From comparing the first day of the semester to this final week of the school year it is quite evident that my growth as a designer has been considerable. Not only has my confidence in my ability notably increased, but my current goals far exceed those that I originally implemented the first day of class. Contrary to my first assumption, group work has contributed significantly to the growth of my skills and identity as a designer as it pushed me to establish a voice of my own. Writing has been a struggle the whole duration of the semester, but with each assignment I find deeper meaning and revelation behind the work that I do, and it gradually becomes easier to express my ideas both written and spoken.
There were four main goals that I sought to achieve at the beginning of the semester. By starting this semester working individually and then building up to group work, I saw a goal crossed off my list with each new phase. As I began the semester independently with Jenga 1.0, I started to discover my voice as a designer and began working towards strengthening my methods of communicating my ideas. One of my goals was to sharpen my visual communication skills and from looking back to the first project and the last, I believe I have done just that.
The second goal I set out to achieve was to obtain better time management. I saw most improvement in this area when I joined forces with Austin Loman, and Corry Mears. With more people to bounce ideas off of I found that we were able to establish realistic goals and help motivate one another to stay focused and hold our own weight. I could not have asked for a better group as I was able to depend on these group members and give up control which I often find hard to do.
With the third phase of group work and the addition of three more group members, I discovered that my decision making skills improved dramatically. The first day that we met together and had a one hour charette, I discovered that initial ideas don't always have to be acted upon, but it provides a basis from which to work off of. After throwing around many different ideas, I found it much easier to make decisions and get the ball rolling.
The fourth goal I desired to fulfill was to learn new techniques. In the final group of 12, there was lots of ground to cover and I was assigned to do the public space renderings. Digital rendering was foreign to me, and I had relied to heavily on other group members previously to get the job done. But fortunately I was put in the situation where I was forced to learn and experiment, and I believe I was successful in doing so.
Overall, lessons I learned as a whole was that now is the time to try new things and take risks. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone is almost always a good thing. Also I learned to be confident in what you do. The writing portions of this semester has definitely helped me to finalize all the loose ends of a project. I have reason behind everything I do but when asked to write or speak about it, I often struggle verbalizing how my ideas and concepts become concrete. Writing has for sure been tedious, but undoubtedly it has helped me to further understand and communicate my design strategies and ideas. Looking back to my strengths as a designer I think it is safe to add to the list that I have a high motivation to do well and set the bar higher each time around. I believe myself to be reliable and willing to work until the job gets done. I continually seek new ways of improvement, and am aware of the fact that there is always more to learn.
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