Llewellyn | Wrap Up Post

I cannot say enough good things about GRA 217. I was so excited to enroll in this class, because I've always been interested in design. I remember the first day of class when we got the syllabus, I was so impressed by how visually appealing it was. The lectures were so interesting and always kept my attention. The class was definitely made so much better by Prof. Taylor, because she has a clear love for graphic design and it is a huge part of her life.

The most difficult thing that I found in this class was learning software. There were so many cool ideas that I just could not figure out how to execute. I already knew how to use InDesign before the class, but I was completely lost when it came to Photoshop. All of the projects really taught us different aspects of design, and they were fun too! The first project forced me to finally write a resume. I never knew resumes could be so creative! Even though I had a lot of frustration with the magazine project at first, I was really happy with the way it turned out in the end. My least favorite project was definitely the web design project because 1) Photoshop is extremely confusing to me and 2) I never really paid that much attention to web design so I had no idea where to start. The most important thing that I learned in this class was by far the importance of conceptualizing. It is clear from graphic designers that have come to speak at Newhouse and Prof. Taylor's own experience that design is a lifestyle. Always keeping an eye out for design and thinking of new ideas is a process that designers go through everyday. From this class, I learned the importance of sketching beforehand and thinking about how your visuals communicate with your audience.

I was originally a magazine major because I really wanted to be an art director, but after this class I realized that graphics is really the path I want to take in life. Although I will most likely be transferring to Colgate next year as an art major, I definitely want to study design in grad school. This class has turned graphic design into a passion that will remain with me for life. Now, I actually find myself looking at other designer's work and hoping that someday I will learn what it takes to produce professional work like theirs.