#tiarydegrate

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Mastery Journey Timeline: Final Project

This post does not include the Clubs & Organizations, Companies & Heros, & Full Sail Clubs & Organization Slides that were included in my presentation.

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Multi-Platform Delivery Reflection

During the Multi-Platform Delivery course, I set out to enhance the brand characteristics of my fictional sea turtle charity event, Loggerhead Cove. One of the first things that I wanted to do, was to create a series of advertisements. The idea for these advertisements was sparked from a desire to make a powerful statement through my use of copywriting. Because sea turtles are often negatively affected by the abundance of ocean pollution, I wanted to experiment with the topic of “talking trash.”

I chose three variations of advertisements for this project. “I Talk Trash...It Saves Lives,” “We Talk Trash...It Saves Lives,” and “Let’s Talk Trash...It Saves Lives.” This decision was multifaceted. On the one hand, the idea of “talking trash” is presented as a pun and references the importance of addressing the issue of ocean pollution. On the other, utilizing the different introductions (I/We/Let’s talk trash) was intended to be all inclusive. For the targeted audience, this choice was a representation of any and everyone associated with the event. It represented the headlining bands included, those behind the orchestration of the event, and anyone supportive of sea turtle relief efforts. It also aids in helping the viewer see themselves as a part of the change that is needed.

Initially, I felt as if the words were so strong, that they should stand alone. The following images are of my first revision.

In designing these advertisements, I chose to highlight various bands in order to not only symbolize the headlining bands performing, but to also contribute to the alternative vibe that I wanted to convey with the copywriting and font choices. 

I utilized the color scheme of the brand by overlaying the images with an opaque color selected from my mood board color palette. The use of the “Rockout” font heavily contributes to the alternative mood that the copy is intended to convey as well.

Upon receiving feedback for this round of revisions, it was suggested that I incorporate some type of informational blurb that explained the subject matter of the event, the importance of helping sea turtles, and how this event (and headlining bands) are significant. I was told that these looked a bit too much like posters, and didn’t necessarily come off as the type of advertisements that I intended for them to be. It was also suggested that I adjust the position of the logo and add a call to action.

In order to solve these design problems, I set out to create advertisements that were more functional. So in my next revision, I included a section at the bottom of the image that explained the subject matter and the event relevance. It also includes a strong call to action by encouraging viewers to take the pledge at the website. Additionally, I placed the brand logo at the bottom of the advertisement. The following images are of the final revisions.

My next goal in enhancing the brand characteristics for Loggerhead Cove was to address the promotional video that I had initially created. When I first created a promotional video, I had little knowledge of using Adobe Premiere Pro. My first revision was also intended to be indicative of the original Sip and Paint event that I had created with this event. The brand, the message, and its characteristics were not cohesive. On a design level, the video also wasn’t an accurate depiction of professional skill. The text and information was a bit too fast, the message was unclear, and it lacked a call to action.

In order to solve this design problem, I set out to make the promotional video as representative of the brand as possible. At the same time, I wanted to highlight the headlining bands, but also illuminate the importance of the subject matter: sea turtles. I chose to utilize the relevant colors included in the mood board as backdrop images and the saturation choices. I also chose images and videos of bands and sea turtles that seemed relevant to the brand. I slowed the text down and eliminated the areas where the information was too wordy. I also added a few effects in order to enhance the quality and visual appearance of the video. With this revision, one of the most important things that elevated this promotional video to a professional level was the inclusion of the new, effective logo and a call to action. The final video is below.

Connecting, Synthesizing, & Transforming:

During this course, I utilized prior resource material provided in past courses. For example, one of research papers involved an in depth look at inspiration for the media designer. In the process of researching and gathering information for this project, two things were further reiterated: the often non-linear design process, and the notion that designers merely receive information already presented, and reinterpret and innovate it. For this paper, I used inspiration from Margo Chase’s Creative Inspirations interview on Lynda. Writing this paper helped set my plan for this course in motion. Through utilizing past resources, I was able to grasp a deeper understanding of the media designer and his or her duty to their clients. In doing so, I set out to transform my design solutions in order to elevate them to professional levels. One of the main ways I needed to achieve this was by revising my projects so that they could be more cohesive. I wanted to have my entire branding consistent and effective.

Problem Solving:

Aside from taking inspiration and innovating it, the problem solving needed in this course was in relation to my fictional charity event, Loggerhead Cove. In my prior course, I had changed the name and event type. I made this decision in order to make it easier to have a cohesive and effective brand. Before, the idea of a sip and paint was not only translating well through my design solutions, but it also took away from the bands and subject matter. Therefore, in eliminating this aspect, I was able to focus solely on the sea turtles, and how this event intends to benefit them. 

While in this course, I solved the problems of coherency, clarity, effectiveness, including a strong call to action, illuminating the cause, and having a fluid brand. Not only were my design solutions indicative of my mood board, but they also effectively representing the Loggerhead Cove brand overall. 

I solved problems with my advertisements and took them from mere posters to effective functional ads. I also solved problems within my promotional video and took it from being inconsistent to a strong representation of my event and brand overall.

