The final semester is almost over and although I will breath a sigh of relief when I eventually see our work on the boards ready for marking, I am also bubbling with nervous excitement about the future. I feel the hard work is to come and I believe as James advised the importance of keeping the momentum going after leaving college is paramount as to whether you succeed as a designer or not.
I have learnt so much over the last three years but especially this year, everything has eventually fallen into place and makes sense. To be a designer takes more than a creative flair for design, it is also about your personality, your ability to express yourself and sheer determination to succeed. Confidence was always my major issue, I felt myself constantly holding myself back and felt I didn't have the capabilities of others on the course, which prevented me from approaching the industry or promoting my ideas. This mindset has now totally changed, it began last semester when myself and Stacey Weldon visited design agencies in Manchester, I suddenly realised that the feedback I get, good or bad could only be a positive thing and that getting out there and meeting designers was not as bad as I'd initially thought. I have found most to be helpful and encouraging and have received some great advice.
I have attempted to keep this confidence in approaching designers this semester and now feel comfortable approaching a designer to compliment their work, or asking for advice or even asking them for portfolio visits. I now don't take it to personally when they don't reply, I just accept that they are busy, try again and appreciate the responses I do get.
Each portfolio visit has taught me something new, not just about my work but also about the industry. It has been a great experience to visit designers with varying experiences and different roles as a designer, it has really opened my eyes to the opportunities for designers, the different roles you can pursue, as well as gaining some great advice about my portfolio. I now look forward to a portfolio visit, rather than dread it, it feels good to be part of the 'real design' world if only for an hour and I see each one as another step, another opportunity, not as a necessity to complete the course.
Working with Juliette Brooks on my FMP was a great experience, it has given me the confidence to voice my ideas, without holding back. It has taught me that it can be a good thing to work in teams, I have learnt that you can not be too personal about your individual ideas and that other viewpoints are a positive thing. Myself and Jules both work well together and have developed a good working relationship, where we use both our individual skills and combine them to create ideas and process them to a final output. We both plan to keep in touch after leaving college and to work on some pro bono work together to gain experience and develop our portfolios.
My technical skills have developed immensely, thanks to help from Jules and other students, which has totally changed my attitude, I can now visualise ideas, which feels great, as before I had the ideas but didn't feel I had the technical strength to visualise them to their full capacity. The development of my technical skills has also changed my fears of entering the design industry, not only because I now have the ability to use photoshop but more because I have proved to myself that when I put my mind to something, I can do it. I have learnt not to put things off and that the only way to overcome problems is by facing them head on.
This semester has made me realise how big the next step is and I have tried to get as much information as possible from designers and fellow students about placements and the initial process of gaining employment. The different advice I have been given has been extremely helpful and has really made me think about how to get yourself noticed in a unique way, I have realised through arranging portfolio visits that an email is not always enough, the designer wants to see your creativity, making me think how important it is to almost brand yourself as a potential designer in a way which expresses your individual skills, encouraging myself and Jules to think about using our creativity in a unique way to promote ourselves within the industry.
So what next? I feel worried about leaving the security of college and the support of my tutors and other students but I am also exited about the future, I plan to promote myself through my final exhibition and through literature I produce. I am going to continue to pursue portfolio visits and to build stronger relationships with designers to eventually gain a placement, with the hope of it leading to employment. Myself and Jules both want to produce some pro bono work or to work together on real briefs to enhance our portfolios and to keep involvement with the industry.
I came back to college to pursue an ambition to become a graphic designer and that is what I intend to do, I am determined to keep trying to enter the industry and believe that everything I have experienced throughout the course has not only enhanced my skills but has also prepared me personally for a career within the design industry.
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