Studying Design

Last month, I attended the Adobe Design Circle livestream event ‘Design Education Foundations: Challenges & Opportunities for 2021 & Beyond.’ This event was moderated by Khoi Vinh and included panelists Antionette Carroll, President & CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, Regine Gilbert, UX Designer & Professor at NYU, and Andrew Twigg, Professor at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Design.

I enjoyed the discussions from the panelists. It was really encouraging to hear some of their thoughts on design and the impact it has on our society. The panelists mentioned how there are a lot more design students who are interested in social issues and the impact design can have on such issues. With the increase of mobile devices and social media, we are no longer just consumers but content creators. And this provides great opportunities for advocacy, inclusion, and collaboration. I, personally, am really interested in using graphic design and digital art to advocate for environmental and social issues. I hope to use graphic design as a way to communicate my passions and show people how they can take care of the planet and each other.

I enjoyed listening to all of the panelists, but my favorite was Antionette. She spoke about things that I could personally relate to. She mentioned that there are many people who do not have access to a traditional education in design. For many communities, design is just a hobby. When you live in poverty, you’re just trying to survive. Design and creativity is viewed as a luxury that you can’t really afford. And so there are a lot of barriers that need to be broken down to help these communities understand that design and creative thinking can impact change! This is something I can definitely relate to…

Personal Life Story: I grew up in a socioeconomic disadvantaged community. Many of my peers lived in poverty; their only meals for the day were the breakfast and lunches they ate at school. My parents did not want me to struggle as they did, so they encouraged me to pursue a job in education. My love for art, graphic design, and photography was viewed as a foolish hobby, not something I could actually pursue as a career. And so I went to college to become a teacher.

Several years later, I realized that I still loved graphic design and that it is something I could pursue as a career. I decided to go to a community college and take a few design courses in the evening while I worked full-time. And then the time came when I could finally transfer to a university! It’s taken me a lot longer than I would have liked, but I am happy to be almost be done with my B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Digital Communication!

All of that to say…I understand some of those barriers, expectations, limited access, and educational disparities. But I also know the importance of design and the power of bringing different perspectives to the table. I am a life-long learner and continually seek opportunities and experiences that will help me become a better, well-rounded, creative individual.

The panelists mentioned that it is important for students to learn who they are, explore their own way of thinking, break the rules, and get out of the mind of perfectionism. It is only when people push the boundaries that innovative and creative thinking can happen. So, my goal this year is to become more inquisitive and explore new ways of creativity and design!