Technology
Throughout my 4 years in the e-Comm program I have learned new technological skills with every single project. Just being in a classroom environment where everyone has different skills and knowledge is super helpful. When I was working on my Special Olympics brochure, I had one of my classmates help me figure out how to cut someone out cleaner in photoshop. I think that I have learned a lot about photoshop, illustrator, and indesign from my teachers and peers over the last 4 years. I know there is still more for me to learn, but I am very comfortable with these programs.
Collaboration
Collaboration is probably the most important guarantee in e-Comm. I use collaboration on every single project that I have done. Without collaboration with my teachers and peers my projects would be nowhere near as good and I wouldn't have learned as much as I did. One of my favorite things is to sit down with the whole class and critique the project I am currently working on. I absolutely love how the class comes together and helps each other improve their projects. One of the projects that I had to do the most collaborating on was working with the Olathe Rotary Club to make event tickets and raffle tickets for their Days of Wine and Rotary. There were a lot of companies and logos involved and we had to get approval from all of them on the design before we could print, then I had to communicate with the printer to make sure they were printed correctly. It was a lot of work, but I think the tickets turned out really well.
Communication
Communication is another very important concept in graphic design and e-Comm. Communication is what graphic design is all about. I learned how to communicate a message to an audience through my work. Typography and graphics influence the way people feel when they are looking at your work. e-Comm has taught me how to use color and typography to really convey the message that the client is trying to portray. When I was working on the posters for homecoming this year we had a tough time figuring out the message that Senior Committee was trying to convey with their dance, so it was kind of difficult to make the poster convey the theme since the theme kept changing. In the end, I think we figured it out and truly captured the feeling of the dance. Another takeaway that I learned from communication was staying on top of emails. Whenever we were working with clients we communicated with them through our email, so it was super important to always check our inboxes and respond to the client as soon as possible. One of the clients that I worked with at ONW was really slow in responding to emails and it was really difficult to get ahold of her. I made posters for the Raven After Hours program, but they never got printed because Mrs. Maring never got around to printing them after I sent them to her. I would've gladly print them for her, but I never heard from her.
Project Management
Project management is an important life skill that I learned a lot about through the various projects that I worked on. I learned how to balance life and my projects in order to get them done by the deadline. At some points we had really quick turn arounds or we were working on multiple projects at one time. I remember having to come in before or after school many times in order to get my projects finished on time. The Rotary Tickets took a lot of out of school time to get done on time. I also learned the importance of prioritizing projects in order to get the client work done first and the class projects done later. I wanted to make sure that the client was getting the best work I could do, and sometimes that meant that my personal project wouldn't get as much attention. I think I became very good at project management throughout my 4 years in this program.
Leadership
As a senior, I have been more of a leader than I ever have in my life. I love working with the juniors and helping them improve their work and teach them new ways to do things. It is super fun to be someone that other people in the class look to for help. I have grown a lot as a leader through e-Comm. We have done several group projects where I have had to step up and take control of the group to make sure everyone gets their part done. Leadership is something that applies to all aspect of life and is a skill that I will take with me. I am very glad that e-Comm gave me the opportunity to strengthen my leadership skills and become a more outgoing person.
Strengths and Weaknesses
In the past I would've said that I have a ton of weaknesses because I was never very confident in my work, but this year I have really recognized how many strengths I have. I would say my strengths outnumber my weaknesses, but there is always room to improve. Throughout these last few years I have really improved on my collaboration and communication skills. I used to be really hesitant to approach Mrs. Burdolski or upperclassmen and ask them to help me with my projects, but now I realize how much their feedback has helped me grow as a designer. Now I have no problem asking people for feedback and I think it really shows in my work. I could still be better at asking a variety of people instead of just asking my go-to people, but I have improved a lot. My weaknesses would definitely be getting frustrated with projects. I often get super stressed out over projects and completely restart. I think they turn out really well in the end, but I just wish I wouldn't get so stressed out during the process. The Pet Bistro project is one of the projects where I deleted everything and completely restarted on the labels about three times. It was a very stressful process, but I am really happy with the way they turned out.
Future
I plan on using all of the skills that I have learned from e-Comm in the future. I am not majoring in graphic design, but I know it will be useful in the future. I also plan on using graphic design to help pay off student debt. Graphic design has taught me a lot of useful skills like communication, collaboration, time management, and leadership that will stick with me through the rest of my life. These skills will help me be more successful in college and other aspects of my life. I have throughly involved my time in e-Comm and I know it has been a huge part of shaping into the person I am today.
Conclusion
I have grown a lot since freshman year and I have e-Comm to thank for a lot of it. I was super shy my freshman year, but e-Comm has really helped me break out of my shell and become who I am today. I have had so much fun in these classes and it is definitely my favorite part of the day. I have made so many life-long friends and have built great friendships with my teachers. It is fun to think back to the first day of sophomore graphic design when I sat next to Jacquelynn and she was a stranger, now we are best friends. I love Mrs. Burdolski and everything that she has done to make me the person I am today. I am sad to leave them all behind, but they will always have a special place in my heart.
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