We’re Back!
By megan dealSeptember 1st, 2008
The fall semester is now upon us. Class schedules are being finalized, supplies are being purchased, and the work load, no doubt, will soon be piling up. For those of you who may be new to Pixelgawker, welcome, and thanks for taking the time to peruse. And for all of you returning visitors, thanks for coming back! Created to foster a critical design discussion among students, Pixelgawker celebrates it’s one year anniversary this fall. Since its launch towards the end of 2007, the site has been tastefully redesigned, while the discussion continues to expand. A blog that started with one student’s timid first essay, has now morphed into a full blown student forum, receiving over 100,000 hits in the first 9 months. Just like last year, Chad and I are still seeking contributors who may be willing to write, or have already written on a topic suitable for discussion. Please contact Chad or myself if you’re interested in writing. Let your voice be heard! (Otherwise your stuck with me and my opinions for the next 15 weeks)
Okay, now that the shameless promotional work is out of the way, I’d simply like to encourage everyone to have a FUN and productive semester. As students, we know all to well the high level of commitment that is required from us if we are to learn and better our skills. That commitment to success, along with the pride we each take in our work, are both qualities that we should commend ourselves for possessing. This strange realm of higher education we dabble in, can be challenging, frustrating, exciting, or unbearable; but it can ultimately be fulfilling. It’s fulfilling when you have a useful crit, it’s fulfilling to connect and share with your peers, it’s fulfilling to have a great discussion with your favorite teacher, it’s fulfilling when you finally complete a daunting project and, in time, it’s fulfilling when you leave as a fresh college graduate. So please…as the semester gets underway, and the energy drinks are re-introduced to our clean, summer systems, and the work piles up, and the wireless refuses to work, and the security guards kick us out of labs, and Kinkos can’t print our files, and we feel like we’re being pulled in 97 different directions (and probably are)…please, PLEASE try to stay positive. We have all chosen to be here, and we are all in this together, and with each other we’re all working towards a similar goal. So with that, I say keep the designing on high and the moping turned low. Get ready. For today, it begins.
I think every new school year (or even every semester) we should set personal goals for ourselves on what to focus on. The review process helps with this, pointing out the things that need improvement. For example, I have been stuck in a comfort zone for way too long, and this semester I am actively trying to break free, also focusing on usage of color and better typography. I think this type of self-evaluation is necessary to improve as a designer, and to keep yourself motivated and focused.