Title: Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

Label:  Interview

Due Date:  Friday, October 30th by 8AM

Interview 2

Interview transcript.

1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else?  Are you shadowing?  Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic?  If so, what?  Are there other people who are experts in the location?  Etc...)

I have been spending time with my mentor at local coffee shops so far. This may sound like a bad idea, but believe it or not once we start discussing, everything around us becomes non existent! I feel as if we can meet at an amusement park and not be distracted? Graphic designer(s) can work anywhere! So in a sense, i'm not necessarily shadowing, but picking my mentor's brain about things I want to know more about. For example, "What text is good for what emotion"? Or "What is often the hardest part of a design for you?" This is a lot more helpful to me because I do enjoy comparing different opinions and morals from different designers. She has been helpful to me because she is helping me think and process ideas for my IC #1 (see blog for details) and so far, I feel like I will blow the classroom away with her help on my side.

2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you?  

I found this mentor from a friend who knew her, and she was already willing to help me out without a doubt! She said she would also benefit from this mentoring experience because she wished that she had someone to help her out when she was my age. Hopefully after this project she will continue mentoring different students!

3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship?  How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person

At this point, I think I can say that we are comfortable. When we first met, we talked for 3 whole hours! It was a surprise to me, but knowing that she is open to answering to any of my questions I have for her helps me get to know a designers life. 

4. What went well in this interview?  Why do you think so?  What do you still need to improve?  How do you know?  How will you go about it?

This interview helped me get to know her little more, and It allowed me to ask questions that popped up in my head right after. It also let me know how serious she was about her designer career, which then helped me understand that she does mean business! I do, however, need to improve on my transitions with questions. In my head I would imagine a different answer but when she answers, it was totally different from what I had excepted! So when I would ask a different question, it almost felt awkward to me. I will come up with an abundance of questions that can lead to one or more directions, so the transitions wont feel awkward and clumsy. 

Blog 9 - Advisory Prep 3

Label:  Blogs

Due Date:  Thursday, October 22nd by 8AM

1. State whether or not you currently have a mentor, and what the status of your interview is with that person (I have completed the interview, I have scheduled the interview, I have not scheduled the interview, etc).

I have a mentor, her name is LuLu, and she has been a way better addition than my last mentor. She is both experienced and smart. We almost talked for three whole hours about graphic design! I have completed the 2nd interview, and now I'm getting ready for my 3rd.

2. At this point, your research is probably guiding your studies toward more specific areas within your topic.  Name the area or two you find most promising and explain your reasons.   

I still want to focus my project around the psychology and brainstorming of graphic design. Specifically about how...

 -The design itself stimulates the brain to understand the message.
 -The audience reacts to the design.
 -The graphic designer thinks when he or she is creating the design.

3. What kinds of sources do you think will help you in the next month to gain more research depth?  Where will you go to get them?

I think sources such as recent and informative articles will be the best,. However to go more into depth, I think more interviews would suit me the best. Because not only would I get 100% true information from a graphic designer, but I'd be getting multiple pieces of information to what helps them complete the job! It almost acts like a large puzzle piece I have to put together to get the main picture. 
Except, of course, without the picture on the box. 

4. Write down a possible EQ.  Please don't worry about wording other than ensuring that it provides the option for multiple correct answers.  At this point, the senior team is most interested in understanding your thought process.

"What are the mind processes of both the graphic designer and the audience of the design?" 
"What is the psychological reaction to both the graphic designer and the audiences mind set?" 

Blog 8: Independent Component 1 Proposal

Independent Component

Due Date:  Thursday, 10/8 by 8AM 

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

I plan to create a series of political, or problem addressing posters using "Adobe Illustrator" and talk about how I planned each and everyone. I will create some sort of timeline / portfolio to show my audience how I brainstormed, sketched and created each piece. Then I want to share them to my audience, to see if they get the message of each poster. I will them ask them why and how did they get this message. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I have created a poster that took at least up to 6 hours, but I have never felt so rushed in my life! This did not include the comps, sketches, brainstorming trees, and critic time. So I can estimate that each poster will take up to 6-8 hours each depending on difficulty. (This was all taken from a class I took during the summer)

