12.4.2
Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership
During the Mastery class I was glad to have the opportunity to re-read a book that I really feel has brought clarity to my life in several ways. It gave me re-focused approach on how to move forward with this master’s program and the items that would be expected of me. Professionally, I learned to manage my time. It was the beginning of adding to an already busy schedule, so I relearned how to do a lot of the items on my to do list. Getting an A+ was my highlighted triumph.
Defining Client Needs
It was really great working on my drawing skills and being able to get back into a sketch pad with pencil. It had been a while since I’d done so. Professionally, realizing that taking in additional research steps made for the opportunity to create logos not based on preconceived notions but to actually make decisions based on fact. The technique of drawing at least 80 options, per idea, is a technique I’ll be using in my professional practice.  My highlighted triumph must be how beautiful I could make a snake look in vector
Brand Development
Brand Development was a really fun for me! I loved learning more about making complementary color options, creating logos into vector. During this time, I began to deal with a lot of personal issues that made life difficult. However, I lost myself in my studies. Professionally, learning the unique ways that laying out a logo would allow for it to become more appealing to the end user is something I’ll use regularly. This is a technique I acquired. A triumph was finding a complementary color that matched the traditional color of Marrakech and turn my logo into a vector.
Effective Copy Writing
Personally, this is when life was getting harder with my stalker among other new personal issues. I saw my focus starting to shift. However, I’ve always loved creating copy and being able to place ads together. It was looking forward to this class more than most. I enjoyed that the organization I picked was also an organization that I would support in my “real” life. Laying out print ads was something that I began to use professionally immediately and also the most important technique I acquired. I also really liked the way the MDMFA program taught us how to layout personas versus the way that I had previously used. Being able to add the mock-ups made to my portfolio was my absolute highlight!
Design Research
Personally, during my first try in Design Research I was just trying to survive. But I did!
Professionally, I was just trying to keep my job and learn everything I could about Marrakech.
I had never worked with motion, so this was my first try and it was a lot to learn, especially at such a hard time. By the final take of the course, I really enjoyed what I learned and loved being able to incorporate motion. Actually, creating a single piece in Adobe Premiere Pro is most certainly a triumph!
Organizational Structure
During Organizational Structure, life was still difficult. I was trying to maintain my job, my clients, do a group project and actually take in this work. Because of all the back and forth with my inability to complete Design Research, I was placed in Organizational Structure before I finished Design Research and it made some things difficult. I even had a new city while others worked on their previously assigned. It was confusing but I persevered. I started using everything I learned in laying out static and dynamic vision board on my clients and in RFP responses immediately. I absolutely love motion! I was always so “afraid” of it being difficult that I missed out on how easily it relayed a message to an audience. OI finished the class with a B and that worked for me.
Design Strategies and Motivation
FINALLY! No more Pretoria or Marrakech. Being done and far away from the branding components that the first half of this program consisted of made me happier than ever. I know everything in life isn’t a passion project but learning that I’d be doing the rest of the work on my actual neighborhood that I love and enjoyed learning more about was great.  Professionally, I began to use the comparative analysis taught in this course immediately. I acquired new research skills such as canvasing and taking location photos which is so important in place branding.  Highlighted Triumph? Adding place branding to my skill set.
Design Integration
My personal life was getting back into the swing of things post domestic violence.  Getting to keep my focus on Reynoldstown Next was really nice. It forced me to stay connected in my community while staying safe. Professionally, I was stressed with adding a new client. Financially, it was worth it. I made a very fun dynamic vision board now that I knew how to actually use Premier Pro beyond its basic functions, so I was able to integrate humor into some of my designs. I’d highlight that creating a fun, exciting, dynamic vision board for my neighborhood was a prideful moment of triumph.
Multi-Platform Delivery
Personally, I left like I was finally getting to the part that I knew well. I was creating mock-ups with confidence that I never had before because of the feedback of my peers and professor. Being able to take in constructive criticism to get better was a positive experience. Professionally, I created some of the best logo design work to date and have already used it for my client searches in real estate. Really digging into gradient was a technique I (re)acquired. I forgot how fun it was to use gradient! Highlighted triumph was sharing this with my new way to set up mocks with my team.
Measuring Design Effectiveness
Having Dr. Cleveland again as a professor was a treat. Her feedback on my work was also so helpful and her assignments and live sessions well thought out. Professionally, I enjoyed putting together a survey. Surveys were always an achilleas heel for me. I preferred focus groups but seeing now that I can gather so much information with a survey sent out to my online community of over 12K…. why not?
Presentation of Design Solution
Being able to actually say I successfully put together thesis website for my MDMFA program was the best feeling! Going back over all of my work, I saw the positive changes that my art has taken. I enjoyed reflecting and writing out what I’d learn, similar to this exercise. I use Wix as a preferred website builder so I didn’t acquire any technical competency, but my writing became stronger and I really appreciate the feedback of the professor. Highlighted Triumph? Passing the class with an A.










