What attracted me to my Discipline? Who are my Heroes?
- Feb 6, 2019
- 5 min read
I'll be honest, the only reason I applied for university is because during my Level 2 Creative Media Production and Level 3 Digital Design and Animation BTEC at New College Nottingham, whilst everyone was developing their UCAS applications I asked my tutor 'Would studying at higher education increase my chances of success in the creative industry?' and he replied yes, from that minute I was sold, as during most of my education life I was very set on not attending university, it wasn't for me. Am I glad I changed my mind? Yes.
Since studying at University of Derby my passion for Graphic Design has grown, I have learnt the historical foundations of what I know today as modern Graphic Design, without this history, I'd have no discipline.
What attracted me to Graphic Design? Originally was it's power to change and influence the world we live in, to stand for something and to cause an impact and to look good in hand. Now, I'm attracted to it's ways of communication on a visual level and that design isn't something you add, it's the whole point, it's how a piece works in the best functional way possible for all users/audience.
I was recommended to take the Myers Briggs personality test, my result was Protagonist (ENFJ-t). The outline of my results is something I strongly agree with. Looking further into my outlined Strengths and Weaknesses I find myself, I have learnt I must be critical with myself to become my true potential.
Strengths:
Tolerant – Protagonists are true team players, and they recognize that that means listening to other peoples’ opinions, even when they contradict their own. They admit they don’t have all the answers, and are often receptive to dissent, so long as it remains constructive.
Reliable – The one thing that galls Protagonists the most is the idea of letting down a person or cause they believe in. If it’s possible, Protagonists can always be counted on to see it through.
Charismatic – Charm and popularity are qualities Protagonists have in spades. They instinctively know how to capture an audience, and pick up on mood and motivation in ways that allow them to communicate with reason, emotion, passion, restraint – whatever the situation calls for. Talented imitators, Protagonists are able to shift their tone and manner to reflect the needs of the audience, while still maintaining their own voice.
Altruistic – Uniting these qualities is Protagonists’ unyielding desire to do good in and for their communities, be it in their own home or the global stage. Warm and selfless, Protagonists genuinely believe that if they can just bring people together, they can do a world of good.
Natural Leaders – More than seeking authority themselves, Protagonists often end up in leadership roles at the request of others, cheered on by the many admirers of their strong personality and positive vision.
Weaknesses:
Overly Idealistic – People with the Protagonist personality type can be caught off guard as they find that, through circumstance or nature, or simple misunderstanding, people fight against them and defy the principles they’ve adopted, however well-intentioned they may be. They are more likely to feel pity for this opposition than anger, and can earn a reputation of naïveté.
Too Selfless – Protagonists can bury themselves in their hopeful promises, feeling others’ problems as their own and striving hard to meet their word. If they aren’t careful, they can spread themselves too thin, and be left unable to help anyone.
Too Sensitive – While receptive to criticism, seeing it as a tool for leading a better team, it’s easy for Protagonists to take it a little too much to heart. Their sensitivity to others means that Protagonists sometimes feel problems that aren’t their own and try to fix things they can’t fix, worrying if they are doing enough.
Fluctuating Self-Esteem – Protagonists define their self-esteem by whether they are able to live up to their ideals, and sometimes ask for criticism more out of insecurity than out of confidence, always wondering what they could do better. If they fail to meet a goal or to help someone they said they’d help, their self-confidence will undoubtedly plummet.
Struggle to Make Tough Decisions – If caught between a rock and a hard place, Protagonists can be stricken with paralysis, imagining all the consequences of their actions, especially if those consequences are humanitarian.
A previous brief taught me that I am a fresh, passionate designer, interested in interacting with the world. My main talent is provocation and therefore I'd like to study how to motivate learners to switch from a passive to an active mode. This is actually something I struggle with myself, unfortunately where there is passion, not always does motivation follow, I myself have been a passive learner, I knew I would have to start with myself, to make that switch, before I could expect anyone to be inspired by me and follow suit. I needed to start to practice what I preach.
I am very confident in my digital skills and my knowledge within Graphic Design, from a historical, social, political and business aspect, this is something I am proud of and use as a strength. The test above has shown me my career path involves helping people. "Protagonists take a genuine interest in other people, approaching them with warm sociability and a helpful earnestness that rarely goes unnoticed. Altruistic careers like social and religious work, teaching, counselling, and advising of all sorts are popular avenues, giving people with the Protagonist personality type a chance to help others learn, grow, and become more independent." Alongside my personality, which in short is loud, I have given myself a platform to be seen and heard if used correctly and well done.
This has lead to my future ambition of becoming a teacher of Graphic Design, I am also intrigued in freelancing and working as an in-house designer, these two roles I have had previous experience in with my own clients such as Benfield Construction and Subjects and working alongside CEO Mark Roberts and Head Designer Michael Elijah as an intern at Conscious Creatives; a digital advertising company.
Education is something I'm very passionate about, it would seem I'm trying to stay involved in it for as long as possible, hoping to make a career in education, I have a need to learn, there is always more to learn and I want to know it all. my tutors have inspired me to be one of them, to share that knowledge, to interact and to inspire. If I could inspire one student to proceed to studying Graphic Designer further I would know success, to make that change the world needs.
Two of my heroes, who I owe it most to is my college tutors Rudy Butler and Dwayne Codling, they single handily sold me the Graphic Design dream, I like to think they saw something in me, from showing me tutorials individually and creating the excitement I now know as typography and its beauty; to recommending me an event in Nottingham called Design Exchange Nottingham, since attending Codling introduced me to Creative Director Gareth Strange of John & Jade, through this introduction I got to speak to someone very successful in the creative industry and was able to make connections through Instagram and LinkedIn. Another hero of mine and influencer in my work as a Designer is Josef Muller Brockmann, Swiss Style and The Bauhaus. The work and principles of JMB regarding visual communication inspires me and the Bauhaus principle 'Form Follows Function' is something I aim to live by in my work.
"Design isn't an aesthetic, it's the whole point."
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