McCall Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I haven't been to school in a couple years, but I'm about 18 hours shy of my Associates in Graphic Design. Although, I graduated high school 8 years ago (yes, 2000. And I'm still without my AA.), of which I recieved 14 hours during my Senior year. I have most of my course classes done, just a few added since I attended, as well as related course classes, Electronic Media Production. My problem was always going to class. All my Graphics classes? No problem. But General Ed is what's put me onto the so-called "Van Wilder" plan. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I go to a Community College here in Springfield (Ozarks Techinal Community College_OTC), which is basically a glorified high school. So, that makes my whole scenario even more depressing.However, with my job, I've actually been doing some graphic work, more than I ever thought I would, and actually in the area I really wanted to concentrate on, Sports Logos (ok, I mainly design our t-shirts, but I've also done our championship and playoff logos as well.) So I still plan on someday finishing at least my AA and maybe even Bachelor's, but I may have been out too long. Don't know how long my credits are good for, or how much information I've retained from classes long ago. Should I start over? Retake classes I've passed? I don't know what to do. Oh well, may not have to really worry about it with the way things are going now. https://dribbble.com/MakaioCall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VC// Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Degree, Diploma or Certificate...it all depends on how much of it you want to take in and use. It's all initiative as well. I know people that would rather go the path of the cert or diploma because it takes less time and it almost teaches the same amount in a short amount of time but it is very intense with a lot of material being covered in a short amount of time. LETS GO PENGUINS! 5x Stanley Cup Champions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckymack Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 Big Fat Update!Midterms have came and went, so I figured I'd chime in and let y'all know how I'm faring.Fundamentals of Design ended up being the most time-consuming of all my classes. Every week we have a project, and every week I'm wondering why in the all hell I have to use fadeless paper and an Exacto Knife to make my projects, instead of drawing them. Anywho, it's been a lot of fun, and very educational. I'm already looking at every advertisement I see in a different way than I used to.Fundamentals of Imaging is by far the easiest of all my classes. You buy an expensive SLR camera (in my case, a Nikon D-40), figure out how to work the aperture, shutter speed and sensitivity and go. It's actually been a lot of fun, and I've had a complete change-of-heart in regards to photography. I freakin' love it! I've always got my camera on me in case I've got some time to kill, and I'm actually kinda bummed that it's only a one-semester class.Drawing For Visualization has been a real treat. My instructor's a real down-to-Earth guy, and we sometimes have hourlong discussions after class. I've learned (and improved) more in half-a-semester than I ever thought possible. I thought I was a good draftsman coming into this class, but I'm twice as good now than I ever was. It's a shame they don't offer any second-tier drawing classes.Introduction to Computer Graphics has been every bit as challenging as I thought it would be. I'd never even seen a Mac in real life, much less had to work with one! I've learned a lot in this class, and after two long months, we've finally started doing projects in Illustrator and Photoshop, which is WAY more interesting than doing four hours' worth of text layouts in InDesign.So far, I've got A's in all of my classes. How are you guys getting along? Sigs are for sissies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heernumurr Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 So I started this thread ages ago to post updates on how my course was going, so anyone interested in studying Graphic Design might have an idea of what to expect. Well this is really the first chance I've had to post an update, this course is pretty intense. I'm currently about halfway through my second module, but I'll give a bit of a step-by-step of my first module which has already been submitted and graded.Basically, it seems to me like some sort of graphic design boot camp, they break you down to build you up again. You learn things the right way, and get rid of any dodgy habit you might have already picked up (hopefully). The tutors limit you and start you off with the very basics, and once you've got those right you work from there. First we looked at type, then on to colour, then communication. Our briefs were generally one week in length, restricted to a certain format and with lots of feedback from both the tutors and the other students. Talking to friends doing similar courses at other institutions, we had easily 4 times as many briefs in the same time period, and a lot less crerative freedom. Anyone expecting "Design a book cover" or "Rebrand this company" were very mistaken.1. A set or series of 10 A6 format resolutions using single letterforms to investigate a randomly selected word. (My word was Dissect)2. A 32 character typeface created through the manipulation of existing letterforms. This typeface had to represent certain personality traits of another member of the class, haing already interviewed said person and come up with a list of 10 words to describe them. The finished typeface had to be hand-rendered and presented on an A1 sheet of trace paper.3. A printed A3 poster of your finished font produced using Illustrator (2 colours + stock)4. A set or series of 30 prints investigating the techniques of mono and screen printing.5. A set or series of 10 A5 size, square format resolutions investigating the question "What is red/orange/yellow/green/blue/violet?" (My colour was yellow). These could use either type or image, but not both in the same composition.6. A set of 3 2:1 format "high impact" posters, communicating a message of your choice. One just text, one just image, one both text and image. 