As a graphic designer, my main objective is to promote effective and efficient communication. With my work, I strive to create visually appealing designs that relay a particular message and captivate the intended audience. My goal is to create designs that will effectively convey my client’s vision for their brand. Good design should be appealing, clear, effective in drawing an audience and ultimately creates an impact. With my designs I aspire to make this impact.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always had a passion for design. Before coming to East Carolina University, I was in the process of obtaining a degree in interior design at my local community college. I found that the school was offering a new program in graphic design and decided to give it a try. I fell in love with graphic design after my first class and I have not turned back since. After earning a certificate in graphic design, I came to ECU to further my education.
When it comes to design, I feel as though I do not have a specific style. My style for a specific project depends heavily on what my client is looking for. I find myself trying new things in every project I work on. Before diving into a project, I begin researching the product/content based on my client’s thoughts or the parameters of a given school project. I’ve learned that research is a crucial part of the design process. To better understand my client’s needs I have to find who the target audience is and familiarize myself with the product or service they will be offering. I also find that it is important to observe the client’s competitors. This allows myself to see what kind of designs are effective and what designs are not. I then ask myself what could be improved? I find that the research phase also helps me find inspiration and narrows down my ideas I want to move forward with. In the beginning phase of my process my mind is flooded with ideas so I begin sketching whatever comes to mind. Once I am settled on an idea I bring my work into Illustrator and experiment with a variety of color palettes, imagery, and typefaces. I continue to refine my work until I have a finalized concept. After a project is complete I find it intriguing to review my process work and see how my designs evolved from start to finish. It is extremely rewarding to me to see my ideas come to life and be in a physical form.
As a designer, I find it gratifying to work on projects that are vastly different from one another. The variation of projects between clients challenges myself to experiment with new styles and enables me to express my creativity. I am continually learning new things and strengthening my design skills along the way.
I am so thankful to be a part of this creative community that shares a similar interest as myself. My time at ECU has been an amazing journey so far and I look forward to seeing what the next year holds.
