Last night I had the opportunity to give a few opening remarks to the BFA graduating students at SUNY New Paltz. The student show was inspiring, and I was reminded of the strong design community and great teachers at New Paltz. I don’t think I had ever stood up in front of a mic and room full of people [yikes!]. But, as I prepared for the talk, so many memories and thoughts surfaced, so I was excited to share those first experiences in the field of graphic design.
Here are a few lessons learned: 1) When Opportunity Knocks, follow through 2) First couple years are about learning from others, being a team player and having a strong work ethic. 3) Nurture a creative environment / life and work are one 4) Altruism creates opportunity and high visibility of work 5) the creative process works same way in school, as in out of school, but its the job of the designer to pull it together as an inevitable solution 6) depend on research leading to inspiration, and just beautiful, clean design 7) explore the variety in the field, and you’ll find your niche. 8) Every new project presents different challenges, which keeps one passionate about the work, and excited about the field.
work credits: Pentagram Design, Woody Pirtle, Pirtle Design and Duba Design