Blog 24: Last Presentation Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
What I am most proud of in my presentation is that, I believe, my hook activity and my activity went really well together with my overall persentation. Also, my main activity had people actually participating and wanting to volunteer. 

(2) Questions to Consider
a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation?  Use the component contract to defend that assessment.
AE       P          AP       CR       NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project? Use the component contract to defend that assessment.
AE       P          AP       CR       NC

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
I had enough research to look at to where I was happy with and I had enough to be able to come up and back up the answers I presented. .

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project?
I would have practice going over some parts in my presentation, because in some parts I was either studdering or I blanked for a second. 

(5) Finding Value
How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.
At the beginning of my senior year, I was a little hesitant to make my senior topic graphic design, but as the year moved forward and I started to do my mentorship. I ended liking the whole process, even though some of my mentorship was, at times, difficult. *Cough cough Embroidering. By doing my mentorship I knew that this is something I really want to pursue and study more when I am in college. 

Exit Interview

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

My EQ is, " What elements are most important for a graphic designer to be at the forefront of his industry?". What I believe my best answer is to my EQ is that in order for a graphic designer to be at the forefront of his industry he needs a set of entrepreneur skills. The reason for this is because the skills an entrepreneur has involve being patient, motivated, having the drive to learn, and most importantly they need to be able to adapt. Without these skills you won't be a good graphic designer, and if you're not at least a good graphic designer, what makes you think that you will be one that is at the forefront of your industry. 

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
When it came time to deciding what my best answer to my EQ would be, I first started thinking about my mentor ship, my Independent Component 1 and 2, and the interviews I had. And after thinking of all those I decided that my first answer is actually my best answer.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?
A problem I had was picking my best answer, I was deciding between my first answer and my second answer. It took me a few months to make a decision because I believed that both of them are equally important, but as soon as I started to think long term, in the future, I knew that my first answer was my best. 

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

The two sources most significant sources that I used to answer my EQ was an article called" How to Stay Ahead of the Curve as a Designer - Six Revisions.", and another article called "Visual Accessibility in Graphic Design: A Client–designer Communication Failure.".The reason why the first article was significant to me is because after reading this article it gave me information I can do research on for my EQ. And as for the second article, it help me form my third answer for my EQ.

Blog 22: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) “I, Isaias Crisanto, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 43 hours of work.”
(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.
Their was a few sources from my working bibliography that helped me with my independent component two. These sources include source # 18, #27, #45, and #54.
 (c) Independent Component 2 Log 
(d) Explain what you completed.  
  What I have completed for my independent component two it that I helped one of  friends, Clark, with his food blog by creating a logo/design for him that he can put on his blog. Not only that but I also helped design the board game that we were assigned for Rivas.
 (e) Defend your work and explain the component's significance and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.   
It showed me the significance of talking to someone throughout a project by not only getting their input on it but also me suggesting what possibilities I can do to help them. 

This is the logo I did for Clark's food blog.

These are some rough sketches for the characters in my group's board game. 

These are bottle caps that I spray painted for our board game . 

These are some more sketches of the characters.

(f)How did the component help you answer your EQ? Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped. 
This component helped me answer my EQ because it showed me the importance of having clear communication with a client(s) throughout a project to make sure that everyone is happy with the end product. 

Fourth Interview Questions

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?
Who I plan to interview for my fourth interview is Brianne's uncle, he is a graphic designer, plus, he also has some marketing skills. If that doesn't work out I plan to call a company called Nemo and Rami Inc., they have designers, architects, and marketers that work there. 

2.  Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. Your focus should be finding answers to your EQ.
How do you grasp the attention of the public with your work?
What elements are most important for a graphic designer to be at the forefront of his industry?
Is their any other types of design I can study, such as architectural design, that would help me be ahead in this industry?
Do you have any tips for someone that wants to set up their own business as a graphic designer?
In your opinion, how can a graphic designer excel while working for a company? 
Do you have any tips when speaking to a client?
How do you deal with bad clients?
What is one thing you do to always make your clients happy?
How do you adapt to new graphic design trends?
What is one important asset, that you have used, that has helped you become the graphic designer that you are today? 
Do you believe having marketing skills can benefit the graphic designer? If so how?

Blog 19: Third Answer

• EQ 
• My EQ is, " What elements are most important for a graphic designer to be at the forefront of his industry?"

• Answer #3 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)
• The third best way to answer my EQ is by having great marketing skills. 

• 3 details to support the answer
• Having your designs visually accessible to the public.
• Being able to sell yourself to companies/businesses.
• You simply can't be a graphic designer without knowing some marketing skills. 

• The research source(s) to support your details and answer
• The sources that support my answer are resources # 22, 29, and 33 from my working bibliography. 

• Concluding Sentence
• Having great marketing skills can be the differences from being a successful and well-known graphic designer, and being a mediocre graphic designer that no one has heard of.  

Answer 2

        

1.  What is your EQ?
My EQ is, " What elements are most important for a graphic designer to be at the forefront of his industry?"
2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)
The best way to answer my EQ, " What elements are most important for a graphic designer to be at the forefront of his industry?", is having entrepreneur skills.
3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)
The second bet way to answer my EQ,  " What elements are most important for a graphic designer to be at the forefront of his industry?", is to have clear communication with your client with the project at hand.
4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.
Three reasons why this answer is true is because having clear communication with a client means that the client will be satisfied with the end product. It also means that client will want your services again for future projects because you have built a great relationship with them. And finally it opens the doors to other potential clients, which means more business for you in the future. 
5.  What printed source best supports your answer?
The best printed source that supports my answer is a book called Show Me, Don't Tell Me written by David Holston, this book helps the designer develop and execute a conversation with their client.  
6.  What other source supports your answer?
Some other source that support my answer are sources #12, #36, #39, #42, #43, and #44 from my working bibliography. 
7.  Tie this together with a concluding thought.
Having clear communication between the designer and client is the most important element for a graphic designer to be at the forefront of his industry because every project starts with communicating to a potential client, and so, having clear communication means that both parties end up happy with the end result.  

