LT – 1.1. Lesson task – The creative process: step 1

The task

Write a short, informal paragraph to describe the type of graphic designer you want to be. It can have as many words as you feel fit and can be in any format you wish: draw a picture, add a photo, or make a mind map. Let your personality shape the delivery.

The questions below may kickstart the process:

What kind of job do you want to wake up to every day? What do you want to do daily?
Which type of clients do you want to work with?
After pinning down your interests and vision of yourself as a professional, in which areas do you think you need more growth and experience?
What are your next steps to fulfil who you want to be as a graphic designer?

If you are unsure, think of the different courses you’ve done so far in your studies and the projects you enjoyed most – where did you naturally flourish, and which projects did you unexpectedly shine in?

What kind of job do you want to wake up to every day? What do you want to do daily?

I want to wake up to a job that I thrive in, a job that gives me joy in life and not just a paycheck. I want to use my creative mind every day and not waste in retail where I’ve been for the past decade and more. I want to design for people. I’m not sure what way I want to go in graphic design yet, but I do recon it will be design and layout. So this CA we are going to do designing an magazine will be amazing to do. I also like the design part of web design, so maybe a little UI design as well. I know that logo design isn’t a way I probably want to go, but who knows, maybe I start enjoying that part too?

Which type of clients do you want to work with?

Since I think i want to work with layout I want to work with clients that need magazines, infographic, brochures etc. and maybe clients that like some of the styles that I also like so I can evolve and learn more in that genre.

After pinning down your interests and vision of yourself as a professional, in which areas do you think you need more growth and experience?

I need more growth in strategic design and logo design, but also UI, layout, grid, typography and illustrations.

What are your next steps to fulfil who you want to be as a graphic designer? If you are unsure, think of the different courses you’ve done so far in your studies and the projects you enjoyed most – where did you naturally flourish, and which projects did you unexpectedly shine in?

My next step is to finish this last semester, but also watch as many LinkedIn learning courses and learn more about the topics I want to learn more about. And then I need to start searching for companies in the area that I want to work in and start working on my papers.

LT – 1.2. The creative process: steps 2 and 3

The task

In 2008, Paula Scher gave a talk at the Art Centre Design Conference in Pasadena, California, named ‘Serious Play’. Today, it’s widely shared and referenced by graphic design educators because of its simple but also complex truth. In essence, it’s about the importance of play in graphic design (which is quite serious!) and not falling into a pit of design solemness. In this case, solemness means to design safe, predictable, and acceptable things.

Watch the TED video below:

In today’s lesson, we talked about the quiet before the storm in a project – where you have all the information you need, and you now have to think of ideas to communicate them visually. This is a delicate and precious stage in the creative process and will determine the way forward.

Keep Paula Scher’s talk in mind when thinking of ideas:

Embrace play and the unexpected.
Don’t repeat the same recipe for success.
Don’t be afraid of taking on something a little beyond your abilities.
Don’t be scared of being a fool.
Experiment!

Today you don’t need to do anything for this lesson task. Just think and wonder about it all and try not to be too solemn; instead, embrace play (whatever that means to you specifically).

LT – 1.3. Lesson task – The creative process: step 4

Using any of the vector-building methods mentioned in today’s lesson, convert one of the existing sketches below into a vector graphic. Watch Von Glitschka’s vector-building tutorials again if you need guidance (see the videos in today’s lesson).

Feel free to change the raw sketch to make it your own: add to it or subtract. You can use the final vector graphics in your course assignment if you want to.

Result

LT – 1.4. Lesson task – The creative process: step 5

The task

Thinking back on the course assignments you’ve completed in your studies, how has your journey been regarding feedback on your work from the outside world? When showing your design to someone and they give their opinion and suggestions:

Do you feel they are undermining your artistic abilities?
Do you try to see reason in the feedback and see how you can interpret it your way?
Do you feel overwhelmed and lost and unsure which direction you should go in?

These feelings are valid and experienced by most graphic designers – even seasoned ones working in the industry for years. You have to learn to cope with feedback in a way that will contribute to your growth as a graphic designer but also keep your unique voice as an artist.

Write a short paragraph on your experience with feedback and how you’ve uncovered parts of yourself you did not even know existed. Do you think you have grown? Are you ready for the outside world and its opinions, and do you feel you have enough confidence to stand your ground if needed?

My experience with feedback from people around me has been good, but also little confusing. Whit confusing I mean that they love what I’m doing, they like what they see but they can’t directly give me good feedback since they don’t know what to look for when it comes to constructive critics. They usually have a good feedback if I give them different option , like witch one does fit the most.

When it comes to feedback from the forum is always easy to understand and sometimes it’s frustrating, but when it’s frustrating and when I feel I need to do a lot of changes I do my research to find out why would that way work better for the design/task.

MA01 – GD 5

Hopefully, by now, you’ll realise that the more your skillset grows in design software, the more creative you can be, and the better your standard of work is. You can have the most fantastic ideas in the world, but if you can’t translate them into a tangible design – it’s not worth much.

For this module assignment, you’ll refresh your knowledge and skillset in Adobe InDesign. Yes, another LinkedIn Learning software course – don’t sigh in weariness! This is where you must exercise self-discipline and be resilient and patient.

Don’t see this assignment as a time-consuming obstacle. See it as an opportunity to learn and re-learn essential skills in a programme you will definitely use in the industry and will be a requirement if you apply for a job as a graphic designer.

Look at these job posts from LinkedIn for junior graphic designers:

Adobe InDesign is the main programme you’ll use when working with layout design. You may be more comfortable doing layouts in Illustrator, for example. Still, InDesign is the best option when working with multi-page documents, lots of text, and different kinds of image material.

There are three course options to choose from below. Read through each description and decide which option will suit you best. Either way, you’ll benefit immensely from completing any of these three courses.

You only need to choose one of the courses below. After completing one of these, you will:

be able to implement all you’ve learnt in your course assignment (which will be a significant addition to your portfolio).
receive a LinkedIn Learning® Certificate you can add to your resume.
have better knowledge of Adobe InDesign and will be more prepared to enter the work industry.

TIP

When going through these courses, it’s a good idea to open the course on a secondary screen – like an iPad, for example – and then open InDesign on your desktop computer or laptop. Follow along and test things out as the course progresses.

Be actively involved in InDesign throughout the course. It’s better to be alert and engaged with the programme than to sit back and passively listen to what is said in the course.

Hand in the LinkedIn course certificate as part of your course assignment report.

Option 1

If you feel confident in your basic skills in InDesign and just want to refresh yourself with the ins and outs, do this short course below:

Video course: InDesign 2021 Quick Start (44m 29s) by Kladi Vergine on LinkedIn Learning.

Option 2

If you want a thorough explanation of the core features of InDesign and want to dive deeply into the foundational functions, do this more extensive course^* in InDesign:

Video course: InDesign 2022 Essential Training (5h 14m) by David Blatner on LinkedIn Learning.

^*You’ve already been introduced to this specific course in your first year (GRA1), and maybe you’ve completed it and obtained the certificate. However, if you are still challenged to a large extent by InDesign, it’s a good idea to redo this course to reinforce your knowledge and skill set.

Option 3

The course below is for intermediate users of InDesign. It explores ways to use Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign as a powerhouse combination to save time, simplify workflow, and create impressive work. Do this course if you feel you have adequate experience in InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator:

Video course: Photoshop-Illustrator-InDesign Powercombo for Design (2h 30m) by Bart Van de Wiele on LinkedIn Learning.