From Lessons to Legacy: A Semester's Reflection and Future Practice

A photo manipulation representing me moving out from a deserted area to a more lively cityscape shows my growth and development from intermediate level to professional.

Source image: Adrian Agbi Designs

As the pages of my academic journey flip, each semester becomes a chapter of my self-discovery and development as a graphic designer. Looking back on all the experiences gathered, I reflect on what I learned in the three modules of Semester A and view them through the lens of the ongoing interdisciplinary project. These reflections are more than a nostalgic stroll down memory lane; they are also a compass for my future professional practice in the competitive design world.

1. Researching and Journaling:

As a graphic designer, research has consistently been a crucial avenue for gathering inspiration and information for my prior projects. However, journaling was an aspect I should have paid more attention to. Upon commencing Semester A, I often questioned the relevance of journaling regarding the need to record my thoughts and ideas or see the process of my work. However, I realised that most clients are usually curious about knowing the stages/brainstorming process of your work to showcase value and originality (Theia,2018) and that's where journaling comes in. According to Fritson and Krista K’s (2008) journal, they wrote about research done on cognitive-behavioural therapy that indicated how journaling has a positive impact on an individual’s self-growth and reviewing that as a graphic designer who aims for professional growth and with the influence of two significant modules (Research Method and Design Studio Practice 1), I gradually adopted the habit of journaling. Soon after, I saw a considerable difference in my design approach and recording my thoughts/brainstorming process. Upon completing my semester A modules, I can honestly say that the research and journaling process greatly assisted me in the outcomes of two of my course modules. I learnt the right ways to research (literature reviews and case studies), important things to look for (fully understanding the brief), brainstorming (journaling, creating mindmaps, sketching, collaging) and how to come up with design questions to tackle a project like a professional designer (How can graphic design help…?).

A brief summary of research and journalling comprising of a mindmap, literature review, highlights of my case studies and finally an infographic design showcasing my design question.

In my current interdisciplinary project (Design Strategy for Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support in Hatfield), both researching and journaling are pivotal tools in my design arsenal. Whereby research fuels my curiosity to fully understand the brief allocated to me and identify target points, while journaling captures fleeting thoughts and concepts, which I end up refining and eventually transform into tangible narratives. 

Researching for the current IDP project (Design Strategy for Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support in Hatfield). Research (image 1), mind map(image 2), journalling(image 3).

Undoubtedly, researching and journaling will remain integral tools in my future design practice. Do you often research? Do you have the habit of journalling? Start today by getting a little journal notebook and developing the habit.

2. Collaboration as a Catalyst for Growth

Another significant realisation stems from the collaborative endeavours I experienced while doing some group work in Semester A, especially in the Design Skills Lab module. This experience made me see that collaboration is not merely a skill; it's a mindset as well. In my prior practice as a graphic designer, I was mainly a freelancer and did little or no collaboration, but some modules in Semester A exposed me to the landscape of collaborating and fully understanding teamwork which is a process that describes the shared behaviours, attitudes, and cognition among team members as they interact toward a common goal. However, tasks can be performed unsuccessfully if team members don’t share knowledge, coordinate their behaviours, and trust one another (Salas, Shuffler, Thayer, Bedwell & Lazzara, 2015).

The importance of teamwork and sharing of ideas became quite prominent in most of my Semester A group projects in which tasks were assigned to us, and we needed to contribute ideas from different creative fields(Interior Architecture Design, Illustration, Graphic Design). Of course, there were times when some groupmates didn’t contribute as much, which led to unsuccessful outcomes; on the other hand, there were tasks that were successfully executed when we eventually merged all our ideas, but I saw it all as a learning curve. 

A team project: Create prototype of an image as a team with scrap materials and photograph it.

Those experiences continue to shape the current interdisciplinary project (Design Strategy for Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support in Hatfield), allowing me to flourish as a team player by transforming pressure into progress. In my current interdisciplinary project, I sometimes find myself pushed into the position of the 'Team leader,' whereby I tend to influence the creative processes, knowledge-sharing, team commitment, and overall team performance (Mathieu, Maynard, Rapp & Gilson, 2008). If I’m being honest, it gets frustrating sometimes, but I've come to understand that every frustration is an opportunity to learn and evolve as a team player.

I hope to utilize the collaborative skills I have acquired not only to pave a path to success in my current interdisciplinary project but also to let it be a valuable asset that has instilled patience and perseverance. I believe these qualities will feed into my future professional practice as a Senior Graphic Designer, where I intend to be a successful team leader in any industry I would work in.

3. Iteration being a facilitator for Improvement

One of the key design techniques I learned in Semester A was the act of iteration, particularly acquired from the Design Skills Lab module and the Design Thinking workshop. In the first class of the Design Skills Lab module, the tutor asked us to draw a circle. As a creative, it was quite puzzling to be told to draw such a basic shape, but regardless, I obliged. Then we were pushed further to create different variations of a circle, different shapes and a model. That's where it became more challenging. We had to think deeply and play with our imagination. 

(Image 1) Exploring different variations of shapes. (Image 2) Exploring different variations of a model.

That was our introduction to Iteration in design, which is simply the process of doing something again and again, usually to improve it (Cambridge English Dictionary). I eventually understood that iteration is simply the refinement of a particular design idea. I also realised that I have encountered iteration when dealing with clients as a brand identity designer, especially in the aspect of logo designing and I have experienced the positive side of improving the work and the negative side of increasing work duration (Wynn & Eckert, 2016). Regardless, iteration has aided in my self-development as a graphic designer, whereby I often find myself thoroughly scrutinizing my work and trying to figure out angles of refinement through sketching or redesigning.

Sketching out different versions of a storyboard till you get it just right.

Final outcome: I created a mockup representation of a campaign video titled "Design Tomorrow"

Embracing this design technique has empowered me to approach the current interdisciplinary project with a mindset of constant improvement. I often find myself asking my current groupmates, 'How can we improve this idea?' all to enhance the quality of the work.

Group work: Examples of iteration process taken to come up with a final design.

For my future practice as a Brand Identity Designer, I plan to integrate this design technique into my creative process. This will involve generating various sketches for proposed clients’ logos ideas and presenting diverse layout ideas for advertising designs. This invaluable technique of iteration is one I intend to embrace and see as a path to development.

4. Design Thinking as a Compass

One of the fundamental principles that has helped my graphic design journey is the concept of design thinking. The Design Thinking workshop in Semester A recommended professional stages of development (Discover, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test and Implement) for creating any design product. During the workshop, the tutor provided us with industry scenarios and we had the opportunity to explore each stage going as far as the prototyping stage in which we utilized scrap materials to bring our ideas to life. 

See Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0jTAWbtq1a/?igsh=ZHE3czBrM2Q0a2sx

Video source: @uhpgdesign

These stages played a strong role in my design outcome in the Design Studio Practice 1 module whereby I first had to conduct thorough research to fully understand my topic (Discover), employ the research to identify the problem (Define), come up with an idea to solve the problem (Ideate) in which I became familiar with the Rose, Bud and Thorn design process in which you consider the positive highlights (rose), areas of improvement(bud) and negative/fails(thorn) and finally generate a sample mockup of my proposed outcome (Prototype). Unfortunately, I couldn't apply the Testing and Implementation stage as the exercise was intended for educational purposes but I learned that the Testing stage often loops back to the Discover stage (Iteration) for further refinement while the Implementation stage is when the product is finally being used.

(Image 1) Design thinking workshop using the roses, bud and thorn process. (Image 2) My final prototype piece. Can you tell what it is?

In my current interdisciplinary project, the design thinking framework acts as a guide to steering me towards my final outcome. I currently see myself once more meticulously going through these development stages weekly and by adhering to the design thinking process, I have so far been able to tackle the proposed brief with ease. This invaluable tool will undoubtedly continue to shape my future practice as a Senior Graphic Designer, by ensuring every design decision is grounded in proper research and creativity, thereby producing user-centric solutions which I believe would enable me to stand out as a professional in the graphic design industry.

5. Exploring Collage

Reflecting on my Semester A modules, there was a specific practice in which I engaged the most, and that was collage. What is a collage? According to Megan Coyle, collage is an art form in which various materials (such as paper or fabric) can be assembled to create a new and finished art piece. As a graphic designer, I'm often drawn to the artistic aspect of graphic design, and collage emerged as a particular area of interest in the Design Skills Lab module because as a graphic designer, I enjoy incorporating Photomanipulation in most of designs.

Exploring collage (Image 1) Titled "The Loneliness of Social Media" (Image 2) titled "Education is your Ticket to the World"

In the current interdisciplinary project, I was thrilled to collaborate with my groupmates to create collages illustrating the effects of each stakeholder when refugees and asylum seekers migrate into the UK. After we all came up with a concept, I helped oversee the final outlook of the collage, further deepening my appreciation for the art form. 

Two facinating collage works I created with my groupmates (image 1)"Volunteer numbers on the decline!" (image2) "Volunteers & the community polar opposites?: A refugees’ perspective"

I often now find myself scrolling all day on graphic design websites like Behance and Pinterest to appreciate the works of collage artists and gain inspiration. I eventually realised I could easily interpret most collage artworks, which further fed my fascination.

(Image 1) Snow Grey by Eugenia Loli, (Image 2) "Untitled" by Guillaume Chiron

Image 1 source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eugenia_loli/34466364891/in/photostream/

Image 2 source: https://www.collater.al/en/guillaume-chiron-collage/

I aim to fully leverage this semester as an experimental phase in my newfound passion by delving deeper into this specialization and refining my abilities. To be honest, I’m usually a digital-based artist, but I believe collage would enable me to occasionally step away from my computer and be more of a “manual” designer. Also, I envision that this practice would serve as a manifestation of my artistic identity, and I intend to master this craft for my future practice.

In conclusion, I am hopeful the lessons learned and the challenges faced will converge to influence my future practice, which will focus on telling meaningful stories, finding practical solutions to real-world problems, and making a lasting impression on the rapidly changing field of graphic design. I set out on this voyage with an appreciation for the past, mindfulness of the present, and excitement for the creative experiences that lie ahead.