Blog 16: Independent Component 2 Approval

                                           

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.
What I plan to do for my independent component 2 is to create a graphic design portfolio to show to people what type of designer I am. I'm going to do this by creating and showcasing my designs in a professional and neat manner for the public to see.
2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.
To meet the expectations of showing 30 hours of evidence, I would take pictures of my Portfolio to showcase the work I have done. 
3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.
By doing this component it will help me understand what a graphic designer needs to do to, not only, get his name out to the public but to also getting hired for a potential graphic designer job. And so, by creating this portfolio for the public to see, or anyone, I would want to put my best work in it so it can truly show what my abilities are. 
4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log.
Independent Component 2 log

Independent Component 1

                                  

• LITERAL

• (a) Write: “I, Isaias Crisanto, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 37 hours of work.”

• (b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.
• "DMC Creative World." How to Embroider A Complete Overview of Embroidery. DMC, 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.

• (c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours.
• Independent Component hours

• (d) Explain what you completed.  
•   What I have completed for my independent component, is that I helped my mentor with his work by embroidering three designs on a piece of fabric. Not only that but towards the end I helped my mentor by completing an assignment he had received from a client. 

• INTERPRETIVE 

• Defend your work and explain its significance to your project and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.  



Embroider #2






Embroider #1



Embroider #3






Client's sign

• APPLIED

• How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better?  Please include specific examples to illustrate this. 
• This component helped me understand my topic because I actually got to do the work of what a graphic designer actually does. Plus I learned that when choosing what you want to do as a profession, you have to be certain that it's something that you really like.want to do because if your doing it for the money you will get tired of it and eventually you will get bored of what you do.

Lesson 2 Reflection

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?
What I am most proud of is that this was the first presentation where I actually felt confident about, because I had all my visual aids prepared, and I had an activity that really involved the audience's participation.

2. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?
       P, I believe I deserve a "P" because I had everything well prepared, and I mentioned my mentorship, so I basically had everything that I need to have to get a "P", the only problem is that the way I executed my presentation wasn't the best. I stuttered a lot and my nerves got the better of me, so my presentation didn't flow a well as I wanted it to. 
    
3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
What I think worked in my lesson two is my activity that I did, I had everyone participate and I had some people share out what they created. 

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?
What didn't work in my presentation for me, was the timing, I was so close to go over time. So, if I had a time machine I would have rehearsed more so I can get the timing a little bit better. 

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?
What I want my answer two to be is, I want my answer to deal with something, along the lines of communication between a client and a graphic designer and how to make it better.

Third Interview Preparation

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?
I am currently searching for someone to interview..
2.  Verify that you have called your interviewee to schedule an interview.  What is the date and time of the interview? 
To be announced... 
3.  Phrase open-ended questions that will help you find research resources that would help to answer the EQ.
What has helped you the most when you were first learning about graphic design?
What are some books that you have read, if any, that have helped you learn more about graphic design?
Is their anybody that you know of that I should do research on when talking about graphic design?
How do you keep up with trends in this industry?
4.  Phrase open-ended questions that will help you think about other useful activities you might do to help you answer the EQ (IC2, possible experts to talk to, etc).
How do you grasp the attention of the public with your work?
Is their anything I can do, such as visiting a company or talking to another expert, that would help me better understand how a graphic designer can be ahead of their industry? and if so do you recommend anybody I can talk to? 
5.  Phrase two open-ended questions that help you to understand your interviewee's perspective on an aspect of your EQ. 
What elements are most important for a graphic designer to be at the forefront of his industry?
Is their any other types of design I can study, such as architectural design, that would help me be ahead in this industry?
Do you have any tips for someone that wants to set up their own business as a graphic designer?
In your opinion, how can a graphic designer excel while working for a company? 

Blog 13: 10 Hour Mentorship Check-In

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?
I am doing my mentorship both at my mentor's work and at home, I'm doing some of my mentorship at home, because my mentor has some of his equipment at home so I can learn at both places.
2.   Who is your contact?  What makes this person an expert?
My mentor is my dad he is a graphic designer for a company called victory foam, and what makes him an expert is that he has experience working in this field for over 15 years and not only does he know about graphic design but also, a little bit about architectural design.
3.   How many hours have you done during the school year? (Summer Mentorship Hours and Mentorship Hours should be reflected separately in your Senior Project Hours log located on the right hand side of your blog).
During the school year, as of right now, I have a total of 29 hours.
4.   Succinctly summarize what you did, how well you and your mentor worked together, and how you plan to complete the remaining hours.
For my mentorship, my mentor has thought me how to use some of his equipment and has let me help him with his work that he does for his job. So far my mentor and I have been working together pretty well, he shows me how his equipment works and is always helpful when I have questions for him. I plan to complete my hours, by keeping on helping him with his work so I can get hands on experience in graphic design and to see how their workload is too.  

Blog 12: Holiday Project Update

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you do over the break with your senior project?
I learned how to swap some parts out of each machine and re-stocking them with some of materials that it needs in order to operate properly.
2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?
I think the most important thing I learned is how to handle each machine properly. What I mean about that, I learned how to change the parts for each machine and I learned how to operate the machines in a safe manner.
3.  Your third interview will be a 10 question interview related to possible answers for your EQ. Who do you plan to talk to and why?
I would like to talk to a different graphic designer to get another opinion about what possible answers I can have for my EQ, and I don't know yet who I plan to talk to, I am still looking for someone.