Innovative Thinking: 

The research paper sparked my desire to further my innovative thinking. During this course, I wanted to take this innovative thinking to another level. In prior courses, I had chosen to create strong branding characteristics through my use of copywriting within my advertisements. Specifically, I exhibited innovation by taking the idea of “talking trash,” relating it to my brand characteristic of the “alternative style,” and using it to promote the idea of eliminating ocean pollution.

Acquiring Competencies:

This course has been one of the strongest for me. Although it was a course in which I wasn’t given any new assignments, the process is one that I will carry with me throughout my entire design career. I have acquired competencies through maintaining the diligence and passion to get to know the software. At times, I had to put in hours outside of the classroom in order to teach myself how to bring the visions I had to life. I also learned not to be afraid to fail. Most importantly, I learned the value of reiterating my work. This is one of the things I initially feared when starting this program. In life, at times, I may have been too sensitive and taken feedback personally. In this course, and this program overall, I have amazed myself at my abilities to receive and incorporate feedback. This is one quality that all designers must possess. Being that I will be creating solutions for clients, I have to be able to absorb feedback at all times. Not only that, but I must also be able to apply it.

This course has taught me the value of continuously reiterating my work. I have truly learned that the design process is often nonlinear. As I receive feedback and new inspirations, it is always possible to revisit design solutions and try out new things. This is particularly important to realize as Media designers who aspire to work within the professional media and design industry. This course has given me a first-hand look at what it might be like to work one on one with potential clients. It’s also given me the courage to not be afraid to fail, to see successes as failures, and to constantly search for new answers.

As I continue on my journey as a media designer, I will continue to be brave in my pursuits. I plan to increase my knowledge of the software and tools that have been presented, but I also plan to constantly revisit some of my design solutions in times where I may have been re-inspired.

I see the value in designers like Margo Chase and her Chase Design Group. I appreciate their insight, their design process, and their diligence to pass the torch and keep the exciting world in which right and wrong answers cease to exist alive.

References: 

Chase, M. (2008, September 04). Creative Inspirations: Margo Chase, Graphic Designer. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/Typography-tutorials/margochasegraphicdesigner/685-2.html

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Design Integration Reflection

The Design Integration course has definitely been a treat. For the first time throughout my mastery journey, I have been able to focus solely on elevating my work to professional levels.

At the beginning of the course, I mapped out the exact projects that I would revisit and revise. During this course, I chose to revise the charitable sea turtle event that I had created. I chose this because this is the last project that I had completed, and it was still fresh in my mind. I still had a grasp on exactly the vision I had for this project, and had grown an emotional attachment to it. I also truly saw the potential of this project being a part of my professional portfolio, and worthy of client presentation.

While revising the elements of my charitable sea turtle event, I conducted resources on a number of sources. One of the first sources was that of prior courses (Branding, Defining Client Needs, Organizational Structures, Design Research, Copywriting). Revisiting these courses allowed me to draw on past skills and knowledge that I had attained. For example, I drew inspiration from the characteristics in creating a brand that I learned from the branding course. Here, I made important decisions that would enhance the effect of my brand (like changing the event name, creating fluid colors, relevant texts, and incorporating elements that were reflected in the mood board). I also utilized some of the copywriting skills that I have learned in order to create ads, and work on the branding for the website and logo.

Additionally, I used a number of texts that we had previously studied. I often referred to David Airey’s “Logo Design Love” in order to make sure that I always incorporated his seven elements of iconic logos. I used his knowledge (as well as the instructor’s) in order to propel the elevation of my logo. Here, I ultimately made the decision to get rid of the sea turtle graphic, and stuck with a logo type. The logo type was representative of a strong logo that was simple, memorable, focused on one thing, and distinct.

Being that this project included my web design comps, I also used “The Principles of Beautiful Web Design.” I pulled information from this text in order to create web design comps that were more effective and user friendly. For example, I utilized suggestions like making elements visually appealing and not making things too wordy. This is because web viewers and consumers respond to things that are easy to navigate and provide quick solutions to their questions.

For this project, I was solving the problem of fluidity and coherence. My previous charitable sea turtle event included elements that did not necessarily fit well together. For example, the event was a sip and paint entitled “The Painted Hatchling.” Elements in my mood board and logo did not accurately display the element of painting and sipping. Therefore, there was a disconnect between the brand and brand elements. The logo I had created did not convey this aspect of the event either. Additionally, the logo also posed some design constraints. The logo type and logo mark did not fit well together. Without the logo type, the logo mark risked appearing too much like clip art. Yet, together, they did not provide the most effective solution because the logo type was confined into the tiny space of the logo mark. This problem made it difficult to read the logo type across multiple media platforms.

In order to solve these problems, I changed the name of the event and completely rebranded. I removed the element of the sip and paint, which allowed me to focus more on the bands and sea turtles. I also changed the logo by removing the logo mark and sticking to a logo type only. According to the industry, these revisions portrayed a stronger branding solution. For example, the revised mood board now included a font called “rock out” and this was indicative of the “alternative” characteristic and type of bands headlining the event. To continue, the logo type also accurately portrayed this element. The web comps also included elements of the “aquatic” characteristic by incorporating blue and green colors and utilizing a background image of an ocean.

