Why Am I Here? - What Do I Want To Learn?

Identify and explain five reasons why you chose to study on this programme...

1. It is a challenging and intense course where I hope to make the best of myself.
2. It was somewhere I knew I would be pushed as the course has a reputation for creating very high standard work..
3. With 500+ applicants and under fifty places I new the competition was high which meant I would be surrounded by people who were good designers. Also with the numbers being so small I liked the thought of being in a close group of people.
4. I had seen work from previous students and found it really inspiring, especially compared to other institutions I had looked around where I was no where near as impressed.
5. To kickstart my career and to guide my future in the right direction.

Identify and explain five things that you want to learn during your time on the programme...

1. I really want to improve on Adobe Illustration, as it is a programme that I haven't used very much and am still not familiar with.
2. I would like to learn how to be a successful professional in this field, by learning how to work well within the environment and how to promote myself and my work.
3. Letterpress is a technique that really interests me, but I have never had the chance to explore it in the past. I hope to gain more knowledge and experience with this whilst on the course.
4. How to present a concept successfully to a group of people. I believe this skill will be very valuble to me in the future when it comes to starting a career.
5. Have a greater understanding of what my strongest skills are. I already have knowledge about what I enjoy and has been strong in the past, but I would like to see how these develop and whether any new techniques become more in the forefront of my work.

Identify and explain five skills that you think are your strengths...

1. I think I am good at talking in front of groups of people and explaining ideas. I feel that eventhough it is something I can get nervous about I can still do it confidently and successfully.
2. I believe I can incorporate mixed media into my work successfully. I enjoy collaging and scanning in different textures and using them to make an interesting end result.
3. Presentation is also a strength of mine, even before I new I wanted to be a designer I always presented my work well even when it came to school books.
4. I also think I am good at Photoshop, I feel I can use it effectively to portray my ideas as over the years I have gathered a large bank of skills and knowledge whilst experimenting.
5. Layout is another skill I think is one of my strengths and I enjoy playing around with compositions in order to get the best results.

Identify and explain five skills you want to improve...

1. Adobe Illustrator for definite, it just confuses me at the moment.
2. I would also like to improve my illustration skills as being able to draw my own imagery rather than sourcing it from elsewhere really appeals to me.
3. Time management is another point. I always get things done on time, but sometimes it is quite last minute. Using a diary more successfully could help this.
4. My knowledge on other designers could also be greater, as at the moment it is something that I don't have a  lot of.
5. Improve my creative mind-set to find it easier to think out of the box and come up with more interesting and new ideas.

Identify five questions that you want to find the answer to...

1. How do you use Adobe Illustrator?
2. How do you create a digital typeface?
3. How do you go about getting a job in graphic design and where are the best places to work?
4. How do you brand yourself as a designer?
5. How do you create a website?

Identify and explain 5 ways that you will evaluate your progress...

1. Feedback from my peers.
2. Feedback from my tutors.
3. Self evaluation via my blog.
4. Look back over work I have done whilst on the course to see new developments in my skills.
5. Talks with visiting professionls that come into the college.