Blog 24: Last Presentation Reflection

Label: Presentation.


(1) Positive Statement
What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I'm most proud of my activities that I conducted in my final presentation. I thought they both really connected to what graphic design means and what the designer goes through. I found that not only was it successful, but the other students had a lot of fun doing it!


(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation?  Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

I think I deserved an AE because I kept the audience engaged throughout the whole presentation, I dressed and performed nicely, I used my time affectively (up to the very second) and was able to take control of the class. I felt like I had become an effective presenter and teacher.
b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project? Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

I would give myself an AE because I had worked super hard to get that grade. For both of my components, I have worked over 30 hours to complete the project, and I was able to do more than just two component projects for class. Graphic design had given myself the opportunity to utilize the talents I had developed in those few months for school purposes. From the bottom of my heart I'm glad that I was able to do this.
(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
What worked the best for my senior project was the fact that I was open to the graphic design programs, and used them for school purposes. I also liked that I was able to interview and have a Mentorship with professional graphic designers because the information they all shared was great for research. 

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project?
Honestly, if I had the chance to change anything, I wouldn't at all. I liked how everything went throughout my senior project. I can't find a reason to fix anything I messed up on, which didn't happen!

(5) How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.
Oh goodness where do I start! I loved the fact that this topic has helped me settle on the fact that I do want to do something like this in the future. Graphic design is open and accessible to anyone and everyone. However there needs to be more graphic designers who have the best knoledge of this form of art, so I would love to continue this and teach others. 

Blog 23 : Exit Interviews

Label:  Exit Interview

Due Date:  Thursday, May 5th by 8AM

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

My Essential question is "How can a Graphic Designer create the reaction he/ she intends ?"
My answers are : Interviewing, Brainstorming, and Professionalism.
My best answer would have to be Interviewing, because I feel that gathering information about your client, and what design they need first hand is the first building block of any design process. A lot can be accomplished within a simple interview with a client, because that is the time the designer learns what the client wants if the right questions are asked. It is vital for the client to be as clear as possible when they have a clear image of their design. However since every client is different, then every interview will be different. The beginning process of creating a design can start in different paths, but generally speaking, it is important to gain the clients trust, and to get a clients 

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
I had research lots about it, But even before then , I learned the importance of interviewing within my graphic design class. My professor put extra emphasis on why its important to know what the client wants. I also learned this from my mentor and other interviewees who talked about it. 

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?
I faced a few difficult tasks, but one of which was getting a reliable mentor. My first initial mentor was not very helpful to me in terms of information. He did not explain things to par with my research. I had understood at first, that he was new to being a mentor, after all, he was a main character designer for Disney. I found that his busy schedule and lack of explanations had begun to affect my work and research. I found out that researching on my own was a lot more helpful than his own words. I soon lost contact with him, but found an amazing mentor after.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why? 
BOOK SOURCE

ONLINE SOURCE

Blog 22: Independent Component 2

Label:  Independent Component
Due Date:  Friday, 4/22 by 8AM


I, Brianne Estrada, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 65 hours of work.

Creativebloq.com / Tutorial

Brush presets

Mixer brush help

Hair

Face

IC HOURS 

I have completed about 4 characters, and soon to come, 4 space ships. Each character was designed specifically for my board game that I am helping create for Mr Rivas's class. I wanted to design each character accordingly, making them unique to the type of game/game play. I decided to create a Traveler, a Technician, a Doctor, and Scientist. Here are some pictures! I shed my blood and tears, mostly tears. 

This component helped me answer my EQ because not only did it give me the chance that all graphic designers have to face, but it allowed me to teach myself that to impress a client, you have to go above and beyond what they expected. Yes, I had to teach myself how to use paint in photoshop, which every graphic designer needs (just in case) so that was definitely an experience I will never forget. Im sure other graphic designers were put in a creative spot like this, so this task was a lot more tough than my previous projects. As I got the hang of painting with this program, I began to play around with it, learning more neat tricks on the way. When i would show my work to my clients (essentially my group members) they were proud of my work! 

Blog 20: Fourth Interview Questions

Label: Interviews
Due Date: Friday, April 15, 2016



Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?
I plan to interview a graphic designer that works professionally and has his own shop in Whittier!

