all been where you’ve been and would be more than willing to help you through it!
-Laura