My work is innovative because the subject matter is an oxymoron. On the one hand, sea turtle relief efforts are usually not considered very alternative or hard core. Therefore, adding the element of alternative indie-rock bands makes this event that much more appealing and inclusive. I also created ads for the event. The ads state “Let’s talk trash. It saves lives.” This provides a uniquely interesting call to action that stands apart from previously done charity design projects in the industry. This is because it takes a subject that is sentimental and puts an edge on it by adding the alternative elements and indie rock bands.

These advertisements will be what the first phase of revisions for the following course.

Throughout this process, I learned the importance of a fluid brand. I learned how to create a mood board that accurately portrays all elements included throughout the brand material. For example, each element that I went on to design displayed the key characteristics that not only the mood board portrayed, but also the brand in its entirety. I learned how important it is for consumers to be able to easily identify the brand and brand elements.

I also enhanced my skills with Adobe illustrator. I learned how to better navigate across the program, and manipulate problems in order to achieve ideal solutions. As I progress, I plan to continue working on elevating this project in order to be able to put it in my graduate professional portfolio. Although I did not get to in this course, I plan on creating a better motion graphic and promotional video. I also plan on creating more digital advertisements.

This course has helped reiterate how nonlinear the design process can be. It has also shown me the value in diligently revising my work and constantly striving for the most effective solutions. I will carry these tools into my professional career.

References (below):

Beaird, J., & George, J. (2014, June 17). The Principles of Beautiful Web Design, 3rd Edition. Retrieved August 17, 2018, from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/web-design-and-development/9781457174353/the-principles-of-beautiful-web-design/ch01_html?percentage=0&reader=html#X2ludGVybmFsX0h0bWxWaWV3P3htbGlkPTk3ODE0NTcxNzQzNTMlMkZjaDAxX2h0bWwmcXVlcnk9

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Initial mood board designs for charitable sea turtle concert. 

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Effective Copywriting: Reflections

I have truly appreciated George Felton’s “Advertising: Concept and Copy.” In “How to Be Creative,” I related a lot to the process of free association. Throughout this course, I strived to take my creativity to another level. Rather than plan everything out first-hand, I wanted to give my creative thoughts the chance to flow freely. As suggested, Free association is “the process of letting one idea suggest another, one word imply the next, one image beget two.” This is the first takeaway that I would like to exercise throughout the rest of my Mastery journey and career as a designer.

In many ways, I strived to find more than one solution to my advertisement problems. This is the second takeaway that I would like to continue applying. I often played around with the typography elements, the colors, and the placement of text. Although I started off with three strong images, I wanted the elements to work cohesively in order to strengthen the message and provide maximum effectiveness. Therefore, I made sure that each element complimented the images rather than took away from them.

My third takeaway is one of the greatest assets that I appreciate in this course: the ability to consider more than one point of view. George Felton’s text highlighted the myriad of ways that advertisements can “speak” to a brand’s target audience. This allowed me to put myself into the shoes of multiple people (and things), and in turn, gave me the freedom to test out many different viewpoints when creating my ads. I knew that I wanted to speak from the viewpoint of the hunger victim, but I also wanted to speak from the viewpoint of Bread for the World. One concept that was incredibly important to me was displaying the positive effects of contributing to the organization. I was able to do so by speaking from the voice of a hunger survivor, and providing supporting text from Bread for the World’s organization. Effective Copywriting has been my favorite course so far, and I truly look forward to the number of copywriting possibilities that await as a media designer.

I have enjoyed creating an advertising campaign for Bread for the World.

Also, here is my Behance account. 

Bread for the World | Testimonial Advertisements:

This image depicts a working woman. Because women are often the farmers and providers of food in underdeveloped countries, I felt that it was important to portray world hunger from the prospective of the provider. I believe that this ad choice utilizes Felton's Power of Fact, as does the other three similar ads. When dissecting Felton's types of voices that can be used to for ads, this particular choice is multifaceted. It can represent the perspective of an expert (because she is not only an expert on her craft & its threats, but also because she is someone who suffers from world hunger and its effects firsthand). 

This advertisement utilizes factual information, numbers, and analysis. As Felton and Smallish suggest, the copywriting is specific, yet not too vague. I chose this ad option in order to highlight the fact that sometimes it isn't the lack of food, but rather, the quality of it. This ad choice raises awareness by providing a different perspective and more information on the topic of world hunger and malnourishment. 

I feel as if this is one of my stronger ads. Here, the intended audience is giving an up close and personal interaction with a hunger victim. However, rather than portraying the effects of world hunger, I wanted to portray the effects of contributing to Bread for the World. I felt as if it was important to show the positive results that come with contributing. This not only increases believability, but it also encourages more participation. 

As I continue my mastery journey, I will revisit these advertisements and make them as meaningful and professional as this one. This ad depicts a heart superimposed on a bowl of food. The food is nutritious to represent the accessibility to quality, nutrient-dense food to those that suffer from hunger and malnutrition. I chose this ad because I wanted to promote equality. The copywriting suggests that we are all the same. It slightly suggests a hierarchy, and forces the viewer to put themselves in the shoes of hunger victims. For this ad, I felt as if I utilized Smallish's the concepts of "Designing a Print Ad" the best by effectively incorporating the image, the copywriting text, and making sure they work cohesively.

Here is my Behance account. 

References:

Bread for the World. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2018, from http://www.bread.org/

Felton, G. (2013). Advertising: Concept and Copy. New York: Norton & Company.