2.  Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. Your focus should be finding answers to your EQ.

1. Graphic design has a variety of genres, which genre is best for starting graphic designers 

2.What have you done to start off your business 

3. What is recommended today? Since times do change, so does the technology of graphic design.

4. Which program is best for you?

5. Which program(s) are easiest and viable to learn? 

6. What kind of research have you done for any project? (Experience)

7. What is most recommended to use when doing research for a client?

8. Can you give me advice on what to do when designing a logo?

9. Can you give me advice on what to do when designing a poster?

10. Can you give me advice on what to do when designing a flyer/pamphlet/cards?

11. How do you target your audience?

12. How does your client guide you through designing?

13. How do you go by when a client is giving you a hard time?

14. How do you plan any design?

15. What's your preferred plan to design any design? (Steps?)

16. What motivates you to finish a design?

17. How do you manage time?

18. How do you get jobs ?

19. How do you get yourself publicly noticed?

20. what do you do when you get creativity block?

Blog 19: Third Answer

Label: Research
Due Date:  Thursday, March 3rd by 8AM

• EQ 

How can a Graphic Designer create the reaction he/she intends?

• Answer #3 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)*

A graphic designer can create the reaction that the client he or she intends is by keeping constant communication to keep yourself on track and to keep your client on track. This is how any designer will polish their design properly.

• 3 details to support the answer 

Polishing your design is needed for any design, even if not keeping communication with your client for certain details. 

Experimenting is a way to polish your design, you can give the client different options to chose from (if they way it of course!)

Polishing your design also allows you to utilize different fonts, shapes, strokes.  This experiments allow you to find new pairings that lol good together. 

• The research source(s) to support your details and answer

(30, 40, 32, 45, 46, 50)  <- sources from WB. 

• Concluding Sentence

Graphic design is a job that includes critcing, communication, and constant revision. 

Blog 18: Answer 2

Label: Presentation
Due Date:  Thursday, 2/18 by 8AM

1.  What is your EQ?
How can a Graphic Designer create the reaction he/she intends?

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

A graphic designer can create the reaction that the client he or she intends is by meeting up with the client and discussing the main point they are trying to get across.

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)
A Graphic designer can create the reaction that the client he or she intends by researching and brainstorming as much as you can before presenting potential designs to your clients.

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.
A. Planning always makes perfect, as they saying goes. This really applies to design. No design is perfect of course, but it has to be convincing enough for the audience to understand. the Apple logo is a great example.

B. Brainstorming allows the Graphic designer to organize his or her thoughts as they come up with the most convincing design. There are an array of ways to brainstorm in graphic design! I had this experience when I took a class last summer. I also learned more brainstorm tactics through the books I've read.

C. The outcome is always phenomenal if the designer themselves take the time to create various designs, because then the client has more options to chose from OR has the option to mix and match different designs (working with the designer to create one the client has visualized in their head)

D. EVERY CLIENT IS DIFFERENT! But the planning and brainstorming never change.

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?
BOOK SOURCE (I have the book on hand)

6.  What other source supports your answer?
14 ways to brainstorm
Ellen Lupton
How to make a mind map
7.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.
Graphic design not only includes a very important and well informed interview, there also needs to be a lot of brainstorming to make the design convincing and visually appealing. 

Blog 17: Interview 3 Reflection

Label:  Interview

Due Date:  Friday, February 19th by 8AM

INTERVIEW #3

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  

The most important thing I learned from the interview was that I had learned that (as cliche as it sounds) communication is key when interviewing any client and onward. I learned different tactics you can use when you create designs for a client, without using the classic steps that I have read from the book! For example, Enrique uses pure communication and a portfolio that have templates for the customers to use and observe. Personally I think this is pretty clever, but it does lack creativity in some ways. He says he easily changes that by coming up with more than 6 designs from that design, detailed and all. "Time is money" Is a quote that really represents any media designer. 

2.  How has your approach to interviewing changed over the course of your senior project?]

My approach to interviewing has changed for the better as I continue to interview many graphic designers. I had full on conversations (That I had to cut because the interview was longer than an hour) with the designer, digging into their brains and pulling out every piece of information I can get. If I want to be a Graphic Designer, I would have to do a lot interviews with many clients. So, this is definitely going to help me out.