Acquiring Competencies
The Media Design Master degree program provided me with a number of competencies. Unlike some of my classmates, I had almost zero design experience. I felt my skill sets were all not just below average, but well below average. The delivery of content was in such a way, however, that I had nothing to worry about. A solid foundation was laid in this program in a wide variety of areas: tools/technology, ability to locate resources, concepts and foundation of design, principles of branding. A quote I heard while in this program that I took to heart, and it helped facilitate my ability to acquire competencies and grow as a designer was: “I’m a slow walker but I never walk back” ~Abraham Lincoln. This phrase helped me stay focused and motivated throughout the entire program.
The Media Design Master degree program provided me with a number of competencies. Unlike some of my classmates, I had almost zero design experience. I felt my skill sets were all not just below average, but well below average. The delivery of content was in such a way, however, that I had nothing to worry about. A solid foundation was laid in this program in a wide variety of areas: tools/technology, ability to locate resources, concepts and foundation of design, principles of branding. A quote I heard while in this program that I took to heart, and it helped facilitate my ability to acquire competencies and grow as a designer was: “I’m a slow walker but I never walk back” ~Abraham Lincoln. This phrase helped me stay focused and motivated throughout the entire program.
One thing I was surprised I gained in this program was leadership strategies, particularly from Robert Green’s book Mastery. Once concept that I will care with me always is the Darwinian strategy of finding a perfect niche for yourself and creating a new market for yourself, comes when you take the time to master one field over another. “You have freedom to roam, to pursue particular questions that interest you. You set your own agenda and command the resources available to this niche. Unburdened by overwhelming competition and politicking, you have time and space to bring to flower your Life’s Task”. (Green, 2012)
Another thing that resonated with me in this program is to avoid the false path, The rebellion strategy. “To realize as early as possible that you have chosen your career for the wrong reasons, before your confidence takes a hit. And second, to actively rebel against those forces that have pushed you away from your true path.” (Green, 2012)
An additional strategy I will carry with me, and my favorite from Green, is the Adaption Strategy. Since I work in the business of Entertainment, where literally everything is in a constant state of evolution, this is something I will hold near and use often. “You don’t want to abandon the skills and experience you have gained, but to find a new way to apply them. Your eye is on the future, not the past” (Green, 2012)
I absolutely increased my proficiency with the Adobe Suite of products.
At the start of the program, my proficiency was rudimentary, at best.
My Premier Pro and Illustrator skills have grown to a marketable/compensable level. Premier Pro is a great tool to assist me in editing videos, and Illustrator will aid me in logo designs or other products that require smooth vector lines.
The ability to find and acquire legitimate, accurate reference and source material is a meaningful skill acquired in this program. One book that has been especially helpful to me and will be going forward is Logo And Love Design, by David Airy. The book includes 7 Ingredients to a signature dish which are especially helpful. They are: Keep it Simple, Make it Relevant, Incorporate Tradition, Aim for distinction, commit to memory, Think Small, Focus on one thing
George Felton’s book helped lay a solid foundation in design theory for me. His book, Advertising, Concepts and Copy, had a wealth of information. One of the most important tidbits for me was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs In advertising. A good designer will meet these needs in their designs. Not all at once, but individually, one campaign at a time. Those needs are:
1.Physiological needs: hunger, thirst, warmth, pain avoidance, sexual release, and others
2. Safety needs: housing, clothing, financial and physical security
3. Love and belongingness needs: social ac ceptance and personal intimacy.
“People can often say that they have eaten enough or own enough clothes, but who can say, ”I am loved enough”? It isn’t surprising, therefore, that the greatest number of consumer goods appeal to this level of need”.
4. Esteem needs: feelings of adequacy and achievement, approval, prestige, social status
5. Self-actualization needs: the need to understand, cognitively and aesthetically; the ultimate integration of the self and realization of one’s highest inner potential
Steep yourself in information
Felton’s advice to “Become an expert in your client’s product and its category. Get overinformed.” Is a competency I have taken to heart for life. (Felton, 2013)
Another tip from Felton that will make me a more competent designer are his key tips on making a light-hearted headline. He says to wrap it in a smile. “The basic two-step in humor is (1) to state some commonly acceptable problem, frequently with a cliché, and (2) in the last word or two change the expected ending to a surprise.”—Melvin helitzer, Comedy Writing Secrets (Felton, 2013)
My confidence in drawing and brainstorming for logo designs has increased