Smallish, C. (2014, May 27). Designing a Print Ad. Retrieved April 22, 2018, from https://www.lynda.com/Design-Page-Layout-tutorials/Designing-Print-Ad/155264-2.html

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This is an advertisement for Blood Equality. This ad is emotional, compelling, and effectively fulfills all four tasks of a powerful headline. The text “My Blood Type is Type O, Not Type Homo,” attracts attention, selects an audience, delivers a complete message, and draws the reader into the body copy. The size, placement, and color of this text all draw attention, however, the use of powerful words (like homo) help to deliver a complete message, select a broader audience, and draw the reader into the body copy. Type O blood is generally considered the universal blood type. Because of its universal ability to be donated, it provides a unique twist and witty argument on discrimination. Saving a person’s life is often dependent upon the blood type that can be donated to him. His blood type isn’t his sexuality. It isn’t his sexuality that is going to be donated to save a person’s life. This is further supported in the body copy that states “The blood supply is tested to ensure safety…Why are they typecasting my blood…Discrimination is discrimination.” When analyzing the Headline Writing Basics, this headline works because it says the message simply and directly, authenticates your proposition with a little something extra (“this is why it’s time for science, not stigma”), poses a provocative question (“why are they typecasting my blood?”), offers useful information, and relays an honest, enthusiastic testimonial.

I keep up with news and current events daily and often serve as an activist for causes that I truly believe in. For this reason, this advertisement touches my soul. It exudes a strong message and is an accurate representation of all four tasks of a powerful headline as well. The bold and black text against a neutral background attracts attention. It also announces news and offers useful information. By incorporating facts from multiple countries, and by depicting the gun as an American flag, the advertisement successfully appeals to a broad audience and draws the reader into body copy. It delivers a complete message by including the text “God Bless America” and “Stop Handguns Before They Stop You.” The message here is that the use of handguns (and other firearms) are exponentially responsible for deaths in America (as opposed to other countries).  This headline works because it says the message simply and directly, states the big benefit (saving more lives), barks a command (“Stop Handguns Before They Stop You”), and offers useful information. The text “Stop Handguns Before They Stop You” also appeals to the “how-to” instinct by suggesting safety and the reduction of deaths by firearms.

I chose Cards Against Humanity because of my love for the game. The copy in this brand successfully attracts attention, selects an audience, and delivers a complete message. The title itself does all three! When I initially heard of the game, I thought “What do you mean, Cards Against Humanity? What does that entail?” The name is clever and piques the interest of an audience by evoking curiosity. The subtext identifies the audience and effectively delivers a complete message. “A party game for horrible people,” also parallels the fact that the game suggests being against humanity. “Horrible people” can be taken sarcastically (or literal to those who may not like living life on the wild side) and implies that the intended audience may have a unique sense of humor, enjoy sarcasm, or find joy and amusement in the extremities that the game includes. Because of the simplicity and directness of the copy, this headline works. It also works because it uses strong words like “against,” “humanity,” “party,” and “horrible.”

Out of all of the examples that I have chosen, this is the simplest, yet most convincing. It attracts attention, delivers a complete message, and draws the reader into the body copy. In fact, for me, the lack of blatant identification of an audience can imply that the audience is everyone. Having “scared” in big, bold, red letters not only attracts attention, but it also makes the reader want to read the body copy. All text is carefully placed and formatted against a black background. This strengthens the image chosen and supports the intended message of African American men being dangerous people to fear. It is the subtext that contributes to the complete message being delivered. “You Should Be. He’s A Dentist,” is a witty response that lets the audience know that they should be scared, but only because the man depicted is a dentist. The message argues that African American men should not be feared because of their racial background. Instead, if one were to be afraid of the African American man depicted, it should only be because he is a dentist. Who isn’t scared of going to the dentist? This headline works because it conveys the message simply and directly. It also poses a provocative question, offers useful information, and authenticates the proposition with a little something extra.

This is an advertisement meant for fighting cancer. It attracts attention, selects an audience, delivers a complete message and draws the reader into the body copy. While “Calling All Rebels. You Now Have A Cause” suggests that the intended audience is rebels, it can also be implied that the audience includes those that are battling cancer (and possibly friends, family, and loved ones who are battling cancer). A rebel without a cause is a commonly known phrase. In this context, it supports the ad by attracting attention, delivering a complete message, and drawing the reader into the body copy. Although people generally look at being a rebel without a cause as a negative thing, this ad promotes it as a positive thing. Here, being a rebel is encouraged because it means fighting for cancer relief efforts. The message is illuminated simply and directly. By including “Sign Up, Raise Money, Save Lives,” the ad states the big benefit and barks a command.

References:

Rieck, Rick. “Headline Writing Basics: What Every Headline Should Do and 9 Proven Ways to Do It.” Retrieved from: <https://online.fullsail.edu/class_sections/33234/modules/68882/activities/469612>

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As I press forward on my Mastery Journey, it is important to do a SWOT analysis in order to determine my current strengths and weaknesses and fully understand my threats and opportunities. As a result, the SWOT analysis will reveal areas that need improvement and encourage a solution-driven approach to increasingly striving to be the best in my field. 

