Endless search for myself.

My first year on FdA Design for Graphic Communication course in LCC is almost finished. Sitting in the library and working on my one hundred outcomes I was self-evaluating myself, trying to find good and bad sides and kind of understand who am I really. Not just for this blog post, but for my own understanding as well.

HATO Press final outcome(Term II)

The year started roughly for me – I had some problems with enrolment and missed first week of studying. Essential first week with all introductions, first lessons. Meeting teachers and classmates for the first time.  Obviously I felt a bit confused and stuff, but thanks God I have taken Foundation course in Camberwell and caught up quite quickly.

Our first assignment was this blog. Blogs itself are not new for me: I had a blog about my life since I was 14. Blogger is also my favourite platform so far, I read a lot of talented professionals here. We were asked to update the blog twice a week, oh well… It was quite hard. I don’t have a lot of posts here but I have worked on each piece of information I post here.

Mapping project(Term II)

In my opinion, I have improved quite a lot in all areas this year. I like my blog and recently think much more about collecting information for the blog, what kind of photos I should post, how to arrange the information and what deserves to be put here and what is better to leave for myself on a hard drive. I also started to write a personal reflective journal. I put all my sudden ideas, plans, thoughts in there. It helps me a lot to create material for blog and improves my idea generation processes, makes me go deeper on the topic, makes evaluate myself in each point. Now I always have what to say, my personal opinion on loads of new topics.

Also I have started making mood boards, as I used to do it on Foundation course. I have no idea why I stopped doing it at one point- perfect way to get your ideas flowing, get the right mood and see new ways to develop the topic. Besides that personally I find it very hard to keep everything on computer(which made me a bit stuck with PDF assignments at first), but when all the information is on the wall you kind of let your mind in a free space, you will not forget or loose anything.

Last page of my first PDF: not so successful final outcome( Term I)

Talking about design process: I have finally got an almost clear idea of how it should be. Yes, maybe I am slow but I actually had to go through a couple of big projects to realise the scheme for myself. One of my favourite projects helped me the most here: HATO Press. We were working in a group with second-year’s students and I have learned a lot from them. Where to start, how to develop idea, how to use the feedback right. Also it was my first experience in professional printing and binding, in my previous works I used a printer I have at home. The greatest thing I picked up from these experienced student is – tada! – time management. I used to have a big problem with doing everything on time, It always felt like I have the whole life for the project so I just kept going on with my research till the last day before hand-in and all my final pieces were quite weak, as my favourite tutor from Camberwell Jen stated. The problem kept occurring in first two terms of this year too, which was noticeable for my new tutors too. In the end, that was the greatest side of group work- you cannot ditch your group and not come, you have to finish your part right on time or you will fail not only yourself, but the whole group too. This project kicked me hard!

Working on the VCT article:Rianna and Kezia

This year I had my first experience in working with industry partners. I was excited and a bit scared at first, but everyone was very nice and friendly. One easy formula for all the designers – be nice, open-minded, enthusiastic and work hard. I read somewhere this quote a long time ago: “Talented people are talented in everything, because talent is 60% of your ability to work hard on what you were given”. So damn true, and HATO Press project proved it right, we worked hard and evaluated each feedback we were given. We were able to create a work which makes us feel proud. Proud we were able to go so far.

Solar Plate workshop

This year I learnt how to use letterpress, screen-printing and solar plate etching. I was truly inspired and amused with all the techniques, I like making things with hands. Unfortunately each workshop takes quite a long time, so I couldn’t come there often, but next year I am going to explore these methods deeper and use it more often for my final outcomes.

First Exhibition with industry partners HATO Press(Term II)

From the very beginning of my artistic life the thing I was most interested in was fashion and theatre costume design, but last year I made a choice to go deeper into area I don’t know well to learn something new and see things from another point of view. At first it was hard, but now I don’t regret a minute spent here. LCC is an amazing place for those who are ready to work their hardest. If you lack enthusiasm its really easy to leave with nothing beside your back, but if you put enough in what you do and lead yourself you can become really great. In college we are given so many opportunities: thousands of materials, unique workshops, old and new machines which will be very hard to find when we leave. We are taught by people who show us how to free our creative minds. We meet famous designers and given a chance to see how they work and can even take part in their working process. We learn how to explain and show ourselves, how to make conclusions on our mistakes and explorations. We are on the way of finding ourselves.