For me, this course has been on my radar for many years.  I feel so lucky to finally have a place on a graphic design course and am excited about where it can lead.

I know that my drive and passion for design is so strong that I will be successful in my projects, but what about the industry beyond the college door?  The live projects, with clients, budgets and serious deadlines! This needs thought and consideration.

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First and foremost, I am conscious that I need to work hard on my technology skills to be at the same level as my peers, never mind be ahead!  So, this is my first challenge to face, and improve upon, and perhaps, even upskill in some area. Because my workload for assignments is substantial, I have kept the word ‘achievable’ at the forefront of my mind.  Courses for weeks/months, as opposed to years, are the only option for me right now, and that’s okay.  It will be more beneficial to have bite-size courses that won’t overwhelm me and hopefully, give me confidence going forward.  I like to think of it as 'layered learning'. As mentioned, a 2-hour, online WIX course is available on Coursera.  This is a perfect start and will help me to customise my website to reflect my personality and style.

 

Another area that I have aimed to improve on is, keeping my eye on the design industry. The trends, the recommended reading, articles and following prominent figures in design, like Chris Do, of The Futur.

 

But what if there were no limitations and I could have my dream job tomorrow?  The sector of design I would choose is publications.  Whether that be, designing book covers or magazine spreads, I have always enjoyed working with InDesign.  With this in mind, I plan to contact Dublin based companies to ask if there is a possibility of meeting with a representative, to ask them if there are any actions I need to take to set that trajectory.  Is there any specific direction I should take at this point?

In addition to this, I have a contact in graphic design that I am going to reach out to regarding being a mentor.  I would appreciate a half an hour, even just once a month, to run ideas by, ask for guidance and get advice.

 

Through researching for professional development, I came across the ICAD.  They have an interesting website whereby they have a section for both, design students and professionals in the business. In the student segment, they offer sample briefs. I feel this could be a great way of keeping up with sketching and brainstorming over the Summer holidays.  If I schedule in a few self-led projects, it will be material for my portfolio, but more importantly, keeping my design head active over the college break. I know from my previous degree (many any moons ago) that it is imperative to keep sketching regularly.  This was learned the hard way! Every September, it was a struggle to start that 'first' sketchbook of the term, and that effects confidence.  I don’t want to make the same mistakes again, so I am planning ahead more than I ever have.

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Returning to college has been a revelation for me.  I knew I loved graphic design, but I underestimated how much!  If I can set myself up for easy transition from college, to the industry, on the completion of my degree, I would start my career feeling confident and take my first steps into the industry knowing that I'm as prepared as I can be .

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“Good planning without good working is nothing.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower