The last couple of days have been pretty packed, but I've been enjoying myself. Last week I really booked in an attempt to get things squared away before my boy came up to visit. We've always known that I would have to do a considerable amount of work while he was here, but I've tried to either get as much done before as possible, or come up with ways that he could help me doing some of the more fun aspects of my work. So far this weekend we've done a couple of photo shoots for my spreads, setting up, lighting and photographing still-lifes. On Saturday we realized that I was going to need models of a certain age to be in my photograph so I called up my brother's girlfriend's parents who live in the area and they were good enough to come and help me out. That's one of the big lessons I've learned this year. Sometimes you just can't do everything alone. As long as you're reasonable and as long as you're very gracious, it's ok to ask for help. The worst that can happen is that you're turned down.
This afternoon I have a meeting with an individual from the library to discuss a project I did earlier this semester. I created a research guide that is geared for our library. During the process I worked with a librarian to try and make it as accurate and useful as possible. Now that it's done the librarian has shown it to other people that work in the library, and they might be interested in working with me to produce it. I'm so excited! I really hope this works out! It would be amazing to be able to put in my portfolio and my resume that my work is being used for the Syracuse Library.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Back from break
Syracuse is sunny today. I looked out my window at the campus and thought that I might be able to get away with a spring/fall jacket. Wrong. It's 20 degrees outside. At least it's beautiful.
I've been out all morning giving tours and running errands for work. Lots of fresh air. I'll be around campus a lot more today too. I have a meeting with my writing professor and then I go out with a camera to try and find people to model for images to use in one of my CommDesign projects. That should be an adventure. If I get good enough images I can work straight on the work due on Thursday. If the images are not good then at least I'll figure that out early enough to go out and get better ones.
In addition to that project I'm also doing the initial research for my topic in a group project. We're working with the juniors on their community service project. They're using design to help revive a certain neighborhood in downtown Syracuse, and they've given my grade certain tasks to help them out. It's exciting to us because the work we're doing is really going to be used, and working with the juniors is also a really cool experience. We see the upperclassmen about the studios and talk to them about our projects or ask for advice, but we've never worked with them before like this.
In a couple days my boyfriend is coming up on his spring break to see me. I've used spring break to get some work done, and I'm trying hard to get as much as I can done now so that I'll be able to spend some quality time with him over the next week. It's hard because this major is really intense, but he's aware of this and very supportive and understanding. I'm even planning some of my work so that he can help me out. I've so excited to see him. I've been planning where to take him and what to feed him. We'll go to the Indian restaurant on Marshall Street. I love Indian food.
And that's my current CommDesign status. We'll just have to see how my work this week treats me. At this point in my education it tends to have a mind of its own. Sometimes it goes smoothly and sometimes it just won't cooperate. Either way I always pay attention so that the next project runs a bit more smoothly. It works!
I've been out all morning giving tours and running errands for work. Lots of fresh air. I'll be around campus a lot more today too. I have a meeting with my writing professor and then I go out with a camera to try and find people to model for images to use in one of my CommDesign projects. That should be an adventure. If I get good enough images I can work straight on the work due on Thursday. If the images are not good then at least I'll figure that out early enough to go out and get better ones.
In addition to that project I'm also doing the initial research for my topic in a group project. We're working with the juniors on their community service project. They're using design to help revive a certain neighborhood in downtown Syracuse, and they've given my grade certain tasks to help them out. It's exciting to us because the work we're doing is really going to be used, and working with the juniors is also a really cool experience. We see the upperclassmen about the studios and talk to them about our projects or ask for advice, but we've never worked with them before like this.
In a couple days my boyfriend is coming up on his spring break to see me. I've used spring break to get some work done, and I'm trying hard to get as much as I can done now so that I'll be able to spend some quality time with him over the next week. It's hard because this major is really intense, but he's aware of this and very supportive and understanding. I'm even planning some of my work so that he can help me out. I've so excited to see him. I've been planning where to take him and what to feed him. We'll go to the Indian restaurant on Marshall Street. I love Indian food.
And that's my current CommDesign status. We'll just have to see how my work this week treats me. At this point in my education it tends to have a mind of its own. Sometimes it goes smoothly and sometimes it just won't cooperate. Either way I always pay attention so that the next project runs a bit more smoothly. It works!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Monday, March 3
It's March, finally, and the weather outside is relatively pleasant. I even heard birds singing and the crows were all still asleep as I walked to work this morning. All that snow on the ground is gonna be melting away all day today. It was pretty while it lasted, but I think I prefer the warm weather.
