Hey guys! I’m Yeni and I hope you’re all excited for your first course as a class of designers! Here are some ~wise~ words from someone who didn’t listen to the advices a year ago, thus struggled.
- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE start your work ASAP.
It’s okay if it’s just a sketch or just a blank InDesign document with a few shapes in it. Just make sure you start beforehand and give yourself time to think and explore. Good design doesn’t happen overnight. It requires thought, execution and refinement. I had so many moments when I was presenting my work in front of class, wishing I had given more time because I knew that it could have been better if I had. - Make something you are passionate about.
I’m not going to lie– you are going to be spending a lot of hours in front of your computer. And because the class is dedicated to typography, you might feel restricted in what you are making. However, I swear it’ll feel like less work if you make something you love. For example, the main motif for many of my assignments was fashion and I somehow tried to incorporate ideas I loved from fashion magazine spreads into my designs. And guess what? I had so much fun designing by doing so. - Lastly, take constructive criticism like a champion.
After spending your heart and energy into a design you’ve been working on for days, it will crush you when it receives criticism. However, that doesn’t mean your work is bad (or maybe it is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ haha jk ), it means your work needs improvement. Professor Strong will critique you with tough love but those words are there to give you insight on something you didn’t notice before. Listen, fix, and thrive. But at the same time, make sure to give yourself the benefit of the doubt that what you accomplished is the progress you deserve and that your design will only get better as you go.
Wishing you all the best of luck! xx
