Traits as a Team Member

Chosen from a list of 20 positive traits, these are the five that describe me the most:

- Helpful
- Frank
- Intelligent
- Adaptable
- Cooperative

Chosen from a list of 20 negative traits, these are the five that describe me the most:

- Unmotivated
- Uncommitted
- Aloof
- Flighty
- Passive

As a team member I am easy to get along with. I can bring to the table my skills and ideas as well as listen to those of others and welcome what they have to offer. I am not usually the one to make the final decision as to which direction the project should go in as I can adapt to doing it most ways; but I am honest and if I can see that a certain direction won't work, I'll give my input. I am also extremely helpful and often find myself dropping my own work to help others with theirs (perhaps that's also my being 'flighty' or easily distracted). My biggest obstacle is finding motivation to finish projects. I can easily find a hundred things to distract myself from getting something completed and it's sometimes a feat to overcome that.

Inspirational Person

When asked to write about someone who has influenced my life, without a doubt the first person that came to mind is my dad. It’s difficult to put into words how he inspires me but he does so every time I’m around him and every time I talk to him. Without my dad I certainly would not be the person I am today and would not have made it this far in school or any aspect of my life for that matter. He is the person in my life that I respect the most for many, many reasons, but mainly because he respects me. He has gone through the things of life that I go through (good or bad, right or wrong) and is always there with mountains of support even if I only need a little bit.
Since I was a child he has opened my eyes to many things whether it be taking me to different parts of the world or letting me play on his computer when I was four years old even when he knew I would likely break it. The main thing he has inspired me to be however is a good person. He is honest, patient, respectable, intelligent, open-minded, creative, not quick to judge, talented and a teacher. He is a renaissance man. He has shown me that there is no point in worrying, stressing or losing sleep over petty things. Through listening to him, talking to him and being around him at his job he has shown me the human condition. He is a rock. A complete inspiration.

He is the best person I could ask to have in my life.

How I Spend My Time

For this week we were asked to break down the hours roughly spent on each of the following activities during an average week:

Reading
a) Books: 13 hours
b) Newspapers: 0
c) Magazines: 0.5 hours
Listening to the radio: 4 hours
Listening to music: 70+ hours
Watching TV/movies: 9 hours
Email
a) # of messages sent: 10
b) Received: 60
Web use
a) General surfing: 40 hours
b) Facebook use: Likely 30+ hours (constantly being used in the background of other activities)
Playing video games: 0 hours
Cell phone use
a) Talking: 6 hours
b) Texting
i) # of messages sent: 50
ii) # of messages received: 70

How I approach a new design

When I am given a new project, I rarely jump right into it and fully immerse myself. I rather read over the brief, my notes, and any sketches I took down during the briefing to familiarize myself with what needs to be done, what is expected, and what the client is looking for. This happens the same day I am given the project and for the next couple of days I let it sit in the back of my mind, which helps me notice things during my day-to-day activities that relate to the project and that ultimately give me inspiration. For example when I was working on an assignment campaign for the TTC I noticed all of the existing TTC ads on billboards, bus shelters, in newspapers, etc. that I would have otherwise not paid as close attention to but since I had this campaign assignment in the back of my mind, it helped me to see what is currently being done and how it could be done better.

Further brainstorming and sketches follow the information and inspiration gathering and I will brainstorm with friends and classmates whenever possible. I find the best ideas come from this because the complete nonsense that comes out of those conversations sparks greater ideas.

How do I create?

Of the suggestions that we discussed to Keep Creativity Alive, the one that I related most to was “travel as much as possible”. I look for the wonder in all things and my creativity is spurred by a muse. I was fortunate to have spent weeks in Europe this past summer visiting London and Barcelona and the different design that was present (whether it be architecture, signage on storefronts, or even the vehicles) in comparison to what one would see in our own city was a huge inspiration for me. I was mainly floored by the incredible use of typography that was used on the majority of storefronts and it was difficult to find something that wasn’t unique or uninviting. However I don’t need to travel across the world to be inspired, I can be riding the bus or walking down the street and have a wave of creativity come across me. Traveling in general and changing my setting helps keep my creativity alive.

Who I am and what this means about my creative process, I suppose this could mean that I need external stimulation to trigger my creative process. I see what could be or what might be, but rarely focus on what currently is and that which is now the past to me, I look forwards to. My fantasy is based in realities, but pushed to the next step. I have too much going on in my head at any given time to sort it all out and going places – new, strange places – gets me past my headset and forces me to stretch. I am very social so new situations open my eyes to new possibilities; I am also very shy and new situations excite me, scare me a little bit and get my creative thoughts going.

So who am I in the context of creativity? Someone who has great creative skills but is just a lot more practical than crazy.

Worksheet One

I chose to be a designer because I love everything about it. I can’t go anywhere without being fascinated by a well designed poster, storefront sign or some of the amazing typography that is everywhere. I am simply drawn to it and I want to contribute to the good design that is in existence to make a difference to our society. There’s a certain pleasure in creating a piece that will evoke emotion and feeling in people that will attract them to buy a book or CD or to see a movie based on subconscious design.
I love being drawn to design more than the average person and looking at the use of a typeface on an ad and either loving it or cringing at it. I love being surrounded by people who are the same way and who I can share my disgust or love of a concept with.

Design is about delivering a message clearly and effectively to a viewer. It’s not about designing something just for aesthetics, it’s about designing something exclusively for a target group so that they become attached to it and can’t help but buy the product or service.

Design is important because it influences culture and shapes history. It’s also important because it is the result of a well thought out process that involves research, making mistakes and fine-tuning to get the ultimate and best end result that the world sees. It’s a process that isn’t a mistake. It’s important because a designer only has a few seconds to catch the viewer’s attention and so the design has to be effective in that short amount of time to convey a message. If that message is not conveyed, the design has failed and the target wasn’t reached to sell the product, service, etc.

Design is created by designers who are hired by a client for an intended purpose.

When I design it gives me a feeling like nothing else. I feel great when I am executing my idea that came from so much research and tuning however sometimes I find it difficult to produce work I am happy with under constant pressure. There is often little time to get something completed so it feels like I am just getting it done when it could have been made better. When I experience good design I get inspired. Something inside of me is stirred and I feel the need to create something innovative and different for the world.

Design is… communicating a message to a target.