In the Media Design industry, potential threats are both abundant and inevitable. This industry is much different than that of Psychology or Medicine. Here, there are a number of solutions to one problem. There are growing numbers of people who have more knowledge. There are always people who have the potential to present solutions that are more innovative or convincing. As I learn more about myself and my capabilities, I look forward to gaining a better understanding of Tiary Degrate as a brand. I intend to further discover what sets me apart from my competition. What makes me unique? What are some of the key characteristics I can provide as a designer, but no one else can? In order to surpass my threats, I have to gain a better understanding of my strengths. 

During my time in Brand Development, I have noticed that one of my biggest strengths is the ability to design solutions that are instilled with big personalities. This strength has highlighted my ability to see things differently. Because I see things differently, I am often able to think outside of the box and provide solutions that are either innovative and creative or exceed the minimum qualifications. 

While giving my designs life is a strength, some facets can pose signs of weakness. For example, at times, I struggle with allowing the client’s needs to prevail over my own personal choices. To combat this, I strive to learn how to not only take direction better but to also take that direction and elevate it to heights that exceed expectations. While doing my final revisions, I took suggestions from my professor and fellow classmates. One of those suggestions was to focus on the need of the client but still incorporate my own personality. Also for my final toolbox revisions, I worked to create a cohesive brand toolbox with the highest level of accuracy and professionalism. In doing so, I narrowed my logo designs down to the final solution that not only best conveyed the culture, geography, and traditions of Kyoto, but also worked harmoniously with the colors, typography, and overall brand. I also changed the designer's notes so that they highlighted the reasoning behind my design choices, rather than describing the toolbox that they represented. 

Part of my decision to get my Master’s in Media Design was because of the opportunities that it would present. My biggest goal is to have my own culturally diverse lifestyle magazine. The skills obtained throughout this program will present much more than the opportunity to fuel my own dream, however. My magazine has the potential to be either a hobby that I only do on the side, or a major source of income. Still, the tools that I master in this program will aid in me being more of a viable candidate in the fields of media and design. With this program, I truly feel as if the opportunities are limitless. I have already seen that I am laying down the building blocks towards my ideal future. Even beyond the program, the skills obtained will continuously teach me and encourage further growth.

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My first time designing logo sketches! 

I want to keep these forever.

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Defining Client Needs: Week 1 Activity Post

Defining Client Needs is a course that I have looked forward to before even enrolling into Full Sail University. Sure, I have had an extensive background in design, but anyone can design something. Not everyone can successfully tackle the business aspects, however. Not everyone can visually communicate a compelling story. Not everyone can be innovative. Not everyone can sell a product.

There are a number of components that drive successful media campaigns. While many aspects have the ability to vary from project to project, understanding a client’s need is one that can never be ignored. This is because the root of media design is to provide convincing content to targeted audiences. For this reason, media campaigns rely heavily on the client-designer relationship. Possessing a strong client-designer relationship is crucial to every aspect of the branding, designing, and media campaign output.

In order to successfully tackle the core characteristics that I must attain throughout this course, it is vital to understand the purpose of my time in graduate school on a holistic level. In watching the video archive for this week, I learned a number of useful tools that will positively influence my graduate student experience. The first thing that I want to highlight is criticism. I chose criticism first because it has been a concept that I have not received too well for a great bit of my life. I have always been told that I’m one of those people who “can’t take constructive criticism.” As horrible as that sounds, I am not afraid to admit that it had been true. I grew up as a perfectionist, and for a while, I assumed that if I hadn’t done it right, I had done it wrong. There was a period in my life where everything was black and white. To me, not receiving positive feedback or affirmations meant that I had done something incorrectly. This is probably why I grew to love design so much. Here in this world, there was no right or wrong answer. There was only perspective. Colors. Creativity. Stories. Inspiration. That is what initially drew me towards this career field: the ability to color outside of the lines.

I strive to be the best in everything that I do. In most cases this means being able to receive constructive criticism. Still, just hearing the criticism is not enough. I understand that in order to be a great, innovative, and professional media designer, I must learn to absorb criticism and utilize it. In this industry, criticism will come from all angles. On the one hand, I must be able to understand the criticism from mentors, clients, or co-workers. With this criticism, I must actually possess the ability to apply it to my work. On the other hand, there will be a ton of criticism from people who may not like or agree with my work. In these cases, it might be my job to focus instead on the people who do.

Another important thing that I gained from the video archive was the emphasis on research. Sure, research is being presented as the “backbone” of graduate studies, but it is also a critical component that I will forever have to utilize as a designer. As a designer, there will never come a time that research will not be necessary. As a part of my graduate journey, I will need to utilize research to reach innovative conclusions. It is also important to validate my thinking (and support my decisions), enrich my knowledge as a professional media designer, further develop my expertise, and dig deeper into the references that I utilize so that I may discover more from other experienced professionals. Research also allows me to elevate and rewrite concepts that have already been presented.

Every skill obtained during my graduate journey will ultimately enhance my ability to think critically, expand my creativity and ability to supply innovative work, and strengthen my ability to problem solve.

With all of that being said, I do still have a few questions and concerns that have the ability to impact my future success. These questions are as follows:

1.     How do I gain a better sense of self & obtain the confidence that will allow me to accept constructive criticism?

2.     How exactly do you differentiate between criticism that is helpful and criticism that is useless and must be ignored?