This weekend seemed like a breeze compared to the past weeks of CMD. We've had the product design project culminating, and every week was a challenge. I got it done. It wasn't stunning, but it's better designed than anything I could have done before the project, and I have until final reviews to make is as stunning as possible. I'll have to go in for office hours. Our new project was assigned last week. We have to make a magazine with a whole bunch of parameters to adhere to such as the style of the magazine, the age range for the audience and the topics of the articles. This is a bit different than other projects where we've had more "freedom" to choose our subject, but I've found that's much more challenging. It's not that we don't have a gazillion decisions still left up to us... but there's a couple more rules to follow.
I spent this weekend getting some rest (amazingly) and calmly making my way through work. I had a very productive brainstorming session (helped out by my boyfriend and my mom's feedback over the phone) and now I have a solid direction for my research. This week we need two design briefs, three name options, taglines, a content list and six covers for our new publication. I think I can do that. (Oh come on, I know I can do that.) Last semester or even at the beginning of this one that would have seemed like much more work. I can see myself gaining more confidence and becoming more efficient with every project. It's wonderful.
The other CMD project is coming along. I like the place where I'm at in its process. I have the basic framework constructed and now I'm just tweaking it here and there. It needs a LOT of tweaking, but it's easier to tweak than to create. It's a project that deals with images and creative typography flowing together. All my comrads have been on an Easter egg search for good imagery and sources. It's exciting. I've learned how to navigate the library as a designer, and of all the nooks and crannies on this campus where you can print 24 large B&W images late at night (for cheap!). That's part of the fun of being a CMD major. We keep on discovering little secrets and ways to go about our work to make life easier, and, even cooler, when we find them we share them with the rest of the gang.
Other than all that, I've studied for my Art History midterm (The History of Art Deco and Industrial Design). That's tomorrow. I also trimmed six plates I made for my wheel throwing class (only destroying one of them) and stretched a HUGE canvas for my painting class. Thank goodness my writing class is cancelled today for student meetings with the teacher.
I also had a visit from my best friend at home. I took her to the student improv comedy group's performance, and then out to the tea house with the gang. Both of us were pooped by then (her from traveling and me from my week) so we went home early and talked. I had a great brunch with my roommate on Saturday, and I took a walk in the cemetary on Sunday morning (not as creepy as it souds, it was gorgeous with the sun and the snow). Dinner with the gang that night. I also got a good number of delicious naps squeezed in. Huzzah sleep!
Only four more crazy days until spring break. I go home, hang out with my cats, bake cookies with my mom... and get a head start on my CMD for the next half of the semester.
This weekend seemed like a breeze compared to the past weeks of CMD. We've had the product design project culminating, and every week was a challenge. I got it done. It wasn't stunning, but it's better designed than anything I could have done before the project, and I have until final reviews to make is as stunning as possible. I'll have to go in for office hours. Our new project was assigned last week. We have to make a magazine with a whole bunch of parameters to adhere to such as the style of the magazine, the age range for the audience and the topics of the articles. This is a bit different than other projects where we've had more "freedom" to choose our subject, but I've found that's much more challenging. It's not that we don't have a gazillion decisions still left up to us... but there's a couple more rules to follow.
I spent this weekend getting some rest (amazingly) and calmly making my way through work. I had a very productive brainstorming session (helped out by my boyfriend and my mom's feedback over the phone) and now I have a solid direction for my research. This week we need two design briefs, three name options, taglines, a content list and six covers for our new publication. I think I can do that. (Oh come on, I know I can do that.) Last semester or even at the beginning of this one that would have seemed like much more work. I can see myself gaining more confidence and becoming more efficient with every project. It's wonderful.
The other CMD project is coming along. I like the place where I'm at in its process. I have the basic framework constructed and now I'm just tweaking it here and there. It needs a LOT of tweaking, but it's easier to tweak than to create. It's a project that deals with images and creative typography flowing together. All my comrads have been on an Easter egg search for good imagery and sources. It's exciting. I've learned how to navigate the library as a designer, and of all the nooks and crannies on this campus where you can print 24 large B&W images late at night (for cheap!). That's part of the fun of being a CMD major. We keep on discovering little secrets and ways to go about our work to make life easier, and, even cooler, when we find them we share them with the rest of the gang.
Other than all that, I've studied for my Art History midterm (The History of Art Deco and Industrial Design). That's tomorrow. I also trimmed six plates I made for my wheel throwing class (only destroying one of them) and stretched a HUGE canvas for my painting class. Thank goodness my writing class is cancelled today for student meetings with the teacher.
I also had a visit from my best friend at home. I took her to the student improv comedy group's performance, and then out to the tea house with the gang. Both of us were pooped by then (her from traveling and me from my week) so we went home early and talked. I had a great brunch with my roommate on Saturday, and I took a walk in the cemetary on Sunday morning (not as creepy as it souds, it was gorgeous with the sun and the snow). Dinner with the gang that night. I also got a good number of delicious naps squeezed in. Huzzah sleep!
Only four more crazy days until spring break. I go home, hang out with my cats, bake cookies with my mom... and get a head start on my CMD for the next half of the semester.
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