Hi everyone, my name is Javier Figueroa Espinosa. I am a scholar of Digital Design and Media Art at the Allan P. Kirby Center. As a DDMA scholar, my work is to provide creative content, such as designs for flyers, posters, logos and layout ideas. Generally, all the content I make is for any client who needs support in the graphic design field. In short, I am a graphic designer and the content I create is for published, printed or electronic media purposes. For example, I have been working with the Family Business Alliance, and I have made several logo designs and flyers. My responsibility is to meet with clients to agree on what the project is, what is needed, when the deadline is and how we will keep in touch to keep each other updated. Here are some pieces of advice I follow to maintain a solid work flow.
Maintain Consistent Communication
Communication is an important aspect when it comes to the work I do. After meeting with the client and getting to know everything about a project, I tend to show via email or personally the progress to the client and explain why I have made decisions for anything in the project. Thus, if I use a particular color palette, layout, shape or pattern in a logo project, I would then explain the reason why I decide to use and implement these elements.
Embrace Feedback
Every time I make something, there is a reason why I made it. Unfortunately, there are some times when clients and I do not agree. Client’s and designer’s feedback are extremely important since this is the way to know we both are on the same page, and it is through feedback the progress occurs for every single project.
What I like and enjoy about being a Kirby DDMA scholar is that I am getting to know how a real-life work environment actually works. Therefore, it helps me to gain work experience, which prepares me for the future. In addition, I am applying all the designer knowledge I have learned as a student, but I am also learning new and fresh techniques about the softwares needed to design. In the future, this is going to be very helpful, since I will apply all the knowledge I have learned as a student and scholar. I consider this a great opportunity for my future because it will help me learn how to solve potential problems easily.
Continue to Develop Your Skills
What I also enjoy about being a DDMA scholar is that since my projects tend to be printed or published, the feedback becomes extremely important to the development of my design skill. As a student, the feedback I receive comes from classmates and the instructor, but as a scholar, the feedback comes from real clients and experts who have been in the industry for a while.
Overall, being a DDMA scholar has helped me to gain tons of experience that I will need and can utilize in the future. From this opportunity, I am gaining further knowledge about my field when I am still a student. It has made me feel prepared and ready to enter the world after graduation.