My Why:
Spring of this year (2021) I discovered that I wanted to make a career out of design. Up to this point I always thought of visual design as something I had a natural inclination for and could have fun doing “on the side”. Through more exposure to the Adobe programs and sincerely enjoying the projects I completed utilizing them, I committed to myself to learn as much as I could in the next year and to seriously consider design as a career path. In the past three months I have dedicated time to learning Adobe Illustrator and have used it to complete four projects which contributed to significant growth.
First Objective- Design a Set of 12 Icons:
When I began the process of designing a bullet journal icon set, I felt nothing but overwhelmed. For inspiration I would look at examples made in Illustrator and was left feeling like I lacked the necessary creativity. Not because I wasn’t a creative person, but because I had no idea what my personal style was. I saw so much beauty in the unique nature of each design and doubted my ability to create anything special. After some reflection, I recognized the need to just begin. As I started the process, beginning with some rough sketching, I realized that I would be just fine. I let go of restricting expectations and began to create. As I did, I started to gain a valuable perspective that helped me recognize I do well creating for a specific audience. I had a good basis of skills in Illustrator and the rest just took time and revision. Besides just my initial mental blocks, here are some problems I encountered.
PROBLEM #1
After designing my first six icons, there was a clear issue. My designs lacked the contrast needed to allow viewers to view the design as a whole after recognizing an established hierarchy. The solution? An increase of saturation and incorporating a variety of shapes.
PROBLEM #2
The second issue I encountered had to deal with individual icons, specifically the torn paper and the polaroid. With the paper, the rip was unrealistic and paper does not rip in jagged horizontal sections. The polaroid felt more about it’s contents rather than its purpose as a bullet journal supply. The solution? Fix the ripped edge by experimenting with actual ripped paper and creating a simple polaroid “picture”.
Lessons Learned (Aside from Gained Experience):
-My creative style begins the moment I create. (Designing for an audience is its own form of uniqueness)
-Sometimes the solutions to widespread problems are simple
At this point I had a solid Illustrator knowledge base
Second Objective- Create a Photorealistic Watch
This project is exactly what it sounds like plus a whole 15 hours of unexpected work. The thing about photorealism is that it is a learning process. You not only have to have the skills in Illustrator, but you must begin to understand the science of light and reflection and the way that humans perceive color. At the beginning of this project I honestly did not feel overwhelmed. I recognized it would take skill and I felt up for the challenge. What I did not realize was that it would take time. Lots and lots of time. Luckily I planned my time well in the beginning so that I quickly discovered the need to reevaluate my time management in the second week of the project. As far as the designing went, the biggest thing I had to do was to recognize the way that our eyes perceive highlights and shadows.
Problem
At first I really struggled with creating realistic metals. I was so focused on the detail of the watch's shape that it took me a while to truly focus on the metal. The solution? Lots of sketching focused on the highlights and shadows as well as the necessary gradients. As soon as I took those sketches principles into Illustrator, my watch started coming along well.
Lessons Learned:
-As I did, be sure to start projects early to allow for necessary timing adjustments
-Utilize sketches, they are your best friend
Do some research pertaining to your objective
Third Objective- Create a Gig Poster (no limitations)
As I began my third project, it was easy to recognize the impressive amount of knowledge and confidence I had gained in Illustrator. I knew I needed to hone my creativity in this project so that I could continue progressing quickly as a designer. I was proud of how far I had come but resolved to make this project something I could see major creative growth in. The first thing I learned was that in the creative process, there is no such thing as wasted growth. There are benefits in all work, even if it’s not directly included in the final product. As I began the sketching process I settled on an idea I really enjoyed. It was broken hard with jagged sides that formed a mountain. As I began to design, I realized it was a cool concept and that was it. I started fresh and utilized my sketches to come up with the concept I ended up with. I had to recognize that that “wasted” time led me to my final design and helped my creativity grow, meaning it was most definitely not wasted. As I got into the design of the poster it came together quickly which allowed me to devote necessary time to each design element.
Problem #1
The eyes I had created with their abstract beams were not realistic. Obviously they are illustrated, but the eyebrows needed a more thoughtful design rather than slapped on eyebrow hairs. The eyes themselves needed to be downturned. The solution? Research from photos as well as trial and error.
Problem #2
I struggled in the beginning to solidify a good color scheme. I knew I wanted it to be high contrast and unique but even when I found one I was sure I’d love, something felt off. The solution? A cream background so that the contrast in the lettering was intentional and the colors felt better incorporated.
Lessons Learned:
-A thrown out idea is not a waste of time, it’s an addition to creativity
-Again, research increases intentionality
Contrast is your best friend and it takes effort
Fourth Objective- Create a Set of Three Cohesive Stickers:
Being my final project, I felt extremely prepared to design these stickers. My process followed the same pattern of sketching, draft design, feedback and final product. This time around I truly trusted myself and designed stickers that mean something to my friends and I. The most difficult part of the process was printing but overall I was left feeling capable and successful.
