This is not a post on how to design, but rather what to expect when you start doing design work for people rather than yourself. For example, a University club.
So yes. This is basically what I've learnt so far from joining TEDxSunwayUniversity and maybe SAC too...?
When I first saw the promotion poster, I merely joined just for fun. They asked me to design something and after countless changes I gave up. I said no, I'm not joining the club anymore because it's too draining, but that was because at that time I was busy with other priorities as well. The president persuaded me so I stayed.
Here are the things I learnt:
1. No one is going to be satisfied with your first draft.
Yep. No matter how satisfied you are with your own design, once it's handed in, there is bound to be comments. LOTS of comments. Simple things from "Oh make it centralized thanks" to harsh comments like "Why is there a brain there? Remove it." It can be very daunting and hurtful but you'll get used to it eventually. On a bright side, it's going to make you a much stronger person than before.
2. There WILL be a lot of files just for ONE design.
I'm sure many professional or amateur designers can relate to this. It can grow from "TEDxRecruitment" to "TEDxRecruitment2" to "TEDxRecruitmentFINAL" to "TEDxRecruitmentFINALFINAL" and the list goes on and on and on until everyone is satisfied. It's also important to have individual PSD or whatever original files for each different design because you'll never know if they want the old design back.
3. Keep your files in the cloud storage/gmail at all times.
This is a must...Once when I've packed everything and ready to go home, the PR messaged me and asked me to change some details. I realized I didn't have my hard drive with me (I save everything in there) so I had to purposely run back to get it. -_____- So yes, if you save it in your gmail everything is solved! You don't have to bring your hard disk around everywhere and when there's emergency, you can always email it to your friend to make the necessary amendments.
4. You would be asked to make many different designs.
I think this is absurd. Like honestly, in making a good piece of design, I would put EVERYTHING into it. Do you expect me to spread out my hard work into TWO or sometimes THREE designs and in the end it's hard to pick because every piece is just MEH? Sometimes people got to understand that designing is not easy. It's not like I can think of two or three ideas at a time and when I produce it you decide to pick only one. This one is coming from SAC. It's sad to say that they're still doing it now, but thankfully not on me. So far my designs for SAC have been approved in one go, for that I am grateful. Last year when I had proudly produced the Halloween poster, they had asked me to produce MORE designs so that they could choose. WTF? You think I'm a poster-producing machine is it?
5. It will take up a lot of your time.
Depending on how long you would take to think, create, craft and amend your whole piece. But for me, it normally takes me a few good hours just to finally SAVE on the first draft. And that is only for the FIRST draft. Don't make me start on the rest.
6. You will improve.
You would be pushed to your limits to producing a good design and what would be the normal thing for you to do? FIND TUTORIALS! Find more ways to brush your skills so that people would be more accepting to your quirky art. I believe that your skills and thinking would mature over time. You would be more open to criticism because you understand that it will only make the design better for the club. You would be creating not only for your personal purposes, but rather for your whole team; your design would be a REPRESENTATION of what your team is doing. Pressuring enough? I thought so. But I honestly think it's a good practice especially in University.
There. This is what I've learnt so far. I might update the list some time in the year hehe. It has been great. I think this year has got to be a more fruitful year than the previous years I've been in Sunway. I got the chance to organize events with SAC (so far we've done Charity Drive, Sports Day and CAT Graduation, and the upcoming ACCA Graduation in a few days' time!), EXERCISE MORE (Tennis especially. Love the feeling.), and definitely designed way more in these few months.
I guess I'll be a lot busier in the next semester, what with me taking on the professional level of ACCA, and the main TEDx event, and SAC Camp. Phew. Just thinking of it makes me so tired HAHAHA. Alright enough chatting. BYE!
So yes. This is basically what I've learnt so far from joining TEDxSunwayUniversity and maybe SAC too...?
When I first saw the promotion poster, I merely joined just for fun. They asked me to design something and after countless changes I gave up. I said no, I'm not joining the club anymore because it's too draining, but that was because at that time I was busy with other priorities as well. The president persuaded me so I stayed.
Here are the things I learnt:
1. No one is going to be satisfied with your first draft.
Yep. No matter how satisfied you are with your own design, once it's handed in, there is bound to be comments. LOTS of comments. Simple things from "Oh make it centralized thanks" to harsh comments like "Why is there a brain there? Remove it." It can be very daunting and hurtful but you'll get used to it eventually. On a bright side, it's going to make you a much stronger person than before.
2. There WILL be a lot of files just for ONE design.
I'm sure many professional or amateur designers can relate to this. It can grow from "TEDxRecruitment" to "TEDxRecruitment2" to "TEDxRecruitmentFINAL" to "TEDxRecruitmentFINALFINAL" and the list goes on and on and on until everyone is satisfied. It's also important to have individual PSD or whatever original files for each different design because you'll never know if they want the old design back.
3. Keep your files in the cloud storage/gmail at all times.
This is a must...Once when I've packed everything and ready to go home, the PR messaged me and asked me to change some details. I realized I didn't have my hard drive with me (I save everything in there) so I had to purposely run back to get it. -_____- So yes, if you save it in your gmail everything is solved! You don't have to bring your hard disk around everywhere and when there's emergency, you can always email it to your friend to make the necessary amendments.
4. You would be asked to make many different designs.
I think this is absurd. Like honestly, in making a good piece of design, I would put EVERYTHING into it. Do you expect me to spread out my hard work into TWO or sometimes THREE designs and in the end it's hard to pick because every piece is just MEH? Sometimes people got to understand that designing is not easy. It's not like I can think of two or three ideas at a time and when I produce it you decide to pick only one. This one is coming from SAC. It's sad to say that they're still doing it now, but thankfully not on me. So far my designs for SAC have been approved in one go, for that I am grateful. Last year when I had proudly produced the Halloween poster, they had asked me to produce MORE designs so that they could choose. WTF? You think I'm a poster-producing machine is it?
5. It will take up a lot of your time.
Depending on how long you would take to think, create, craft and amend your whole piece. But for me, it normally takes me a few good hours just to finally SAVE on the first draft. And that is only for the FIRST draft. Don't make me start on the rest.
6. You will improve.
You would be pushed to your limits to producing a good design and what would be the normal thing for you to do? FIND TUTORIALS! Find more ways to brush your skills so that people would be more accepting to your quirky art. I believe that your skills and thinking would mature over time. You would be more open to criticism because you understand that it will only make the design better for the club. You would be creating not only for your personal purposes, but rather for your whole team; your design would be a REPRESENTATION of what your team is doing. Pressuring enough? I thought so. But I honestly think it's a good practice especially in University.
There. This is what I've learnt so far. I might update the list some time in the year hehe. It has been great. I think this year has got to be a more fruitful year than the previous years I've been in Sunway. I got the chance to organize events with SAC (so far we've done Charity Drive, Sports Day and CAT Graduation, and the upcoming ACCA Graduation in a few days' time!), EXERCISE MORE (Tennis especially. Love the feeling.), and definitely designed way more in these few months.
I guess I'll be a lot busier in the next semester, what with me taking on the professional level of ACCA, and the main TEDx event, and SAC Camp. Phew. Just thinking of it makes me so tired HAHAHA. Alright enough chatting. BYE!
x
Celine
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