3.     What are some limitations that past Media Designers have experienced?

4.     What makes a Media Designer successful?

Action Plan

Vision & Expectations of the MDMFA program: As I illuminated in my last course, I initially thought that I would be doing one thing: enhancing my graphic design skills. The Mastery: Personal Leadership & Development course proved me wrong, however. This journey would be a lot more than enhancing my art skills. I quickly learned that it would require an extensive amount of personal reflection, research, critical thinking, analysis, and graduate level problem-solving. As I think of my time in the media design program, I envision me consistently stepping outside of my comfort zone. As it was suggested, we must be innovative and do more than what is asked. I never really had a problem with being an overachiever, so this should come easily for me. I expect to constantly push the boundaries and provide innovative content. I also expect to go above and beyond in an effort to consistently challenge myself. I have already been noticing how much I enjoy my decision to choose Full Sail. I have approached each week with so much excitement that I expect to continue reaping the benefits of finally doing what I love! I see myself growing on a personal and professional level. I also expect to have a clearer vision of exactly what career path I would like to take after graduating. I want to have a mentor, and I also want to have already started my lifestyle blog. My level of commitment is bursting at the seams. In my last course, we received the suggestion of “tricking” ourselves into believing that assignments are due a day before they actually are. I initially thought it was a brilliant idea but have been thoroughly surprised with myself! While part of me wants to believe that I took that suggestion, I know that a lot of my diligence and deep-seated commitment comes from the fact that I truly enjoy what I am doing. I am always super excited to see my assignments for the week and grow even more excited to work on them. I have had a number of personal things going on in my life, and honestly, my undergraduate self would have taken time off. I have no desire to do that here. Each day, I grow more and more amazed with myself. Even in spite of the challenges that life has thrown me, I still have a deep desire to get my school assignments done. Also unlike undergraduate me, I am actually able to turn off my problems and focus on the assignment. See, I am growing a TON on a personal level throughout this journey. And it’s only month two.

<<< Action Plan Goals >>>

Utilize Effective Customer Needs Analysis checklist by Strategyn

Study the Job Map from Strategyn

Apply each week’s material by designing something new

Learn how to improve my client-designer relationships

Determine what platforms and media to use based on client desires

Read What Customers Want by Tony Ulwick

Accept criticism and apply it to the following week’s assignment

My long-range goals as a professional media designer:

1.     Constantly challenge myself; never settle for minimum effort.

2.     Always strive to communicate on a DIVERSE level.

3.     Strive to challenge the boundaries of what is socially acceptable.

4.     Re-write how our society views differences in race, culture, religion, sexuality & gender

5.     Create the most BADASS lifestyle blog, lifestyle Magazine & lifestyle brand.

6.     Provide the information that many lack on living a holistic & healthy lifestyle.

7.     Include affordable and diverse options.

8.     Accept criticism; work on growing a thick skin.

9.     Never question myself! BE ME! Stand firm. Be confident.

10.  Learn how to back up my decisions and provide reasonable evidence & support.

References below

Adams, S. (2017, May 31). What is Graphic Design? Retrieved February 04, 2018, from https://www.lynda.com/Graphic-Design-tutorials/What-Graphic-Design/614734-2.html?srchtrk=index%3A1%0Alinktypeid%3A2%0Aq%3Awhat%2Bis%2Bgraphic%2Bdesign%0Apage%3A1%0As%3Arelevance%0Asa%3Atrue%0Aproducttypeid%3A

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29 Things Young Designers Need to Know

note to self: read. consecutively. forever.

references below.

29 Things Young Designers Need to Know. (2014, December 24). Retrieved February 03, 2018, from http://www.howdesign.com/design-career/29-things-young-designers-need-to-know/

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Pain: Inevitable. Suffering: Optional.

When I was encouraged to create my own inspirational advice blog during my freshman year in college, I instantly knew exactly what I wanted to do. Having worked with Whateverlife.com, the #1 source for Myspace Layouts and Graphics, I had accumulated a close relationship with its creator, Ashley Qualls, and also a unique preoccupation with HTML & CSS coding. It was these two factors that contributed to the fact that I had already designed my entire blog in my own head. 

I chose Tumblr as a platform, and while the skills were a bit different, the basic understanding of HTML, CSS coding, and web design came easily. I absolutely loved it. I quickly found myself obsessed with tweaking the elements of my blog; changing the colors, playing with texts, and designing new logos could have me sitting in front of the computer for hours.

While my success came from my content, I often pondered which I loved more. Was it the writing? Or the designing? Here I was with an understanding of web design, yet I was incredibly consumed with taking my prior knowledge and applying it to something that was new to me: the Tumblr platform. 

My blog brought great opportunities. I had over 200,000 views, spoke with the editor of Seventeen Magazine, held a huge webcam party (that almost broke the internet), and had so many questions that I couldn't even answer them all. My advice was a success, but I was incredibly proud of my design skills. I knew that this is what I wanted to do forever. Not because I could find or create beauty in everything, but because I loved accumulating and manipulating new knowledge.

With the creation of my blog, there were a number of design techniques that I chose to utilize.  My blog was titled "The Chronicles of a Broken Heart." In the logo and all written texts, I would put the word 'broken' inside of bracket symbols: The Chronicles of a [Broken] Heart. As I had to explain a number of times to many subscribers, I chose to put broken in brackets not only because of one of my favorite quotes but also because it represented a lot about where I was at that time, and where I was going. Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Everyone is bound to experience pain and heartbreak at one time or another. However, it's the suffering and broken-heartedness that do not necessarily have to be certain. I am a firm believer in the notion that we hold the key to our own destiny. To put one word in brackets suggested a ton of self-love, and encouraged inspiration and strong minds overall. In addition to that choice, I made visual choices as well. My entire blog was black. However, the text and additional content were accented by my favorite colors. Another play on visual design and word choice.

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see my logo in action below. 

just a basic logo for the purposes of this week’s assignment.

[references located below as well]

References:

Logo Design • Create a Logo - The Custom Logo Designer. (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://www.logogarden.com/

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LinkIn with me, yo.

or, you know, connect with me on LinkedIn. 

Whichever you prefer.

www.linkedin.com/in/tiarydegrate

This is cool. I have truly enjoyed this Mastery Course. I feel fancy.

*sips tea with pinky out*

references below:

References:

Tiary Degrate. (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2018, from linkedin.com/in/tiarydegrate

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Created a Papaly during my third week in Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership. Similar to Pinterest, Papaly allows me to create a board in which I post bookmarks to various inspirational tools and networks. 

Excited, yet slightly confuzzled. 

Find my Papaly here.

https://papaly.com/tiarydegrate

references below:

References:

Tiary degrate. (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://papaly.com/tiarydegrate

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My Life’s Task: Week 3 Discussion Post

I love multiple things, but the two things that I love the most are writing and designing. I truly believe that my life’s task is to inspire others, specifically through my writing and design endeavors. Although I have a strong inclination (and underlying wish) that my endeavors will eventually lead me on the path to writing books, I need to focus on the truth. I am a phenomenal writer, but I do not enjoy writing like I enjoy designing. I am passionate about communicating across various media platforms. I love designing different campaigns and providing for a broad audience. I hope to bridge the gap between social, cultural, and racial barriers in art.

As a freshman in college, I started an inspirational blog that received great praise. My current desire is to start a new lifestyle blog that will allow me to incorporate all of the things that I love doing. Although I had been coding since I was a teenager, my first blog was the first endeavor that I had truly realized the depths of my life’s task. I believe that this was the first personal step on my Mastery Journey that I took towards pursuing my life’s task. One positive thing that I gained from that experience was the understanding that I had a powerful voice that inspired thousands around the world. With all great success, comes struggles, however. This leads me to my negative experience, and what I learned from it. As my blog grew, I began to feel more and more pressure to perform and constantly outdo myself with my content. While I had a ton of positive people in my corner, I started to see a trickle of negative people who either did not agree with me and my viewpoints or did not like my persona entirely. This negativity started to consume me, made me feel insecure, and made me question my life’s task. Because of my newly discovered low confidence, I stopped blogging altogether.

This brings me to Robert Greene’s “Strategies for Acquiring Social Intelligence.” In it, I found a sort of stressful, yet comforting concept. A negative thing about being a Master (or a human being in general), is that there will always be some sort of parasitic counterforce that attempts to pollute your mind. This very thought invokes a sense of fear, reminding me of the challenges that I have had to overcome in order to have even earned my seat in life present-day. However, I believe that for every negative thing, there’s also something positive. The positive here is that the negative can be combatted. Sometimes, standing up for what you believe in can result in your demise. In Greene’s section “Speak Through Your Work,” he tells the story of Ignaz Semmelweis, who, through his insistence of improper protocols enforced his beliefs upon many in the medical field with great frustration. Although his frustration was cultivated through the amount of people who constantly shunned his theories when he thought the evidence was blatantly apparent, Semmelweis carried his negative resentments throughout the rest of his career. This reminded me of many martyrs who have changed the scope of mankind. Martin Luther King Jr., for example, was one such martyr. While his beliefs, sentiments, and speeches gave way to the more inclusive society that we live in today, they led to his own assassination. Speaking through his work brought him great recognition. Even in death, his voice still resonates.

To stand far more “socially intelligent,” as Greene calls it, can often pose a threat to those within our society. People are so used to either doing things by the book or giving away what power they hold themselves, that they are often uninviting to new innovations. One powerful take-all that I have gained from this week’s reading is the understanding and courage to stand firm in what I believe. As Greene points out, we will always encounter fools along our journey. However, we can “Suffer Fools Gladly,” and truly prevail.

Another negative thing that I discovered is that our personality and our actions will reflect on the world, and if we are not careful, our persona can come in between our Mastery Journey and our success. This concept tugs on the strings of my heart. We have all heard that you should “never judge a book by its cover.” I try to practice this principle in all of my affairs, and I truly despise people judging in this manner. I truly believe that it is important to consider the content of someone’s character. A person’s outer appearance is hardly ever an accurate depiction of who they truly are. It also isn’t fair to judge someone for these reasons. I will choose to introduce Donald Trump for explaining purposes here. A close friend of mine and I have been debating on politics for some time. While neither of us support Donald Trump as a president, I am not afraid to express my sentiments on the fella. She, however, hates hearing of my sentiments in the way that I so deeply present them. I do not know Donald Trump personally, so the way I speak about him is unfair to her. While many American citizens may understand and value his points as a valid businessman, others refute him as the president of our country because they despise his persona. It is the characteristics that he portrays, his actions, and his words that inevitably led people to deem him untrustworthy and unfit to run or represent our country as a whole. My fear of a brewing war-zone is her fuel to turn the other cheek. Through my debates with her, I have realized that I am a fool myself! In many ways, I have had a double-standard. Greene insists that if we are able to see the fool in ourselves, we will be better able to handle others and overcome difficult situations.  

