Becoming a Graphic Designer: Reflection 1

When the instructor, Jimmy Moss, announced that art 308 requires a text book I got very nervous. Having poor reading skills, and an attention span that burns faster than tissue, I was worried I would not be able to keep up with the material. Nevertheless, I had to buy and read the book. As I anticipated, I was having difficulty reading. While I made pass one word at a time, my mind was playing movies in my head. Despite the distractions however, I was made to make it through the 23 pages of the book, with a minimum understanding of the material.
The books clearly states that it is not a "Graphic Design for Dummies". That is what school is for. Instead, it is a guide or a navigator, to the working field of graphic design. This field is one that evolves, and as designers we must evolve with it. In other words, mere talent and technical skills are not enough. Change and adaptation, is the essential. As technology advances, it requires us to grow even more further. I does not always requires higher education, and has broader opportunities other than advertisement. It is a field that offers so much but demands just as much in return.
Graphic designs has come a long way from its early days. Before only a few low tech tools were all you need to begin your career. Now a days, an investment in expensive software is highly necessarily. Even though, advance technology makes it possible to unlock anyone hidden potential, Not everyone can become a great designer. Never forget, that graphic design is still an art. Despite being label as "commercial art", it does not make it an inferior one. In anything is is one of the most rigorous of arts, for it is a constant balance between selling, entertainment, and information. Further more, graphic designers must be flexible and must have a mastery of the essential tools and be familiar with its regions. from typography, to photography, to the history of design to the latest modern trends, graphic design requires knowledge and a will to learn. We must accept, promote, and even help change the standards of this art.