Exploration in Design

While thinking about what I would like to learn for this independent learning project, a lot of things come to mind. I have so many interests -maybe too many – and it’s hard to choose just one. (This is why I had so much trouble picking a major and sticking with it!) I would really like, however, to learn more about graphic design. Like I stated in my bio, before I changed my major, I was a double major, majoring in both k-12 music and art. It was during this time that I took a graphic design course -my first at that – and found it absolutely fascinating. It’s funny, because I didn’t think I would like it at all! Although we essentially just covered the basics in that class, I learned so much. For example, we talked about everything from simple design, to what makes an ad attractive and effective, to typeface (which is an art in itself), to the effects good ads have on us. It may sound boring to some, but to me, like I stated earlier, is fascinating. Taking that class really opened my eyes to a whole other side to art that I didn’t even know existed. While writing this too, advertising plays such a big part in everyone’s lives – including children – and it would be fun, in my opinion, to somehow incorporate it into the classroom. In doing this, students would be able to take a step back from what they’re looking at, whether that be ads in a magazine, billboards on the side of the highway, or commercials on the T.V., and consciously analyze it for what type of product it’s trying to sell, what the intended audience is, and how that company is going about capturing that audience’s attention to try to get them to buy that product. After all, in my opinion, it’s probably in the student’s best interest to learn about things like this. Learning about this would give them the tools to be innovative, critical thinkers in a modern society such as ours.

Photo CC-By Graham Smith