2 colours only, no black or white to be used.7. A mailshot further developing your message, which had to be reproduced 10 times, and one had to be sent through the post to arrive at the college no later than the module submission day.All of this in 11 weeks, as well as our Critical Studies module, for which we had to give a 5 minute Powerpoint presentation on a certain text and write a 500 word summary of said presentation. I've found the course really hard work, but always enjoyable. The deadlines have been harsh at times, but only because I really wanted to do well. And the class itself ain't too bad either, although sometimes being 4 to 5 years older than the majority of your class is quite noticable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddball Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 It sounds to me that you are being taught properly. Yeah, your friends may be designing this and that, but do they know why? It's the little things in graphics that make the difference between someone who's very good and someone who's average. There's a lot of people that put out crap because they have no clue on typography or color theory and how to use the properly. You can't break the rules, if you don't know the rules first. That's the problem with a lot of artists who aren't taught properly. If you ask an artist why they did what they did, and if they say, "I felt like it" or "It felt good", that doesn't impress me. I want to know your mindset in doing a piece, what process you went through, what you were trying to get out of it, and if you succeeded. To me it sounds like you're learning the craft. If you know about fonts and not just the stuff from "da font", but actual font families and styles, then you're going to be so ahead of the game because you'll be able to do a variety of work where as your friends are going to pigeon-hole themselves into what I'm terming as "The Da Fonters", people who only and know fonts from that or like websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-(dp)- Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Big Fat Update!Midterms have came and went, so I figured I'd chime in and let y'all know how I'm faring.Fundamentals of Design ended up being the most time-consuming of all my classes. Every week we have a project, and every week I'm wondering why in the all hell I have to use fadeless paper and an Exacto Knife to make my projects, instead of drawing them. Anywho, it's been a lot of fun, and very educational. I'm already looking at every advertisement I see in a different way than I used to.I was thinking the exact same thing in my design fundamentals class last semester. Every project except about four, involved cutting things out of black paper with an exacto knife, then gluing them onto bristol board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewharrington Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Eh. Graphic design nowadays is all about copying a trend and selling it for more than it's worth. 'Anybody can do it' has turned the art of graphic design into too much of a business. Freelance design has become so much about money and so little about art that it makes me sad. The day graphic design starts to feel like a chore to me on a consistent basis, or the day it becomes more about money than about loving it, is the day I'll stop doing it. (If you can't tell by my attitude, I do a lot of free work, spec work, what have you for smaller and nonprofit companies simply because I love doing graphic design in my time off, my time off from my regular job as a graphic designer :-) I still don't have a website, but I have a dribbble now! http://dribbble.com/andyharry [The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the position, strategy or opinions of adidas and/or its brands.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckymack Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 This semester, I'm taking Typography, Electronic Imaging, Electronic Illustration and Graphic Design 1. Sigs are for sissies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroseed Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 The day graphic design starts to feel like a chore to me on a consistent basis, or the day it becomes more about money than about loving it, is the day I'll stop doing it.This is exactly the reason I quit my job nearly five months ago. My old job killed every ounce of passion I had for design, and at the end, it just wasn't worth it to me anymore. So, I walked. Haven't designed anything in the last five months, either, nor have I had the desire to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckymack Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 What happened, if'n ya don't mind my asking? Sigs are for sissies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroseed Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Being required to design 30-40 logos a day for nearly two years can kill your passion. Let's just leave it at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quantum Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Being required to design 30-40 logos a day for nearly two years can kill your passion. Let's just leave it at that.So, what do you do now? "One of my concerns is shysters show up and take advantage of people's good will and generosity". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroseed Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 So, what do you do now?I'm an amateur boxer, and I make coffee. Seriously. How's that for a career change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quantum Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 So, what do you do now?I'm an amateur boxer, and I make coffee. Seriously. How's that for a career change?Well, it's definitely a different avenue of creativity. "One of my concerns is shysters show up and take advantage of people's good will and generosity". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BostonBlazer Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I've just enrolled into American International College and am about to take a Graphic Design course in the beginning of February. While I may be working my way towards a career in Game Degisn, I'm starting with Graphic Design. I already got my book, Adobe Illustrator CS3, and other supplies. It should be a great course for me. http://www.reverbnation.com/richardyerardihttp://www.ahlfans.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAD! Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 So, what do you do now?I'm an amateur boxer, and I make coffee. Seriously. How's that for a career change?Do you practice your boxing by punching coffee bags? I don't know what the market is like for graphic designers, but if it's anything like the retail or manufacturing sectors, now wouldn't be a bad time to get out. I saw, I came, I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordie_delini Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 a recent article at coroflot.com (i believe - could've been HOW) shows that the creative industry tends to be independent of the rest of the economic climate as far as jobs and job openings go. I've seen plenty of varied openings across the country. Hey, people always need advertising and design, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckymack Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 True that. Everybody wants everybody else to buy their stuff. There's a reason cats like us have a place in the world.30-40 logos a day?! Holy ! I don't think I've designed 30-40 logos in my entire life! Sigs are for sissies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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