Again, as I mentioned earlier, for every negative, there is a positive. Just as people judging one on their physical characteristics or persona overall is negative, I find positivity in Greene’s dissection of Temple Grandin’s experiences. In the “See Yourself as Others See You” section, Greene argues that it is important to be able to recognize the positive and negative attributes that your audience experiences in relation to you. Because Temple Grandin wanted to perfect her craft and her persona, she truly absorbed the feedback from others. Rather than taking things personally and quitting or putting others down, Temple Grandin would take her shortcomings and use them in order to further advance herself towards being the ideal individual that she wanted to be. In doing so, she learned exactly how to have a more positive impact on others. I aspire to be more like Temple Grandin in my Mastery Journey. I want to utilize my negative and positive attributes in order to become a better Master. Even with the negative situations and difficult fools that are still waiting to pursue me, I will prevail.

References:

Greene, R. (2012). Mastery. New York, New York. Penguin Group (USA).

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The Last Lecture:

"The Last Lecture," given by Randy Pausch, left me no choice but to reflect on my own existence. As I took inventory on my life, and all of the events that encompassed it, I was compelled to revisit what once was my greatest fear: death. As a child, I possessed an innocently beautiful perspective that Robert Greene calls the Original Mind. With this mindset, I perceived everything in life as glitter and rainbows. Possibilities were endless, and nothing bad or evil existed. The world as I saw it was shattered when I was six years old, however. My best friend had died in a terrible accident, and the remnants left me entangled within the Conventional Mindset before my time.

"The Last Lecture" has provided me with a deeper understanding of my life, and the way that I perceive the world. Before I had experienced death, the thought of the pure, limitless, and creatively beautiful life that I had witnessed seemed incapable of being disrupted. Life coming to an end, even for something as small as an ant, seemed unfathomable. How could a world so beautiful bring such detriment and turmoil? I struggled with understanding this possibility, just as I had struggled to understand that my best friend, whom I had just played with prior to the weekend, was never coming back. As a result, I grew extremely terrified of death. My fear of dying led to an obsessive and compulsive childhood in which I desperately tried to combat death in every way possible. I kept myself from living, because I was afraid to die.

This is why Paush’s lecture moved me so much. To be on his deathbed, and choose to live rather than exist is truly remarkable. It reflected the opening and awareness of his Dimensional Mind. He was both knowledgeable, and welcoming to using his knowledge in new and original ways.

I also found myself envious for a short period of time. Pausch appeared to have such a good life. He also possessed the loving, affectionate, and validating parents that I had always longed for. I noticed myself thinking “of course he would be able to defy his existence in his final days; he knew what it meant to live!” I had to realize that I was starting to look at the things that I did not have, and inevitably clouding the message. This concept is synonymous to Greene’s dissection in Cultivating Negative Capability. According to Greene, John Keats introduced Negative Capability as the ability to transcend the ego, experience what you are seeing, and avoid the desire to make a judgement. Pausch exuded Negative Capability in his entire aura. To be dying, and successfully living at the same time is impeccable. Even in the midst of decay, he is still able to endure and embrace the mystery and uncertainty that each day brings.

One of Greene’s Creative Strategies is Altering the Perspective. I chose this concept for two reasons: first, I had to alter my own perspective in order to understand Pausch’s lecture and parallel it to Greene’s Mastery suggestions; and second, because I believe it is a vital component in Pausch’s life, and in life in general. Everything is about perspective. As human beings, we receive and process information much faster than we are able to truly comprehend. Pausch admits his distaste of dying, and while he may not understand why he is dying, (especially while having three young children), it is the ability to alter his perspective that allows him to surpass his circumstances and make the most of the time he has left. Instead of occupying his time consumed with the “how,” he exercised the “why” by constructing valuable ethics. In turn, these ethics will be embedded in the souls of his children, inevitably allowing him to live on forever.  

Understanding Greene’s suggestions in Awakening the Dimensional Mind is crucial to my life and my Mastery Journey. His concepts (as well as the concepts of Randy Pausch), show me how to live. Although I am only in week two of this course, I truly feel as if I am getting a second chance at life. In combatting the inevitable counterforces that have clouded my creativity, I will utilize Greene’s suggestions every-day for as long as I live. His concepts do more than merely guide Masters; they build character and create leaders who will change the scope of the world. Greene’s concepts are helping me understand myself, and the world we live in. Understanding these concepts inspires me to give back what was so freely given to me.

Bibliography

Greene, R. (2012). Mastery. New York, New York. Penguin Group (USA).

The Last Lecture.” Performance by Randy Pausch, Youtube, 26 May 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=BODHsU3hDo4.