3.  Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

This will help me develop my essential question, because this project will put more emphases on the whole process, and how the audience is effected by my art work. I will stay in contact with a fellow graphic designer, and using the knowledge from a class I took to help me with this project. I will also be taking notes of my progress and compare them to what other graphic designers have felt and done as well 

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

Theres a problem with this actually. My mentor hasn't responded for me these past two months, but no need to fear! I have found another mentor, and I have yet to meet her this week. I am going to ask her about my idea for my first IC and also interview her a bit to get to know her. I think I will find her more resourcesful because my other mentor had more of a digital art job, and not a graphic design job. So until this Saturday, I will have updated my senior project hour log!

Blog 7 - Second Interview Preparation

Label: Interviews

Due Date: Thursday, 10/1 by 8AM

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert? 

My current mentor now works at home as a freelance artist, yet completes jobs for Disney. This makes him an expert at what he does because not only does he have the freedom to plan, create, and execute his project from the comfort of his home,but he has the companies trust that has grown over the many years he has worked with them. Graphic designers who now work for a big company who makes a lot of money daily, and has the joy to work at home is the basic answer that he does know what he's doing, and he is doing it right. Think of it as the last quest to beat in a game. Once you overcome that, you have won! 

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background

I did way more than five, but the more the merrier right?

1. Where do you come from and was life difficult for you?
2. How did you contribute to the community?
3. What school did you attend (for college)?
4. Did your family have any relations to the arts?
5. How has art in general influenced you while growing up?
6. What was your first media growing up? (Paint, pencil, etc)
7. Why graphic design, and why not painting or any other kind of media?
8. Who has supported you the most with these decisions?
9. When did your turning point of wanting to become a graphic designer occur?

Blog 6: Advisory House Prep

Label:  Blogs

Due Date:  Thursday, September 24th by 8AM

1. What has worked well for you concerning senior project this year?  What has made it a positive experience for you?  

Well, a few things have worked tremendously well for me. For example, there is an abundance of information found on the Internet. This includes art magazines who often write articles upon articles about graphic design, the history of it, the psychology of it, you name it! Another thing that worked well for me was the amount of graphic designers that are willing to help me out with my project. Ive contacted at least 5 people through email, and knowing how much they are on the computer they had answered within the 1-3 day range! They are actually one of the best and well communicated people Ive ever known.

2. What are you finding difficult concerning senior project?  How can you adapt to make that portion work better for you?  How might the senior team help? 

The only thing that is becoming a difficult problem is that my mentor isn't becoming such a reliable source anymore. He has become less responsive and less helpful at this point. I have no idea why, but considering there are many other people who are willing to talk to me, I think I should be fine. 

Blog 5: Interview 1 Reflection

Label: Interview
Due Date:  Friday, September 18th by 8AM

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  Is there anything I would do differently for other interviews?

I learned that graphic designers can be very approachable and not to themselves. I figured out that when you become a graphic designer, you need to know how to communicate well and know how to process what a client wants. It can be a very difficult process from what my first interviewee had told me. If there was anything I would do different? I'm not to sure about that, so maybe giving them certain scenarios about what might happen and ask them how would then fix or achieve that goal. 

2. Did I get additional resources and contacts?  What is the most useful?  Why?

My interviewee gave me an abundance of advice and resources to help me out on this project. He told me to always update your resources when you want inspiration for a piece you are working one; because art is always changing and growing. He recommended me to some other graphic designers that would love to get interviewed and would be another perfect fit for me to hang around with. "They are young and trendy" he said to me as I was interviewing him. 

3. What makes my interviewee qualified to help me? 

This interviewee is qualified to help me because he is actually a mentor for my hometown high school. He teaches computer arts and graphic design to kids that enjoy that area of work. So during the interview he was happy and very clear with his answers; like a teacher! He is also a full time graphic designer that has worked for big companies like Abercrombie, B&W, GUCCI, LACMA, and more! 

Interview one: Robert Chavez

Here is a picture of my interviewee! His name is Robert Chavez, and he is a professional photographer and graphic designer.

Here is the link to the interview: Click here

I also recommend you listen as you read over my questions and answers I have created Here

Enjoy!